diff --git a/.github/workflows/dev-short-tests.yml b/.github/workflows/dev-short-tests.yml
index 5324b38d9ac..b8afcb76bf9 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/dev-short-tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/dev-short-tests.yml
@@ -237,6 +237,50 @@ jobs:
           meson test -C builddir/ --print-errorlogs
           meson install -C builddir --destdir staging/
 
+  meson-mingw-cross-compilation:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@b4ffde65f46336ab88eb53be808477a3936bae11 # tag=v4.1.1
+      - name: Install packages
+        run: |
+          sudo apt-get -qqq update
+          sudo apt-get -y install build-essential python3-pip ninja-build {gcc,g++}-mingw-w64-x86-64
+          pip install --pre meson
+      - name: Build with Meson
+        run: |
+          cat > cross.ini <<EOF
+          [binaries]
+          ar = 'x86_64-w64-mingw32-ar'
+          c = 'x86_64-w64-mingw32-gcc'
+          cpp = 'x86_64-w64-mingw32-g++'
+          ld = 'x86_64-w64-mingw32-ld'
+          objcopy = 'x86_64-w64-mingw32-objcopy'
+          objdump = 'x86_64-w64-mingw32-objdump'
+          strip = 'x86_64-w64-mingw32-strip'
+          windres = 'x86_64-w64-mingw32-windres'
+
+          [host_machine]
+          system = 'windows'
+          endian = 'little'
+          cpu_family = 'x86_64'
+          cpu = 'x86_64'
+          EOF
+
+          # pzstd doesn't build; skip -Dbin_contrib=true
+          meson setup \
+            --buildtype=debugoptimized \
+            --cross-file=cross.ini \
+            -Db_lundef=false \
+            -Dbin_programs=true \
+            -Dbin_tests=true \
+            -Ddefault_library=both \
+            build/meson builddir
+          ninja -C builddir/
+          if grep -- -pthread builddir/meson-private/libzstd.pc; then
+            echo "Error: found stray pthread dependency"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
   meson-windows:
     runs-on: windows-latest
     steps:
diff --git a/build/meson/meson.build b/build/meson/meson.build
index 15c56c2b13a..7ddca2e7923 100644
--- a/build/meson/meson.build
+++ b/build/meson/meson.build
@@ -88,8 +88,13 @@ feature_lz4 = get_option('lz4')
 # =============================================================================
 
 libm_dep = cc.find_library('m', required: false)
-thread_dep = dependency('threads', required: feature_multi_thread)
-use_multi_thread = thread_dep.found()
+if host_machine_os == os_windows
+  thread_dep = dependency('', required: false)
+  use_multi_thread = not feature_multi_thread.disabled()
+else
+  thread_dep = dependency('threads', required: feature_multi_thread)
+  use_multi_thread = thread_dep.found()
+endif
 # Arguments in dependency should be equivalent to those passed to pkg-config
 zlib_dep = dependency('zlib', required: feature_zlib)
 use_zlib = zlib_dep.found()
diff --git a/build/meson/meson_options.txt b/build/meson/meson_options.txt
index f35cd5fc8b1..4705178279f 100644
--- a/build/meson/meson_options.txt
+++ b/build/meson/meson_options.txt
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ option('bin_contrib', type: 'boolean', value: false,
   description: 'Enable contrib build')
 
 option('multi_thread', type: 'feature', value: 'enabled',
-  description: 'Enable multi-threading when pthread is detected')
+  description: 'Enable multi-threading when pthread or Windows is detected')
 option('zlib', type: 'feature', value: 'auto',
   description: 'Enable zlib support')
 option('lzma', type: 'feature', value: 'auto',