diff --git a/src/windows/WindowsOwnedProcess.test.ts b/src/windows/WindowsOwnedProcess.test.ts
index 2ec1452bb1..0950b93939 100644
--- a/src/windows/WindowsOwnedProcess.test.ts
+++ b/src/windows/WindowsOwnedProcess.test.ts
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ const authority = (
     readonly jobMemoryLimit?: true;
     readonly polls?: readonly unknown[];
     readonly appliedLimit?: (requested: unknown) => unknown;
+    readonly failClose?: () => boolean;
   } = {},
 ) => {
   const calls: { operation: string; arguments_: readonly unknown[] }[] = [];
@@ -83,7 +84,10 @@ const authority = (
         };
       if (operation === "process_poll") return polls.shift();
       if (operation === "process_terminate") return true;
-      if (operation === "process_close") return null;
+      if (operation === "process_close") {
+        if (options.failClose?.()) throw new Error("native close failed");
+        return null;
+      }
       throw new Error(`Unmodeled native operation ${operation}`);
     },
   };
@@ -106,6 +110,43 @@ const launch = (
     },
   );
 
+describe("Windows native release retry", () => {
+  it("ends output streams and retains ownership for a failed close retry", async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
+    let shouldFailClose = true;
+    try {
+      const { native, calls } = authority({
+        polls: [{ ...settledPoll }, { ...settledPoll }],
+        failClose: () => shouldFailClose,
+      });
+      const child = launch(native);
+      const failures: string[] = [];
+      child.on("error", (error: Error) => failures.push(error.message));
+      const closed = new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+        child.once("close", () => resolve());
+      });
+
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(25);
+      expect(child.stdout.writableEnded).toBe(true);
+      expect(child.stderr.writableEnded).toBe(true);
+      expect(failures).toContain("native close failed");
+      expect(calls.some(({ operation }) => operation === "process_close")).toBe(
+        true,
+      );
+
+      shouldFailClose = false;
+      const cleanup = child.cleanup();
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(25);
+      expect(await cleanup).toMatchObject({ cleaned: true });
+      await closed;
+      expect(child.stdout.writableEnded).toBe(true);
+      expect(child.stderr.writableEnded).toBe(true);
+    } finally {
+      vi.useRealTimers();
+    }
+  });
+});
+
 describe("Windows Job Object memory limits", () => {
   it("emits close only after descendants leave the Job Object", async () => {
     const { native, calls } = authority({
diff --git a/src/windows/WindowsOwnedProcess.ts b/src/windows/WindowsOwnedProcess.ts
index 062f3b78e0..73ac7aefdd 100644
--- a/src/windows/WindowsOwnedProcess.ts
+++ b/src/windows/WindowsOwnedProcess.ts
@@ -387,11 +387,13 @@ export class WindowsOwnedProcess extends EventEmitter {
     if (this.#closed) return;
     if (this.#timer !== undefined) clearTimeout(this.#timer);
     this.#clearBlockedWake();
-    this.#authority.call("process_close", [this.#handle]);
-    this.#closed = true;
     this.stdin?.destroy();
     if (!this.stdout.destroyed) this.stdout.end();
     if (!this.stderr.destroyed) this.stderr.end();
+    // End local streams before releasing the native handle. If release fails,
+    // the retained job can be retried without leaving output streams open.
+    this.#authority.call("process_close", [this.#handle]);
+    this.#closed = true;
     this.#settle?.();
     this.emit("close", this.exitCode, null);
   }