diff --git a/compat/win32/pthread.c b/compat/win32/pthread.c
index 2e7eead42c..85f8f7920c 100644
--- a/compat/win32/pthread.c
+++ b/compat/win32/pthread.c
@@ -22,12 +22,12 @@ static unsigned __stdcall win32_start_routine(void *arg)
 }
 
 int pthread_create(pthread_t *thread, const void *unused,
-		   void *(*start_routine)(void*), void *arg)
+		   void *(*start_routine)(void *), void *arg)
 {
 	thread->arg = arg;
 	thread->start_routine = start_routine;
-	thread->handle = (HANDLE)
-		_beginthreadex(NULL, 0, win32_start_routine, thread, 0, NULL);
+	thread->handle = (HANDLE)_beginthreadex(NULL, 0, win32_start_routine,
+						thread, 0, NULL);
 
 	if (!thread->handle)
 		return errno;
@@ -39,14 +39,17 @@ int win32_pthread_join(pthread_t *thread, void **value_ptr)
 {
 	DWORD result = WaitForSingleObject(thread->handle, INFINITE);
 	switch (result) {
-		case WAIT_OBJECT_0:
-			if (value_ptr)
-				*value_ptr = thread->arg;
-			return 0;
-		case WAIT_ABANDONED:
-			return EINVAL;
-		default:
-			return err_win_to_posix(GetLastError());
+	case WAIT_OBJECT_0:
+		if (value_ptr)
+			*value_ptr = thread->arg;
+		CloseHandle(thread->handle);
+		return 0;
+	case WAIT_ABANDONED:
+		CloseHandle(thread->handle);
+		return EINVAL;
+	default:
+		/* the wait failed, so do not detach */
+		return err_win_to_posix(GetLastError());
 	}
 }