diff --git a/Include/Aurora/IO/FS/IFileStream.hpp b/Include/Aurora/IO/FS/IFileStream.hpp
index 26aea960..b7248d42 100644
--- a/Include/Aurora/IO/FS/IFileStream.hpp
+++ b/Include/Aurora/IO/FS/IFileStream.hpp
@@ -64,5 +64,9 @@ namespace Aurora::IO::FS
         */
         virtual void     MakeTemporary() = 0;
 
+        /**
+         * @brief Returns the IO handle backing the file stream, if available.
+        */
+        virtual AuSPtr<IIOHandle> GetHandle() = 0;
     };
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/Source/IO/FS/FileStream.NT.cpp b/Source/IO/FS/FileStream.NT.cpp
index 1fdcda95..7611a560 100644
--- a/Source/IO/FS/FileStream.NT.cpp
+++ b/Source/IO/FS/FileStream.NT.cpp
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ namespace Aurora::IO::FS
         LARGE_INTEGER distance {};
         LARGE_INTEGER pos {};
 
-        auto hHandle = this->GetHandle();
+        auto hHandle = this->GetWin32Handle();
 
         if (hHandle == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE)
         {
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ namespace Aurora::IO::FS
         LARGE_INTEGER distance {};
         LARGE_INTEGER pos {};
 
-        auto hHandle = this->GetHandle();
+        auto hHandle = this->GetWin32Handle();
 
         if (hHandle == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE)
         {
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ namespace Aurora::IO::FS
     {
         LARGE_INTEGER length;
 
-        auto hHandle = this->GetHandle();
+        auto hHandle = this->GetWin32Handle();
         
         if (hHandle == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE)
         {
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ namespace Aurora::IO::FS
 
     bool WinFileStream::Read(const Memory::MemoryViewStreamWrite &parameters)
     {
-        auto hHandle = this->GetHandle();
+        auto hHandle = this->GetWin32Handle();
         HANDLE hEventHandle { INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE };
 
         if (hHandle == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE)
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ namespace Aurora::IO::FS
     
     bool WinFileStream::Write(const Memory::MemoryViewStreamRead &parameters)
     {
-        auto hHandle = this->GetHandle();
+        auto hHandle = this->GetWin32Handle();
         HANDLE hEventHandle { INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE };
 
         if (hHandle == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE)
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ namespace Aurora::IO::FS
 
     void WinFileStream::WriteEoS()
     {
-        auto hHandle = this->GetHandle();
+        auto hHandle = this->GetWin32Handle();
 
         if (hHandle == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE)
         {
@@ -288,7 +288,9 @@ namespace Aurora::IO::FS
 
     void WinFileStream::Close()
     {
-        auto hHandle = this->GetHandle();
+        auto hHandle = this->GetWin32Handle();
+        bool bDeleteFailed {};
+        AuString path;
 
         if ((hHandle != INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE) && 
             (this->bShouldDelete))
@@ -298,16 +300,29 @@ namespace Aurora::IO::FS
             if (!(pSetFileInformationByHandle &&
                   pSetFileInformationByHandle(hHandle, _FILE_INFO_BY_HANDLE_CLASS::FileDispositionInfo, &rm, sizeof(rm))))
             {
-                SysPushErrorIO("Couldn't delete temporary file {}", this->pHandle_ ? this->pHandle_->GetPath() : "");
+                path = this->pHandle_ ? this->pHandle_->GetPath() : "";
+
+                SysPushErrorIO("Couldn't delete temporary file {}", path);
+
+                if (path.length())
+                {
+                    bDeleteFailed = true;
+                }
             }
         }
 
         AuResetMember(this->pHandle_);
+
+        // a bit of a hack for problematic NT-like platforms and Windows XP
+        if (bDeleteFailed)
+        {
+            AuFS::Remove(path);
+        }
     }
 
     void WinFileStream::Flush()
     {
-        auto hHandle = this->GetHandle();
+        auto hHandle = this->GetWin32Handle();
 
         ::FlushFileBuffers(hHandle);
     }
@@ -317,7 +332,12 @@ namespace Aurora::IO::FS
         this->bShouldDelete = true;
     }
 
-    HANDLE WinFileStream::GetHandle()
+    AuSPtr<IIOHandle> WinFileStream::GetHandle()
+    {
+        return this->pHandle_;
+    }
+
+    HANDLE WinFileStream::GetWin32Handle()
     {
         return this->pHandle_ ?
             (HANDLE)this->pHandle_->GetOSWriteHandleSafe().ValueOr(this->pHandle_->GetOSReadHandleSafe().ValueOr((AuUInt)INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE)) :
diff --git a/Source/IO/FS/FileStream.NT.hpp b/Source/IO/FS/FileStream.NT.hpp
index f7c461bc..20b9fdcd 100644
--- a/Source/IO/FS/FileStream.NT.hpp
+++ b/Source/IO/FS/FileStream.NT.hpp
@@ -26,8 +26,9 @@ namespace Aurora::IO::FS
         void     Flush() override;
         void     WriteEoS() override;
         void     MakeTemporary() override;
+        AuSPtr<IIOHandle> GetHandle() override;
 
-        HANDLE   GetHandle();
+        HANDLE   GetWin32Handle();
 
     private:
         AuSPtr<IIOHandle> pHandle_;