diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index e7fa420..bc36a97 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -12,7 +12,11 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
-        os: [ubuntu-latest, macos-latest, windows-latest]
+        # Node 18 and 20 bundle node-gyp versions that do not yet recognize
+        # the Visual Studio 2026 installation on windows-latest. Keep the
+        # compatibility matrix on VS 2022; release-windows below exercises
+        # the current publishing image with the current node-gyp.
+        os: [ubuntu-latest, macos-latest, windows-2022]
         node: ["18", "20", "22"]
 
     steps:
@@ -31,3 +35,30 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Run tests
         run: bun test test/
+
+  release-windows:
+    name: Windows release toolchain
+    runs-on: windows-latest
+
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Set up Node.js
+        uses: actions/setup-node@v4
+        with:
+          node-version: "22"
+
+      - name: Set up Bun
+        uses: oven-sh/setup-bun@v2
+
+      - name: Install dependencies without building
+        run: npm install --ignore-scripts
+
+      - name: Download amalgamation
+        run: node scripts/download.js
+
+      - name: Build with the publishing toolchain
+        run: npx node-gyp rebuild
+
+      - name: Run tests
+        run: bun test test/
diff --git a/binding.gyp b/binding.gyp
index 5a16d14..305b0bf 100644
--- a/binding.gyp
+++ b/binding.gyp
@@ -49,7 +49,8 @@
           "libraries": ["-lpthread"]
         }],
         ["OS=='win'", {
-          "defines": ["strncasecmp=_strnicmp"]
+          "defines": ["strncasecmp=_strnicmp"],
+          "libraries": ["Ws2_32.lib"]
         }]
       ]
     }
diff --git a/scripts/build-amalgamation.js b/scripts/build-amalgamation.js
index b9ef6d2..9cca418 100644
--- a/scripts/build-amalgamation.js
+++ b/scripts/build-amalgamation.js
@@ -31,15 +31,19 @@ if (!fs.existsSync(inH)) {
 console.log("Preparing released doltlite amalgamation...")
 fs.mkdirSync(outDir, { recursive: true })
 let amalgamation = fs.readFileSync(inC, "utf8")
-amalgamation += `
 
-#if defined(DOLTLITE_PROLLY) && defined(SQLITE_USE_SEH) && !defined(SQLITE_OMIT_WAL)
-SQLITE_PRIVATE int sqlite3PagerWalSystemErrno(Pager *pPager){
-  (void)pPager;
-  return 0;
-}
+// DoltLite releases before v0.11.37 emitted the Winsock 2 headers after
+// SQLite's Windows VFS had already included windows.h.  Keep those releases
+// buildable while newer release amalgamations carry the ordering fix directly.
+if (!amalgamation.includes("DOLTLITE_AMALGAMATION_WINSOCK2_EARLY")) {
+  amalgamation = `/* DOLTLITE_NODE_WINSOCK2_EARLY_FALLBACK */
+#ifdef _WIN32
+# include <winsock2.h>
+# include <ws2tcpip.h>
 #endif
-`
+
+${amalgamation}`
+}
 fs.writeFileSync(outC, amalgamation)
 fs.copyFileSync(inH, outH)
 fs.writeFileSync(versionMarker, `${pkg.version}\n`)
diff --git a/test/amalgamation.test.ts b/test/amalgamation.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..79b2caa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/amalgamation.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+import { describe, expect, test } from "bun:test"
+import { existsSync, readFileSync } from "fs"
+import { join } from "path"
+
+const sourcePath = join(import.meta.dir, "..", "amalgamation", ".source", "sqlite3.c")
+const outputPath = join(import.meta.dir, "..", "amalgamation", "doltlite.c")
+
+describe("released amalgamation preparation", () => {
+  test("preserves the core SEH pager shim without appending a duplicate", () => {
+    expect(existsSync(sourcePath)).toBe(true)
+    expect(existsSync(outputPath)).toBe(true)
+
+    const source = readFileSync(sourcePath, "utf8")
+    const output = readFileSync(outputPath, "utf8")
+    const definition = /^(?:SQLITE_PRIVATE )?int sqlite3PagerWalSystemErrno\(Pager \*pPager\)\{/gm
+
+    expect(output.match(definition)?.length ?? 0).toBe(source.match(definition)?.length ?? 0)
+  })
+
+  test("selects Winsock 2 before the first windows.h include", () => {
+    const output = readFileSync(outputPath, "utf8")
+    const winsock = output.search(/^# *include <winsock2\.h>/m)
+    const windows = output.search(/^# *include [<"]windows\.h[>"]/m)
+
+    expect(winsock).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(0)
+    expect(windows).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(0)
+    expect(winsock).toBeLessThan(windows)
+  })
+
+  test("uses an unmodified fixed release amalgamation", () => {
+    const source = readFileSync(sourcePath, "utf8")
+    const output = readFileSync(outputPath, "utf8")
+
+    if (source.includes("DOLTLITE_AMALGAMATION_WINSOCK2_EARLY")) {
+      expect(output).toBe(source)
+    } else {
+      expect(output).toContain("DOLTLITE_NODE_WINSOCK2_EARLY_FALLBACK")
+    }
+  })
+})