diff --git a/compat/mingw.c b/compat/mingw.c
index 0ef28ff3e3..e9bc3f6752 100644
--- a/compat/mingw.c
+++ b/compat/mingw.c
@@ -680,6 +680,8 @@ static int do_stat_internal(int follow, const char *file_name, struct stat *buf)
 	return do_lstat(follow, alt_name, buf);
 }
 
+int (*lstat)(const char *file_name, struct stat *buf) = mingw_lstat;
+
 int mingw_lstat(const char *file_name, struct stat *buf)
 {
 	return do_stat_internal(0, file_name, buf);
diff --git a/compat/mingw.h b/compat/mingw.h
index 623d85eabd..2c12f45bff 100644
--- a/compat/mingw.h
+++ b/compat/mingw.h
@@ -368,7 +368,7 @@ int mingw_fstat(int fd, struct stat *buf);
 #ifdef lstat
 #undef lstat
 #endif
-#define lstat mingw_lstat
+extern int (*lstat)(const char *file_name, struct stat *buf);
 
 #ifndef _stati64
 # define _stati64(x,y) mingw_stat(x,y)