diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 8f6f41e..6e74247 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,13 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## Unreleased
+
+- Windows saves now use `msvcrt.locking` when `fcntl` is unavailable, so the
+  locked read-merge-write path is preserved instead of degrading to
+  atomic-write-only saves. The lock blocks indefinitely under contention,
+  matching `flock` semantics (`LK_LOCK` alone gives up after ~10s with
+  `OSError`).
+
 ## 5.4.2 — 2026-07-02
 
 Full-repository precision review (every file, line by line). Six defects
diff --git a/mind.py b/mind.py
index c0d34b0..729d146 100644
--- a/mind.py
+++ b/mind.py
@@ -494,11 +494,30 @@ def _save(self):
         except OSError as e:
             raise ValueError("refusing unsafe lock file %s: %s" % (lock_path, e))
         with os.fdopen(lock_fd, "w") as lockf:
+            lock_backend = None
             try:
                 import fcntl
                 fcntl.flock(lockf.fileno(), fcntl.LOCK_EX)
-            except ImportError:            # Windows: fall back to atomic write only
-                fcntl = None
+                lock_backend = ("fcntl", fcntl)
+            except ImportError:
+                try:
+                    import msvcrt
+                except ImportError:            # neither fcntl nor msvcrt:
+                    lock_backend = None        # degrade to atomic-write-only
+                else:
+                    lockf.seek(0)
+                    # LK_LOCK is not an indefinite blocking lock like flock:
+                    # the CRT retries once per second, 10 times, then raises
+                    # OSError — so a save contended for >10s would crash the
+                    # very scenario the lock exists for. Keep waiting instead,
+                    # exactly like the POSIX path.
+                    while True:
+                        try:
+                            msvcrt.locking(lockf.fileno(), msvcrt.LK_LOCK, 1)
+                            break
+                        except OSError:
+                            continue
+                    lock_backend = ("msvcrt", msvcrt)
             try:
                 if self.path.exists():
                     try:
@@ -540,8 +559,13 @@ def _save(self):
                 self._deleted.clear()
                 self._pruned_edges.clear()
             finally:
-                if fcntl is not None:
-                    fcntl.flock(lockf.fileno(), fcntl.LOCK_UN)
+                if lock_backend is not None:
+                    name, module = lock_backend
+                    if name == "fcntl":
+                        module.flock(lockf.fileno(), module.LOCK_UN)
+                    elif name == "msvcrt":
+                        lockf.seek(0)
+                        module.locking(lockf.fileno(), module.LK_UNLCK, 1)
 
     @staticmethod
     def _id(text):
diff --git a/tests/test_mind.py b/tests/test_mind.py
index 8042b8d..146f55a 100644
--- a/tests/test_mind.py
+++ b/tests/test_mind.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 import sys
 import tempfile
 import unittest
+import builtins
 from datetime import datetime, timedelta
 from pathlib import Path
 
@@ -761,6 +762,78 @@ def test_lock_symlink_does_not_truncate_target(self):
             h.remember("attacker-triggered write")
         self.assertEqual(victim.read_text("utf-8"), "precious")
 
+    def test_save_uses_msvcrt_lock_when_fcntl_is_unavailable(self):
+        """Windows must get a real file lock, not atomic-write-only saves."""
+        h = self.hippo()
+        calls = []
+
+        class FakeMsvcrt:
+            LK_LOCK = 1
+            LK_UNLCK = 2
+
+            @staticmethod
+            def locking(fd, mode, nbytes):
+                calls.append((mode, nbytes))
+
+        real_import = builtins.__import__
+
+        def fake_import(name, *args, **kwargs):
+            if name == "fcntl":
+                raise ImportError("fcntl is not available")
+            if name == "msvcrt":
+                return FakeMsvcrt
+            return real_import(name, *args, **kwargs)
+
+        builtins.__import__ = fake_import
+        try:
+            h.remember("portable windows lock")
+        finally:
+            builtins.__import__ = real_import
+
+        self.assertEqual(calls, [(FakeMsvcrt.LK_LOCK, 1),
+                                 (FakeMsvcrt.LK_UNLCK, 1)])
+
+    def test_msvcrt_lock_blocks_through_contention(self):
+        """LK_LOCK gives up with OSError after ~10s of contention; the save
+        must keep waiting like flock does, not crash — and must not lose
+        the write."""
+        h = self.hippo()
+        calls = []
+
+        class ContendedMsvcrt:
+            LK_LOCK = 1
+            LK_UNLCK = 2
+            _denials = [2]                     # first two acquires collide
+
+            @classmethod
+            def locking(cls, fd, mode, nbytes):
+                calls.append((mode, nbytes))
+                if mode == cls.LK_LOCK and cls._denials[0] > 0:
+                    cls._denials[0] -= 1
+                    raise OSError(36, "resource deadlock avoided")
+
+        real_import = builtins.__import__
+
+        def fake_import(name, *args, **kwargs):
+            if name == "fcntl":
+                raise ImportError("fcntl is not available")
+            if name == "msvcrt":
+                return ContendedMsvcrt
+            return real_import(name, *args, **kwargs)
+
+        builtins.__import__ = fake_import
+        try:
+            h.remember("survives lock contention")   # must not raise
+        finally:
+            builtins.__import__ = real_import
+
+        self.assertEqual(calls, [(ContendedMsvcrt.LK_LOCK, 1)] * 3 +
+                                [(ContendedMsvcrt.LK_UNLCK, 1)])
+        reloaded = Hippocampus(self.mind_dir / "graph.json")
+        self.assertTrue(any("contention" in n["text"]
+                            for n in reloaded.nodes.values()),
+                        "the contended save must still land on disk")
+
     def test_archive_symlink_blocks_pruning(self):
         """'archived, not destroyed' is a guarantee: if the archive cannot
         be written, nothing is pruned."""