diff --git a/releasenotes.md b/releasenotes.md
index f9f302d6f..2a8708781 100644
--- a/releasenotes.md
+++ b/releasenotes.md
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 - Add `enum.from_ordinal` and `fault.from_ordinal`
 - Deprecate cast-style conversion from integer to enum.
 - Make deprecation an error in test mode.
+- Add `--win-vs-dirs` to override VS detection dirs.
 
 ### Fixes
 - Fix case trying to initialize a `char[*]*` from a String.
diff --git a/src/build/build.h b/src/build/build.h
index d0f5f5416..0f648d99f 100644
--- a/src/build/build.h
+++ b/src/build/build.h
@@ -415,6 +415,7 @@ typedef struct BuildOptions_
 	{
 		const char *sdk;
 		const char *def;
+		const char *vs_dirs;
 		WinCrtLinking crt_linking;
 	} win;
 	struct
@@ -661,6 +662,7 @@ typedef struct
 	{
 		const char *sdk;
 		const char *def;
+		const char *vs_dirs;
 		WinCrtLinking crt_linking;
 		bool use_win_subsystem;
 	} win;
diff --git a/src/build/build_options.c b/src/build/build_options.c
index e7cfd6c09..30e3a26b6 100644
--- a/src/build/build_options.c
+++ b/src/build/build_options.c
@@ -174,6 +174,7 @@ static void usage(bool full)
 		PRINTF("  --winsdk <dir>             - Set the directory for Windows system library files for cross compilation.");
 		PRINTF("  --wincrt=<option>          - Windows CRT linking: none, static-debug, static, dynamic-debug (default if debug info enabled), dynamic (default).");
 		PRINTF("  --windef <file>            - Use Windows 'def' file for function exports instead of 'dllexport'.");
+		PRINTF("  --win-vs-dirs <dir>;<dir> - Override Windows VS detection.");
 		PRINTF("");
 		PRINTF("  --macossdk <dir>           - Set the directory for the MacOS SDK for cross compilation.");
 		PRINTF("  --macos-min-version <ver>  - Set the minimum MacOS version to compile for.");
@@ -922,6 +923,10 @@ static void parse_option(BuildOptions *options)
 			}
 			if (match_longopt("winsdk"))
 			{
+				if (options->win.vs_dirs)
+				{
+					error_exit("error: --winsdk cannot be combined with --win-vs-dirs.");
+				}
 				if (at_end() || next_is_opt()) error_exit("error: --winsdk needs a directory.");
 				options->win.sdk = check_dir(next_arg());
 				return;
@@ -947,6 +952,16 @@ static void parse_option(BuildOptions *options)
 				options->win.crt_linking = (WinCrtLinking)parse_multi_option(argopt, 5, wincrt_linking);
 				return;
 			}
+			if (match_longopt("win-vs-dirs"))
+			{
+				if (options->win.sdk)
+				{
+					error_exit("error: --win-vs-dirs cannot be combined with --winsdk.");
+				}
+				if (at_end() || next_is_opt()) error_exit("error: --win-vs-dirs needs to followed by the directories.");
+				options->win.vs_dirs = next_arg();
+				return;
+			}
 			if ((argopt = match_argopt("sanitize")))
 			{
 				options->sanitize_mode = (SanitizeMode)parse_multi_option(argopt, 4, sanitize_modes);
diff --git a/src/build/builder.c b/src/build/builder.c
index 840d9e318..572bf496f 100644
--- a/src/build/builder.c
+++ b/src/build/builder.c
@@ -405,6 +405,7 @@ static void update_build_target_from_options(BuildTarget *target, BuildOptions *
 	target->vector_conv = options->vector_conv;
 	if (options->macos.sysroot) target->macos.sysroot = options->macos.sysroot;
 	if (options->win.sdk) target->win.sdk = options->win.sdk;
+	if (options->win.vs_dirs) target->win.vs_dirs = options->win.vs_dirs;
 	if (options->macos.min_version) target->macos.min_version = options->macos.min_version;
 	if (options->macos.sdk_version) target->macos.sdk_version = options->macos.sdk_version;
 	if (options->win.crt_linking != WIN_CRT_DEFAULT) target->win.crt_linking = options->win.crt_linking;
diff --git a/src/build/project.c b/src/build/project.c
index ce4b903d4..8ae1c4329 100644
--- a/src/build/project.c
+++ b/src/build/project.c
@@ -334,6 +334,9 @@ static void load_into_build_target(const char *filename, JSONObject *json, const
 	RiscvFloatCapability riscv_float = GET_SETTING(RiscvFloatCapability, "riscvfloat", riscv_capability, "`none`, `float` or `double`.");
 	if (riscv_float != RISCVFLOAT_DEFAULT) target->feature.riscv_float_capability = riscv_float;
 
+	// winsdk
+	target->win.vs_dirs = get_string(filename, target_name, json, "win-vs-dirs", target->win.vs_dirs);
+
 	// winsdk
 	target->win.sdk = get_string(filename, target_name, json, "winsdk", target->win.sdk);
 
diff --git a/src/compiler/linker.c b/src/compiler/linker.c
index 872f2afcd..68737dbb5 100644
--- a/src/compiler/linker.c
+++ b/src/compiler/linker.c
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ static void linker_setup_windows(const char ***args_ref, Linker linker_type, con
 		crt_linking = wincrt;
 	}
 
-	if (!compiler.build.win.sdk)
+	if (!compiler.build.win.sdk && !compiler.build.win.vs_dirs)
 	{
 		const char *path = windows_cross_compile_library();
 		if (path)
@@ -132,14 +132,36 @@ static void linker_setup_windows(const char ***args_ref, Linker linker_type, con
 	}
 	else
 	{
-		WindowsSDK *windows_sdk = windows_get_sdk();
-		if (!windows_sdk) error_exit("Windows applications cannot be cross compiled without --winsdk.");
+		if (compiler.build.win.vs_dirs)
+		{
+			char *c = strstr(compiler.build.win.vs_dirs, ";");
+			int len = c - compiler.build.win.vs_dirs;
+			if (!c || !len) error_exit("''win-vs-dirs' override was invalid.");
+			char *um = str_printf("%.*s\\um\\x64", len, compiler.build.win.vs_dirs);
+			char *ucrt = str_printf("%.*s\\ucrt\\x64", len, compiler.build.win.vs_dirs);
+			c++;
+			if (!file_is_dir(um) || !file_is_dir(ucrt) || !file_is_dir(c))
+			{
+				error_exit("''win-vs-dirs' override paths were not valid.");
+			}
+			add_concat_quote_arg("/LIBPATH:", um);
+			add_concat_quote_arg("/LIBPATH:", ucrt);
+			add_concat_quote_arg("/LIBPATH:", c);
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			WindowsSDK *windows_sdk = windows_get_sdk();
+			if (!windows_sdk) error_exit("Windows applications cannot be cross compiled without --winsdk.");
 
-		if (!file_is_dir(windows_sdk->vs_library_path)) error_exit("Failed to find windows sdk.");
+			if (!file_is_dir(windows_sdk->vs_library_path)) error_exit("Failed to find windows sdk.");
 
-		add_concat_quote_arg("/LIBPATH:", windows_sdk->windows_sdk_um_library_path);
-		add_concat_quote_arg("/LIBPATH:", windows_sdk->windows_sdk_ucrt_library_path);
-		add_concat_quote_arg("/LIBPATH:", windows_sdk->vs_library_path);
+			char *um = str_printf("%s\\um\\x64", windows_sdk->windows_sdk_path);
+			char *ucrt = str_printf("%s\\ucrt\\x64", windows_sdk->windows_sdk_path);
+
+			add_concat_quote_arg("/LIBPATH:", um);
+			add_concat_quote_arg("/LIBPATH:", ucrt);
+			add_concat_quote_arg("/LIBPATH:", windows_sdk->vs_library_path);
+		}
 	}
 
 	// Link sanitizer runtime libraries
diff --git a/src/utils/find_msvc.c b/src/utils/find_msvc.c
index 667528f1c..44f6e66c2 100644
--- a/src/utils/find_msvc.c
+++ b/src/utils/find_msvc.c
@@ -22,8 +22,7 @@ WindowsSDK get_windows_link_paths()
 		error_exit("Failed to find windows kit root.");
 	}
 
-	out.windows_sdk_um_library_path = str_printf("%s\\um\\x64", path);
-	out.windows_sdk_ucrt_library_path = str_printf("%s\\ucrt\\x64", path);
+	out.windows_sdk_path = path;
 	out.vs_library_path = find_visual_studio();
 
 	return out;
@@ -136,7 +135,7 @@ static char *find_windows_kit_root(void)
 
 	free(root);
 	free(best_file);
-	return scratch_buffer_to_string();
+	return scratch_buffer_to_copy();
 
 SEARCH_FAILED:
 	free(root);
diff --git a/src/utils/lib.h b/src/utils/lib.h
index 5bc28c3b6..b0c2e77d0 100644
--- a/src/utils/lib.h
+++ b/src/utils/lib.h
@@ -38,8 +38,7 @@ typedef struct
 } MacSDK;
 
 typedef struct {
-	char* windows_sdk_um_library_path;
-	char* windows_sdk_ucrt_library_path;
+	char* windows_sdk_path;
 	char* vs_library_path;
 } WindowsSDK;