diff --git a/src/textual/drivers/_input_reader_windows.py b/src/textual/drivers/_input_reader_windows.py
index c001c728e2..1ac66aacd5 100644
--- a/src/textual/drivers/_input_reader_windows.py
+++ b/src/textual/drivers/_input_reader_windows.py
@@ -1,8 +1,96 @@
-import os
+import ctypes
+import msvcrt
 import sys
-from threading import Event
+import threading
+from concurrent.futures import Future
+from ctypes.wintypes import BOOL, DWORD, HANDLE, LPDWORD, LPVOID
+from queue import Queue
 from typing import Iterator
 
+from textual.constants import DEBUG
+
+__all__ = ("InputReader",)
+
+
+kernel32 = ctypes.WinDLL("kernel32", use_last_error=True)
+
+kernel32.CancelSynchronousIo.argtypes = (HANDLE,)  # hThread
+kernel32.CancelSynchronousIo.restype = BOOL
+
+kernel32.OpenThread.argtypes = (
+    DWORD,  # dwDesiredAccess
+    BOOL,  # bInheritHandle
+    DWORD,  # dwThreadId
+)
+kernel32.OpenThread.restype = HANDLE
+
+kernel32.ReadFile.argtypes = (
+    HANDLE,  # hFile
+    LPVOID,  # lpBuffer
+    DWORD,  # nNumberOfBytesToRead
+    LPDWORD,  # lpNumberOfBytesRead
+    LPVOID,  # lpOverlapped
+)
+kernel32.ReadFile.restype = BOOL
+
+kernel32.CloseHandle.argtypes = (HANDLE,)  # hObject
+kernel32.CloseHandle.restype = BOOL
+
+THREAD_TERMINATE = 1
+ERROR_BROKEN_PIPE = 109
+ERROR_NOT_FOUND = 1168
+ERROR_OPERATION_ABORTED = 995
+
+
+def _debug_log(msg: str) -> None:
+    if DEBUG:
+        thread_id = threading.current_thread().native_id
+        with open("input_reader_windows.log", "at") as f:
+            print(f"[Thread-{thread_id}]", msg, file=f)
+
+
+def _read_file_thread(
+    fd: int,
+    ready: Future[int],
+    queue: Queue[Future[bytes] | None],
+) -> None:
+    _debug_log("(_read_file_thread) enter")
+
+    # Perform initialization and notify the main thread when ready
+    try:
+        file_handle: int = msvcrt.get_osfhandle(fd)
+        thread_id: int = threading.current_thread().native_id
+        thread_handle: int = kernel32.OpenThread(THREAD_TERMINATE, False, thread_id)
+        if thread_handle == 0:
+            raise ctypes.WinError(ctypes.get_last_error())
+    except Exception as e:
+        _debug_log(f"(_read_file_thread) initialization error: {e}")
+        ready.set_exception(e)
+        return
+    else:
+        _debug_log("(_read_file_thread) initialized")
+        ready.set_result(thread_handle)
+
+    # Loop read until receiving None
+    try:
+        while (result := queue.get()) is not None:
+            num_bytes = 1024
+            buffer = ctypes.create_string_buffer(num_bytes)
+            num_bytes_read = DWORD()
+            success = kernel32.ReadFile(
+                file_handle, buffer, num_bytes, ctypes.byref(num_bytes_read), None
+            )
+            if success:
+                result.set_result(buffer.raw[: num_bytes_read.value])
+            else:
+                result.set_exception(ctypes.WinError(ctypes.get_last_error()))
+    except Exception as e:
+        _debug_log(f"(_read_file_thread) exit on error: {e}")
+    else:
+        _debug_log("(_read_file_thread) exit normally")
+    finally:
+        kernel32.CloseHandle(thread_handle)
+
 
 class InputReader:
     """Read input from stdin."""
@@ -15,19 +103,61 @@ def __init__(self, timeout: float = 0.1) -> None:
         """
         self._fileno = sys.__stdin__.fileno()
         self.timeout = timeout
-        self._exit_event = Event()
+        self._close_lock = threading.Lock()
+        self._closed: bool = False
+
+        ready: Future[int] = Future()
+        self._queue: Queue[Future[bytes] | None] = Queue()
+        self._worker_thread: threading.Thread = threading.Thread(
+            target=_read_file_thread, args=(self._fileno, ready, self._queue)
+        )
+        self._worker_thread.start()
+        self._worker_thread_handle = ready.result()
 
     def close(self) -> None:
         """Close the reader (will exit the iterator)."""
-        self._exit_event.set()
+        with self._close_lock:
+            if not self._closed:
+                _debug_log("(InputReader.close) closing")
+                self._closed = True
+                self._queue.put(None)
+                self._worker_thread.join()
+                _debug_log("(InputReader.close) closed")
 
     def __iter__(self) -> Iterator[bytes]:
         """Read input, yield bytes."""
-        while not self._exit_event.is_set():
-            try:
-                data = os.read(self._fileno, 1024) or None
-            except Exception:
-                break
-            if not data:
-                break
-            yield data
+        _debug_log("(InputReader.__iter__) enter")
+        try:
+            while not self._closed:
+                result: Future[bytes] = Future()
+                self._queue.put(result)
+                try:
+                    data = result.result(timeout=self.timeout)
+                except TimeoutError:
+                    while not result.done():
+                        success = kernel32.CancelSynchronousIo(
+                            self._worker_thread_handle
+                        )
+                        if not success:
+                            error_code: int = ctypes.get_last_error()
+                            if error_code != ERROR_NOT_FOUND:
+                                error = ctypes.WinError(error_code)
+                                _debug_log(
+                                    f"(InputReader.__iter__) CancelSynchronousIo error: {error}"
+                                )
+                                raise
+                    try:
+                        data = result.result()
+                    except OSError as e:
+                        if e.winerror == ERROR_OPERATION_ABORTED:
+                            data = bytes()
+                        elif e.winerror == ERROR_BROKEN_PIPE:  # EOF
+                            break
+                        else:
+                            _debug_log(f"(InputReader.__iter__) ReadFile error: {e}")
+                            raise
+                yield data
+        except Exception as e:
+            _debug_log(f"(InputReader.__iter__) exit on error: {e}")
+        else:
+            _debug_log(f"(InputReader.__iter__) exit normally")