diff --git a/include/llama.h b/include/llama.h
index f05e9bd247..df2ab4ab4b 100644
--- a/include/llama.h
+++ b/include/llama.h
@@ -464,9 +464,8 @@ extern "C" {
                              const char * path_model,
               struct llama_model_params   params);
 
-    // Load a model from a POSIX file descriptor
-    // Not supported on Windows
-    LLAMA_API struct llama_model * llama_model_load_from_fd(int fd, struct llama_model_params params);
+    // Load a model from an open FILE pointer
+    LLAMA_API struct llama_model * llama_model_load_from_file_ptr(FILE * file, struct llama_model_params params);
 
     // Load a model from multiple splits (support custom naming scheme)
     // The paths must be in the correct order
diff --git a/src/llama-model-loader.cpp b/src/llama-model-loader.cpp
index 358b505f18..6af0ee1fe5 100644
--- a/src/llama-model-loader.cpp
+++ b/src/llama-model-loader.cpp
@@ -13,10 +13,6 @@
 #include <future>
 #include <regex>
 
-#ifndef _WIN32
-#include <unistd.h>
-#endif // _WIN32
-
 static const size_t kiB = 1024;
 static const size_t MiB = 1024*kiB;
 static const size_t GiB = 1024*MiB;
@@ -514,7 +510,7 @@ llama_model_loader::llama_model_loader(
         void * set_tensor_data_ud,
         const std::string & fname,
         std::vector<std::string> & splits,
-        int fd,
+        FILE * file,
         bool use_mmap,
         bool use_direct_io,
         bool check_tensors,
@@ -662,35 +658,23 @@ llama_model_loader::llama_model_loader(
 
             LLAMA_LOG_INFO("%s: additional %d GGUFs metadata loaded.\n",  __func__, n_split - 1);
         }
-    } else if (fd >= 0) {
-        const int fd_duped = dup(fd);
-        if (fd_duped < 0) {
-            throw std::runtime_error(format("%s: failed to dup fd %d: %s", __func__, fd, strerror(errno)));
-        }
-
-        FILE * f = fdopen(fd_duped, "rb");
-        if (!f) {
-            close(fd_duped);
-            throw std::runtime_error(format("%s: failed to fdopen fd %d: %s", __func__, fd, strerror(errno)));
-        }
-
+    } else if (file) {
         struct ggml_context * ctx = NULL;
         struct gguf_init_params params = {
             /*.no_alloc = */ true,
             /*.ctx      = */ &ctx,
         };
 
-        metadata_ptr.reset(gguf_init_from_file_ptr(f, params));
-        fclose(f);
+        metadata_ptr.reset(gguf_init_from_file_ptr(file, params));
         metadata = metadata_ptr.get();
         if (metadata == nullptr) {
-            throw std::runtime_error(format("%s: failed to load model from fd %d", __func__, fd));
+            throw std::runtime_error(format("%s: failed to load model from file pointer", __func__));
         }
 
         get_key(llm_kv(LLM_KV_GENERAL_ARCHITECTURE), arch_name, false);
         llm_kv = LLM_KV(llm_arch_from_string(arch_name));
 
-        files.emplace_back(new llama_file(fd));
+        files.emplace_back(new llama_file(fileno(file)));
         contexts.emplace_back(ctx);
 
         // Save tensors data offset info of the main file.
@@ -715,7 +699,7 @@ llama_model_loader::llama_model_loader(
     fver = (enum llama_fver) gguf_get_version(metadata);
 
     LLAMA_LOG_INFO("%s: loaded meta data with %d key-value pairs and %d tensors from %s (version %s)\n",
-            __func__, n_kv, n_tensors, fname.empty() ? "(fd)" : fname.c_str(), llama_file_version_name(fver));
+            __func__, n_kv, n_tensors, fname.empty() ? "(file*)" : fname.c_str(), llama_file_version_name(fver));
 
     // determine file type based on the number of tensors for each quantization and print meta data
     // TODO: make optional
diff --git a/src/llama-model-loader.h b/src/llama-model-loader.h
index 6e5a5a4712..7b3d6703c0 100644
--- a/src/llama-model-loader.h
+++ b/src/llama-model-loader.h
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ struct llama_model_loader {
         void * set_tensor_data_ud,
         const std::string & fname,
         std::vector<std::string> & splits, // optional, only need if the split does not follow naming scheme
-        int fd,
+        FILE * file,
         bool use_mmap,
         bool use_direct_io,
         bool check_tensors,
diff --git a/src/llama-quant.cpp b/src/llama-quant.cpp
index d047944dd6..c414656e0a 100644
--- a/src/llama-quant.cpp
+++ b/src/llama-quant.cpp
@@ -859,7 +859,7 @@ static void llama_model_quantize_impl(const std::string & fname_inp, const std::
 
     std::vector<std::string> splits = {};
     llama_model_loader ml(/*metadata*/ nullptr, /*set_tensor_data*/ nullptr, /*set_tensor_data_ud*/ nullptr,
-        fname_inp, splits, /*fd*/ -1, use_mmap, /*use_direct_io*/ false, /*check_tensors*/ true, /*no_alloc*/ false, kv_overrides, nullptr);
+        fname_inp, splits, /*file*/ nullptr, use_mmap, /*use_direct_io*/ false, /*check_tensors*/ true, /*no_alloc*/ false, kv_overrides, nullptr);
     ml.init_mappings(false); // no prefetching
 
     llama_model model(llama_model_default_params());
diff --git a/src/llama.cpp b/src/llama.cpp
index c40d5c9d51..d35fb2cbe6 100644
--- a/src/llama.cpp
+++ b/src/llama.cpp
@@ -828,7 +828,7 @@ int64_t llama_time_us(void) {
 
 // Returns 0 on success, -1 on error, and -2 on cancellation via llama_progress_callback
 static int llama_model_load(struct gguf_context * metadata, llama_model_set_tensor_data_t set_tensor_data, void * set_tensor_data_ud,
-        const std::string & fname, std::vector<std::string> & splits, int fd, llama_model & model, llama_model_params & params) {
+        const std::string & fname, std::vector<std::string> & splits, FILE * file, llama_model & model, llama_model_params & params) {
     // loading time will be recalculated after the first eval, so
     // we take page faults deferred by mmap() into consideration
     model.t_load_us = 0;
@@ -837,7 +837,7 @@ static int llama_model_load(struct gguf_context * metadata, llama_model_set_tens
     model.t_start_us = tm.t_start_us;
 
     try {
-        llama_model_loader ml(metadata, set_tensor_data, set_tensor_data_ud, fname, splits, fd, params.use_mmap, params.use_direct_io,
+        llama_model_loader ml(metadata, set_tensor_data, set_tensor_data_ud, fname, splits, file, params.use_mmap, params.use_direct_io,
             params.check_tensors, params.no_alloc, params.kv_overrides, params.tensor_buft_overrides);
 
         ml.print_info();
@@ -889,9 +889,9 @@ static struct llama_model * llama_model_load_from_file_impl(
         void * set_tensor_data_ud,
         const std::string & path_model,
         std::vector<std::string> & splits,
-        int fd,
+        FILE * file,
         struct llama_model_params params) {
-    if (metadata == nullptr && path_model.empty() && fd < 0) {
+    if (metadata == nullptr && path_model.empty() && !file) {
         LLAMA_LOG_ERROR("%s: no model source provided\n", __func__);
         return nullptr;
     }
@@ -1015,7 +1015,7 @@ static struct llama_model * llama_model_load_from_file_impl(
                 props.memory_free/1024/1024);
     }
 
-    const int status = llama_model_load(metadata, set_tensor_data, set_tensor_data_ud, path_model, splits, fd, *model, params);
+    const int status = llama_model_load(metadata, set_tensor_data, set_tensor_data_ud, path_model, splits, file, *model, params);
     GGML_ASSERT(status <= 0);
     if (status < 0) {
         if (status == -1) {
@@ -1041,7 +1041,7 @@ struct llama_model * llama_model_init_from_user(
     std::vector<std::string> splits = {};
     params.use_mmap = false;
     params.use_extra_bufts = false;
-    return llama_model_load_from_file_impl(metadata, set_tensor_data, set_tensor_data_ud, path_model, splits, /*fd*/ -1, params);
+    return llama_model_load_from_file_impl(metadata, set_tensor_data, set_tensor_data_ud, path_model, splits, /*file*/ nullptr, params);
 }
 // deprecated
 struct llama_model * llama_load_model_from_file(
@@ -1054,7 +1054,7 @@ struct llama_model * llama_model_load_from_file(
         const char * path_model,
         struct llama_model_params params) {
     std::vector<std::string> splits = {};
-    return llama_model_load_from_file_impl(nullptr, nullptr, nullptr, path_model, splits, /*fd*/ -1, params);
+    return llama_model_load_from_file_impl(nullptr, nullptr, nullptr, path_model, splits, /*file*/ nullptr, params);
 }
 
 struct llama_model * llama_model_load_from_splits(
@@ -1070,20 +1070,17 @@ struct llama_model * llama_model_load_from_splits(
     for (size_t i = 0; i < n_paths; ++i) {
         splits.push_back(paths[i]);
     }
-    return llama_model_load_from_file_impl(nullptr, nullptr, nullptr, splits.front(), splits, /*fd*/ -1, params);
+    return llama_model_load_from_file_impl(nullptr, nullptr, nullptr, splits.front(), splits, /*file*/ nullptr, params);
 }
 
-struct llama_model * llama_model_load_from_fd(int fd, struct llama_model_params params) {
-#ifdef _WIN32
-    LLAMA_LOG_ERROR("%s: fd-based loading is not supported on Windows\n", __func__);
-    GGML_UNUSED(fd);
-    GGML_UNUSED(params);
-    return nullptr;
-#else
+struct llama_model * llama_model_load_from_file_ptr(FILE * file, struct llama_model_params params) {
+    if (!file) {
+        LLAMA_LOG_ERROR("%s: file is NULL\n", __func__);
+        return nullptr;
+    }
     std::string path_model;
     std::vector<std::string> splits = {};
-    return llama_model_load_from_file_impl(nullptr, nullptr, nullptr, path_model, splits, fd, params);
-#endif // _WIN32
+    return llama_model_load_from_file_impl(nullptr, nullptr, nullptr, path_model, splits, file, params);
 }
 
 void llama_model_save_to_file(const struct llama_model * model, const char * path_model) {
diff --git a/tests/test-model-load-fd.cpp b/tests/test-model-load-fd.cpp
index dd982ba907..b7ff237ee5 100644
--- a/tests/test-model-load-fd.cpp
+++ b/tests/test-model-load-fd.cpp
@@ -24,20 +24,27 @@ int main(int argc, char ** argv) {
         return EXIT_FAILURE;
     }
 
+    FILE * f = fdopen(dup(fd), "rb");
+    close(fd);
+    if (!f) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "failed to fdopen\n");
+        return EXIT_FAILURE;
+    }
+
     auto params = llama_model_default_params();
     params.use_mmap = true;
     params.vocab_only = true;
 
-    struct llama_model * model = llama_model_load_from_fd(fd, params);
-    close(fd);
+    struct llama_model * model = llama_model_load_from_file_ptr(f, params);
+    fclose(f);
 
     if (model == nullptr) {
-        fprintf(stderr, "load from fd failed\n");
+        fprintf(stderr, "load from file pointer failed\n");
         return EXIT_FAILURE;
     }
 
     const int n_vocab = llama_vocab_n_tokens(llama_model_get_vocab(model));
-    fprintf(stderr, "loaded %d tokens from fd\n", n_vocab);
+    fprintf(stderr, "loaded %d tokens via file pointer\n", n_vocab);
 
     llama_model_free(model);
     llama_backend_free();