diff --git a/src/common.h b/src/common.h
index 44309623a..7e80b1ec6 100644
--- a/src/common.h
+++ b/src/common.h
@@ -629,4 +629,10 @@ LY_ERR ly_munmap(void *addr, size_t length);
  */
 LY_ERR ly_strcat(char **dest, const char *format, ...);
 
+#ifndef _WIN32
+# define PATH_SEPARATOR ":"
+#else
+# define PATH_SEPARATOR ";"
+#endif
+
 #endif /* LY_COMMON_H_ */
diff --git a/src/context.c b/src/context.c
index 28a72f14c..a29f5fb6b 100644
--- a/src/context.c
+++ b/src/context.c
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ ly_ctx_new(const char *search_dir, uint16_t options, struct ly_ctx **new_ctx)
         search_dir_list = strdup(search_dir);
         LY_CHECK_ERR_GOTO(!search_dir_list, LOGMEM(NULL); rc = LY_EMEM, cleanup);
 
-        for (dir = search_dir_list; (sep = strchr(dir, ':')) != NULL && rc == LY_SUCCESS; dir = sep + 1) {
+        for (dir = search_dir_list; (sep = strchr(dir, PATH_SEPARATOR[0])) != NULL && rc == LY_SUCCESS; dir = sep + 1) {
             *sep = 0;
             rc = ly_ctx_set_searchdir(ctx, dir);
             if (rc == LY_EEXIST) {
diff --git a/src/context.h b/src/context.h
index 185923626..fdd87e231 100644
--- a/src/context.h
+++ b/src/context.h
@@ -214,8 +214,9 @@ struct ly_ctx;
  * also affects the number of instances of both tree types. While you can have only one instance of
  * specific schema connected with a single context, number of data tree instances is not connected.
  *
- * @param[in] search_dir Directory where libyang will search for the imported or included modules
- * and submodules. If no such directory is available, NULL is accepted.
+ * @param[in] search_dir Directory (or directories) where libyang will search for the imported or included modules
+ * and submodules. If no such directory is available, NULL is accepted. Several directories can be specified,
+ * delimited by colon ":" (on Windows, use semicolon ";" instead).
  * @param[in] options Context options, see @ref contextoptions.
  * @param[out] new_ctx Pointer to the created libyang context if LY_SUCCESS returned.
  * @return LY_ERR return value.
diff --git a/tests/utests/basic/test_context.c b/tests/utests/basic/test_context.c
index 9ec92035c..f542bc26f 100644
--- a/tests/utests/basic/test_context.c
+++ b/tests/utests/basic/test_context.c
@@ -104,7 +104,9 @@ test_searchdirs(void **state)
     /* test searchdir list in ly_ctx_new() */
     assert_int_equal(LY_EINVAL, ly_ctx_new("/nonexistingfile", 0, &UTEST_LYCTX));
     CHECK_LOG("Unable to use search directory \"/nonexistingfile\" (No such file or directory).", NULL);
-    assert_int_equal(LY_SUCCESS, ly_ctx_new(TESTS_SRC ":"TESTS_BIN ":"TESTS_BIN ":"TESTS_SRC, LY_CTX_DISABLE_SEARCHDIRS, &UTEST_LYCTX));
+    assert_int_equal(LY_SUCCESS,
+            ly_ctx_new(TESTS_SRC PATH_SEPARATOR TESTS_BIN PATH_SEPARATOR TESTS_BIN PATH_SEPARATOR TESTS_SRC,
+            LY_CTX_DISABLE_SEARCHDIRS, &UTEST_LYCTX));
     assert_int_equal(2, UTEST_LYCTX->search_paths.count);
     assert_string_equal(TESTS_SRC, UTEST_LYCTX->search_paths.objs[0]);
     assert_string_equal(TESTS_BIN, UTEST_LYCTX->search_paths.objs[1]);