diff --git a/src/calibre/utils/windows/common.h b/src/calibre/utils/windows/common.h
index ee903c805b..3b5dcdf632 100644
--- a/src/calibre/utils/windows/common.h
+++ b/src/calibre/utils/windows/common.h
@@ -59,11 +59,36 @@ class scoped_com_initializer {  // {{{
 #define INITIALIZE_COM_IN_FUNCTION scoped_com_initializer com; if (!com) return com.set_python_error();
 
 static inline void co_task_mem_free(void* m) { CoTaskMemFree(m); }
-typedef generic_raii<wchar_t*, co_task_mem_free, static_cast<wchar_t*>(NULL)> com_wchar_raii;
-static inline void handle_destructor(HANDLE p) { CloseHandle(p); }
-typedef generic_raii<HANDLE, handle_destructor, INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE> handle_raii;
+typedef generic_raii<wchar_t*, co_task_mem_free> com_wchar_raii;
 static inline void mapping_destructor(void *p) { UnmapViewOfFile(p); }
-typedef generic_raii<void*, mapping_destructor, static_cast<void*>(NULL)> mapping_raii;
+typedef generic_raii<void*, mapping_destructor> mapping_raii;
+
+class handle_raii {
+	private:
+		handle_raii( const handle_raii & ) noexcept;
+		handle_raii & operator=( const handle_raii & ) noexcept ;
+
+	protected:
+		HANDLE handle;
+
+	public:
+		explicit handle_raii(HANDLE h = INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE) noexcept : handle(h) {}
+		~handle_raii() noexcept { release(); }
+
+		void release() noexcept {
+			if (handle != INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE) {
+                HANDLE temp = handle;
+				handle = INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE;
+				CloseHandle(temp);
+			}
+		}
+
+		HANDLE ptr() noexcept { return handle; }
+		HANDLE detach() noexcept { HANDLE ans = handle; handle = INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE; return ans; }
+		void attach(HANDLE val) noexcept { release(); handle = val; }
+		explicit operator bool() const noexcept { return handle != INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE; }
+};
+
 
 struct prop_variant : PROPVARIANT {
 	prop_variant(VARTYPE vt=VT_EMPTY) noexcept : PROPVARIANT{} { PropVariantInit(this); this->vt = vt;  }