diff --git a/platform/Windows/src.Windows/arch/archdep.c b/platform/Windows/src.Windows/arch/archdep.c
index 0c338915..8458b452 100644
--- a/platform/Windows/src.Windows/arch/archdep.c
+++ b/platform/Windows/src.Windows/arch/archdep.c
@@ -113,12 +113,30 @@ void archdep_network_shutdown(void)
     WSACleanup();
 }
 
-int archdep_init(int *argc, char **argv)
+static BOOL CALLBACK archdep_init_stdio_once(PINIT_ONCE once, PVOID parameter, PVOID *context)
 {
-    _fmode = O_BINARY;
+    (void)once;
+    (void)parameter;
+    (void)context;
 
     _setmode(_fileno(stdin), O_BINARY);
     _setmode(_fileno(stdout), O_BINARY);
+    return TRUE;
+}
+
+void archdep_init_stdio(void)
+{
+    static INIT_ONCE once = INIT_ONCE_STATIC_INIT;
+
+    /* Repeating _setmode can block behind an active MCP stdin read. */
+    InitOnceExecuteOnce(&once, archdep_init_stdio_once, NULL, NULL);
+}
+
+int archdep_init(int *argc, char **argv)
+{
+    _fmode = O_BINARY;
+
+    archdep_init_stdio();
 
     argv0 = lib_stralloc(argv[0]);
 
diff --git a/platform/Windows/src.Windows/arch/archdep.h b/platform/Windows/src.Windows/arch/archdep.h
index f1b1ecd1..356fd9e2 100644
--- a/platform/Windows/src.Windows/arch/archdep.h
+++ b/platform/Windows/src.Windows/arch/archdep.h
@@ -123,6 +123,7 @@ extern void archdep_workaround_nop(const char *otto);
 
 #define ARCHDEP_SOUND_OUTPUT_MODE SOUND_OUTPUT_SYSTEM
 
+void archdep_init_stdio(void);
 const char *archdep_home_path(void);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/RetroDebuggerAppInit.cpp b/src/RetroDebuggerAppInit.cpp
index 1e94d1a6..228f3d71 100644
--- a/src/RetroDebuggerAppInit.cpp
+++ b/src/RetroDebuggerAppInit.cpp
@@ -24,6 +24,10 @@
 extern "C" void RD_HideDockIcon();
 #endif
 
+#ifdef WIN32
+extern "C" void archdep_init_stdio(void);
+#endif
+
 #if MT_ENABLE_IMGUI_TEST_ENGINE
 #include "CImGuiTestEngine.h"
 #include "imgui_te_engine.h"
@@ -226,6 +230,11 @@ bool C64D_IsAutomatedRunCommandLine()
 
 void MT_PreInit()
 {
+#ifdef WIN32
+	// Configure stdio before MCP can block reading stdin; VICE reuses this setup.
+	archdep_init_stdio();
+#endif
+
 	if (C64D_IsAutomatedRunCommandLine())
 		// SDL3: SDL_setenv is gone. SDL_setenv_unsafe is the direct
 		// replacement and keeps the overwrite=0 semantics we rely on.