diff --git a/.github/workflows/CI-win.yml b/.github/workflows/CI-win.yml
index 7dc3fdcab70..79a5abf4f00 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/CI-win.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/CI-win.yml
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ jobs:
           cmake --install build --prefix "`pwd`/build/usr"
           mkdir -p build/usr/test build/usr/bin
           cp -av test/fixtures build/usr/test
-          cp -av build/uv_run_tests_a.exe build/uv_run_tests.exe \
+          cp -av build/uv_run_tests_a.exe build/uv_run_tests.exe build/uv_run_tests_a_no_ext build/uv_run_tests_no_ext \
              `${{ matrix.config.arch }}-w64-mingw32-gcc -print-file-name=libgcc_s_${{ matrix.config.libgcc }}-1.dll` \
              `${{ matrix.config.arch }}-w64-mingw32-gcc -print-file-name=libwinpthread-1.dll` \
              `${{ matrix.config.arch }}-w64-mingw32-gcc -print-file-name=libatomic-1.dll` \
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 3914f0d6844..5e8e0166d74 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -707,6 +707,12 @@ if(LIBUV_BUILD_TESTS)
     set_tests_properties(uv_test PROPERTIES ENVIRONMENT
                          "LIBPATH=${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}:$ENV{LIBPATH}")
   endif()
+  if(WIN32)
+    add_custom_command(TARGET uv_run_tests POST_BUILD
+                       COMMAND "${CMAKE_COMMAND}" -E copy
+                       "$<TARGET_FILE:uv_run_tests>"
+                       "$<TARGET_FILE_DIR:uv_run_tests>/uv_run_tests_no_ext")
+  endif()
   add_executable(uv_run_tests_a ${uv_test_sources} uv_win_longpath.manifest)
   target_compile_definitions(uv_run_tests_a PRIVATE ${uv_defines})
   target_compile_options(uv_run_tests_a PRIVATE ${uv_cflags})
@@ -723,6 +729,12 @@ if(LIBUV_BUILD_TESTS)
     set_target_properties(uv_run_tests PROPERTIES LINKER_LANGUAGE CXX)
     set_target_properties(uv_run_tests_a PROPERTIES LINKER_LANGUAGE CXX)
   endif()
+  if(WIN32)
+    add_custom_command(TARGET uv_run_tests_a POST_BUILD
+                       COMMAND "${CMAKE_COMMAND}" -E copy
+                       "$<TARGET_FILE:uv_run_tests_a>"
+                       "$<TARGET_FILE_DIR:uv_run_tests_a>/uv_run_tests_a_no_ext")
+  endif()
 endif()
 
 # Now for some gibbering horrors from beyond the stars...
diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index ff6f1b8a6d2..a14228da3bf 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -136,6 +136,12 @@ TESTS = test/run-tests
 check_PROGRAMS = test/run-tests
 test_run_tests_CFLAGS = $(AM_CFLAGS)
 
+if WINNT
+check-am: test/run-tests_no_ext
+test/run-tests_no_ext: test/run-tests$(EXEEXT)
+	cp test/run-tests$(EXEEXT) test/run-tests_no_ext
+endif
+
 if SUNOS
 # Can't be turned into a CC_CHECK_CFLAGS in configure.ac, it makes compilers
 # on other platforms complain that the argument is unused during compilation.
diff --git a/docs/src/process.rst b/docs/src/process.rst
index 8acf7db3df3..8d2fdb3e479 100644
--- a/docs/src/process.rst
+++ b/docs/src/process.rst
@@ -85,7 +85,14 @@ Data types
             * option is only meaningful on Windows systems. On Unix it is silently
             * ignored.
             */
-            UV_PROCESS_WINDOWS_HIDE_GUI = (1 << 6)
+            UV_PROCESS_WINDOWS_HIDE_GUI = (1 << 6),
+            /*
+             * On Windows, if the path to the program to execute, specified in
+             * uv_process_options_t's file field, has a directory component,
+             * search for the exact file name before trying variants with
+             * extensions like '.exe' or '.cmd'.
+             */
+            UV_PROCESS_WINDOWS_FILE_PATH_EXACT_NAME = (1 << 7)
         };
 
 .. c:type:: uv_stdio_container_t
@@ -262,6 +269,9 @@ API
     .. versionchanged:: 1.24.0 Added `UV_PROCESS_WINDOWS_HIDE_CONSOLE` and
                         `UV_PROCESS_WINDOWS_HIDE_GUI` flags.
 
+    .. versionchanged:: 1.48.0 Added the
+                        `UV_PROCESS_WINDOWS_FILE_PATH_EXACT_NAME` flag.
+
 .. c:function:: int uv_process_kill(uv_process_t* handle, int signum)
 
     Sends the specified signal to the given process handle. Check the documentation
diff --git a/include/uv.h b/include/uv.h
index b1e58e6cbfa..a62b3fa69b1 100644
--- a/include/uv.h
+++ b/include/uv.h
@@ -1106,7 +1106,14 @@ enum uv_process_flags {
    * option is only meaningful on Windows systems. On Unix it is silently
    * ignored.
    */
-  UV_PROCESS_WINDOWS_HIDE_GUI = (1 << 6)
+  UV_PROCESS_WINDOWS_HIDE_GUI = (1 << 6),
+  /*
+   * On Windows, if the path to the program to execute, specified in
+   * uv_process_options_t's file field, has a directory component,
+   * search for the exact file name before trying variants with
+   * extensions like '.exe' or '.cmd'.
+   */
+  UV_PROCESS_WINDOWS_FILE_PATH_EXACT_NAME = (1 << 7)
 };
 
 /*
diff --git a/src/unix/process.c b/src/unix/process.c
index dd58c18d9b9..4812a90f2f5 100644
--- a/src/unix/process.c
+++ b/src/unix/process.c
@@ -972,6 +972,7 @@ int uv_spawn(uv_loop_t* loop,
   assert(!(options->flags & ~(UV_PROCESS_DETACHED |
                               UV_PROCESS_SETGID |
                               UV_PROCESS_SETUID |
+                              UV_PROCESS_WINDOWS_FILE_PATH_EXACT_NAME |
                               UV_PROCESS_WINDOWS_HIDE |
                               UV_PROCESS_WINDOWS_HIDE_CONSOLE |
                               UV_PROCESS_WINDOWS_HIDE_GUI |
diff --git a/src/win/process.c b/src/win/process.c
index 50161b14bd0..400722bd47d 100644
--- a/src/win/process.c
+++ b/src/win/process.c
@@ -304,8 +304,9 @@ static WCHAR* path_search_walk_ext(const WCHAR *dir,
  * - If there's really only a filename, check the current directory for file,
  *   then search all path directories.
  *
- * - If filename specified has *any* extension, search for the file with the
- *   specified extension first.
+ * - If filename specified has *any* extension, or already contains a path
+ *   and the UV_PROCESS_WINDOWS_FILE_PATH_EXACT_NAME flag is specified,
+ *   search for the file with the exact specified filename first.
  *
  * - If the literal filename is not found in a directory, try *appending*
  *   (not replacing) .com first and then .exe.
@@ -331,7 +332,8 @@ static WCHAR* path_search_walk_ext(const WCHAR *dir,
  */
 static WCHAR* search_path(const WCHAR *file,
                             WCHAR *cwd,
-                            const WCHAR *path) {
+                            const WCHAR *path,
+                            unsigned int flags) {
   int file_has_dir;
   WCHAR* result = NULL;
   WCHAR *file_name_start;
@@ -372,7 +374,7 @@ static WCHAR* search_path(const WCHAR *file,
         file, file_name_start - file,
         file_name_start, file_len - (file_name_start - file),
         cwd, cwd_len,
-        name_has_ext);
+        name_has_ext || (flags & UV_PROCESS_WINDOWS_FILE_PATH_EXACT_NAME));
 
   } else {
     dir_end = path;
@@ -935,6 +937,7 @@ int uv_spawn(uv_loop_t* loop,
   assert(!(options->flags & ~(UV_PROCESS_DETACHED |
                               UV_PROCESS_SETGID |
                               UV_PROCESS_SETUID |
+                              UV_PROCESS_WINDOWS_FILE_PATH_EXACT_NAME |
                               UV_PROCESS_WINDOWS_HIDE |
                               UV_PROCESS_WINDOWS_HIDE_CONSOLE |
                               UV_PROCESS_WINDOWS_HIDE_GUI |
@@ -1014,7 +1017,8 @@ int uv_spawn(uv_loop_t* loop,
 
   application_path = search_path(application,
                                  cwd,
-                                 path);
+                                 path,
+                                 options->flags);
   if (application_path == NULL) {
     /* Not found. */
     err = ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND;
diff --git a/test/test-list.h b/test/test-list.h
index e97b941f6dd..d30f02faa85 100644
--- a/test/test-list.h
+++ b/test/test-list.h
@@ -507,6 +507,8 @@ TEST_DECLARE   (listen_no_simultaneous_accepts)
 TEST_DECLARE   (fs_stat_root)
 TEST_DECLARE   (spawn_with_an_odd_path)
 TEST_DECLARE   (spawn_no_path)
+TEST_DECLARE   (spawn_no_ext)
+TEST_DECLARE   (spawn_path_no_ext)
 TEST_DECLARE   (ipc_listen_after_bind_twice)
 TEST_DECLARE   (win32_signum_number)
 #else
@@ -1027,6 +1029,8 @@ TASK_LIST_START
   TEST_ENTRY  (fs_stat_root)
   TEST_ENTRY  (spawn_with_an_odd_path)
   TEST_ENTRY  (spawn_no_path)
+  TEST_ENTRY  (spawn_no_ext)
+  TEST_ENTRY  (spawn_path_no_ext)
   TEST_ENTRY  (ipc_listen_after_bind_twice)
   TEST_ENTRY  (win32_signum_number)
 #else
diff --git a/test/test-spawn.c b/test/test-spawn.c
index 33552717fc3..6a848747036 100644
--- a/test/test-spawn.c
+++ b/test/test-spawn.c
@@ -1397,6 +1397,67 @@ TEST_IMPL(spawn_no_path) {
   MAKE_VALGRIND_HAPPY(uv_default_loop());
   return 0;
 }
+
+
+TEST_IMPL(spawn_no_ext) {
+  char new_exepath[1024];
+
+  init_process_options("spawn_helper1", exit_cb);
+  options.flags |= UV_PROCESS_WINDOWS_FILE_PATH_EXACT_NAME;
+  snprintf(new_exepath, sizeof(new_exepath), "%.*s_no_ext",
+           (int) (exepath_size - sizeof(".exe") + 1),
+           exepath);
+  options.file = options.args[0] = new_exepath;
+
+  ASSERT_OK(uv_spawn(uv_default_loop(), &process, &options));
+  ASSERT_OK(uv_run(uv_default_loop(), UV_RUN_DEFAULT));
+
+  ASSERT_EQ(1, exit_cb_called);
+  ASSERT_EQ(1, close_cb_called);
+
+  MAKE_VALGRIND_HAPPY(uv_default_loop());
+  return 0;
+}
+
+
+TEST_IMPL(spawn_path_no_ext) {
+  int r;
+  int len;
+  int file_len;
+  char file[64];
+  char path[1024];
+  char* env[2];
+
+  /* Set up the process, but make sure that the file to run is relative and
+   * requires a lookup into PATH. */
+  init_process_options("spawn_helper1", exit_cb);
+  options.flags |= UV_PROCESS_WINDOWS_FILE_PATH_EXACT_NAME;
+
+  /* Set up the PATH env variable */
+  for (len = strlen(exepath), file_len = 0;
+       exepath[len - 1] != '/' && exepath[len - 1] != '\\';
+       len--, file_len++);
+  snprintf(file, sizeof(file), "%.*s_no_ext",
+           (int) (file_len - sizeof(".exe") + 1),
+           exepath + len);
+  exepath[len] = 0;
+  snprintf(path, sizeof(path), "PATH=%s", exepath);
+
+  env[0] = path;
+  env[1] = NULL;
+
+  options.file = options.args[0] = file;
+  options.env = env;
+
+  r = uv_spawn(uv_default_loop(), &process, &options);
+  ASSERT(r == UV_ENOENT || r == UV_EACCES);
+  ASSERT_OK(uv_is_active((uv_handle_t*) &process));
+  uv_close((uv_handle_t*) &process, NULL);
+  ASSERT_OK(uv_run(uv_default_loop(), UV_RUN_DEFAULT));
+
+  MAKE_VALGRIND_HAPPY(uv_default_loop());
+  return 0;
+}
 #endif
 
 #ifndef _WIN32