diff --git a/compat/mingw.c b/compat/mingw.c
index e21acd17d1..95d21697c2 100644
--- a/compat/mingw.c
+++ b/compat/mingw.c
@@ -846,6 +846,8 @@ 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;
+
 static int get_file_info_by_handle(HANDLE hnd, struct stat *buf)
 {
 	BY_HANDLE_FILE_INFORMATION fdata;
diff --git a/compat/mingw.h b/compat/mingw.h
index 41ea3dbba6..8eb660a0d8 100644
--- a/compat/mingw.h
+++ b/compat/mingw.h
@@ -411,7 +411,7 @@ 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);
 
 
 int mingw_utime(const char *file_name, const struct utimbuf *times);