diff --git a/compat/mingw.c b/compat/mingw.c
index 0dc957fbabb40b..719ec9bf209d90 100644
--- a/compat/mingw.c
+++ b/compat/mingw.c
@@ -935,6 +935,7 @@ static int has_valid_directory_prefix(wchar_t *wfilename)
 int mingw_lstat(const char *file_name, struct stat *buf)
 {
 	WIN32_FILE_ATTRIBUTE_DATA fdata;
+	WIN32_FIND_DATAW findbuf = { 0 };
 	wchar_t wfilename[MAX_LONG_PATH];
 	int wlen = xutftowcs_long_path(wfilename, file_name);
 	if (wlen < 0)
@@ -949,6 +950,13 @@ int mingw_lstat(const char *file_name, struct stat *buf)
 	}
 
 	if (GetFileAttributesExW(wfilename, GetFileExInfoStandard, &fdata)) {
+		/* for reparse points, use FindFirstFile to get the reparse tag */
+		if (fdata.dwFileAttributes & FILE_ATTRIBUTE_REPARSE_POINT) {
+			HANDLE handle = FindFirstFileW(wfilename, &findbuf);
+			if (handle == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE)
+				goto error;
+			FindClose(handle);
+		}
 		buf->st_ino = 0;
 		buf->st_gid = 0;
 		buf->st_uid = 0;
@@ -961,20 +969,16 @@ int mingw_lstat(const char *file_name, struct stat *buf)
 		filetime_to_timespec(&(fdata.ftLastWriteTime), &(buf->st_mtim));
 		filetime_to_timespec(&(fdata.ftCreationTime), &(buf->st_ctim));
 		if (fdata.dwFileAttributes & FILE_ATTRIBUTE_REPARSE_POINT) {
-			WIN32_FIND_DATAW findbuf;
-			HANDLE handle = FindFirstFileW(wfilename, &findbuf);
-			if (handle != INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE) {
 				if ((findbuf.dwFileAttributes & FILE_ATTRIBUTE_REPARSE_POINT) &&
 						(findbuf.dwReserved0 == IO_REPARSE_TAG_SYMLINK)) {
 					buf->st_mode = S_IFLNK | S_IREAD;
 					if (!(findbuf.dwFileAttributes & FILE_ATTRIBUTE_READONLY))
 						buf->st_mode |= S_IWRITE;
 				}
-				FindClose(handle);
-			}
 		}
 		return 0;
 	}
+error:
 	switch (GetLastError()) {
 	case ERROR_ACCESS_DENIED:
 	case ERROR_SHARING_VIOLATION: