diff --git a/src/calibre/test_build.py b/src/calibre/test_build.py
index cf1b4c0042..586065960c 100644
--- a/src/calibre/test_build.py
+++ b/src/calibre/test_build.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ Test a binary calibre build to ensure that all needed binary images/libraries ha
 import os, ctypes, sys, unittest, time
 
 from calibre.constants import plugins, iswindows, islinux, ismacos, plugins_loc
-from polyglot.builtins import iteritems, map, unicode_type, getenv, native_string_type
+from polyglot.builtins import iteritems, map, unicode_type, getenv
 
 is_ci = os.environ.get('CI', '').lower() == 'true'
 
@@ -22,12 +22,11 @@ class BuildTest(unittest.TestCase):
 
     @unittest.skipUnless(iswindows and not is_ci, 'DLL loading needs testing only on windows (non-continuous integration)')
     def test_dlls(self):
-        import win32api
-        base = win32api.GetDllDirectory()
+        base = plugins['winutil'][0].get_dll_directory()
         for x in os.listdir(base):
             if x.lower().endswith('.dll'):
                 try:
-                    ctypes.WinDLL(native_string_type(os.path.join(base, x)))
+                    ctypes.WinDLL(os.path.join(base, x))
                 except Exception as err:
                     self.assertTrue(False, 'Failed to load DLL %s with error: %s' % (x, err))
         from Crypto.Cipher import AES
diff --git a/src/calibre/utils/windows/winutil.cpp b/src/calibre/utils/windows/winutil.cpp
index 0121ce928d..91089fdb4c 100644
--- a/src/calibre/utils/windows/winutil.cpp
+++ b/src/calibre/utils/windows/winutil.cpp
@@ -588,10 +588,45 @@ winutil_manage_shortcut(PyObject *self, PyObject *args) {
 
 }
 
+static PyObject *
+get_dll_directory(PyObject *self, PyObject *args) {
+    DWORD sz = GetDllDirectory(0, NULL) * 2;
+    wchar_t *buf = (wchar_t*)PyMem_Malloc(sz);
+    if (!buf) return PyErr_NoMemory();
+    GetDllDirectory(sz - 1, buf);
+    buf[sz - 1] = 0;
+    PyObject *ans = PyUnicode_FromWideChar(buf, -1);
+    PyMem_Free(buf);
+    return ans;
+}
+
+static PyObject *
+create_named_pipe(PyObject *self, PyObject *args) {
+    wchar_raii name;
+    unsigned long open_mode, pipe_mode, max_instances, out_buffer_size, in_buffer_size, default_time_out;
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "O&kkkkkk", py_to_wchar_no_none, &name, &open_mode, &pipe_mode, &max_instances, &out_buffer_size, &in_buffer_size, &default_time_out)) return NULL;
+    HANDLE h = CreateNamedPipeW(name.ptr(), open_mode, pipe_mode, max_instances, out_buffer_size, in_buffer_size, default_time_out, NULL);
+    if (h == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE) return PyErr_SetExcFromWindowsErrWithFilenameObject(PyExc_OSError, 0, PyTuple_GET_ITEM(args, 0));
+    return PyLong_FromVoidPtr(h);
+}
+
+static PyObject *
+set_handle_information(PyObject *self, PyObject *args) {
+    PyObject *handle; unsigned long mask, flags;
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "O!kk", &PyLong_Type, &handle, &mask, &flags)) return NULL;
+    if (!SetHandleInformation(PyLong_AsVoidPtr(handle), mask, flags)) return PyErr_SetFromWindowsErr(0);
+    Py_RETURN_NONE;
+}
+
 // Boilerplate  {{{
 static const char winutil_doc[] = "Defines utility methods to interface with windows.";
 
+#define M(name, args) { #name, name, args, ""}
 static PyMethodDef winutil_methods[] = {
+    M(get_dll_directory, METH_NOARGS),
+    M(create_named_pipe, METH_VARARGS),
+    M(set_handle_information, METH_VARARGS),
+
     {"special_folder_path", winutil_folder_path, METH_VARARGS,
     "special_folder_path(csidl_id) -> path\n\n"
             "Get paths to common system folders. "
@@ -715,6 +750,7 @@ static PyMethodDef winutil_methods[] = {
 
     {NULL, NULL, 0, NULL}
 };
+#undef M
 
 static struct PyModuleDef winutil_module = {
     /* m_base     */ PyModuleDef_HEAD_INIT,
@@ -804,6 +840,14 @@ CALIBRE_MODINIT_FUNC PyInit_winutil(void) {
     PyModule_AddIntConstant(m, "FILE_FLAG_BACKUP_SEMANTICS", FILE_FLAG_BACKUP_SEMANTICS);
     PyModule_AddIntConstant(m, "SHGFP_TYPE_CURRENT", SHGFP_TYPE_CURRENT);
     PyModule_AddIntConstant(m, "SHGFP_TYPE_DEFAULT", SHGFP_TYPE_DEFAULT);
+    PyModule_AddIntConstant(m, "PIPE_ACCESS_INBOUND", PIPE_ACCESS_INBOUND);
+    PyModule_AddIntConstant(m, "FILE_FLAG_FIRST_PIPE_INSTANCE", FILE_FLAG_FIRST_PIPE_INSTANCE);
+    PyModule_AddIntConstant(m, "PIPE_TYPE_BYTE", PIPE_TYPE_BYTE);
+    PyModule_AddIntConstant(m, "PIPE_READMODE_BYTE", PIPE_READMODE_BYTE);
+    PyModule_AddIntConstant(m, "PIPE_WAIT", PIPE_WAIT);
+    PyModule_AddIntConstant(m, "PIPE_REJECT_REMOTE_CLIENTS", PIPE_REJECT_REMOTE_CLIENTS);
+    PyModule_AddIntConstant(m, "HANDLE_FLAG_INHERIT", HANDLE_FLAG_INHERIT);
+    PyModule_AddIntConstant(m, "HANDLE_FLAG_PROTECT_FROM_CLOSE", HANDLE_FLAG_PROTECT_FROM_CLOSE);
 
     return m;
 }