diff --git a/src/core/ffi.c b/src/core/ffi.c
index 04243267..8b5481cb 100644
--- a/src/core/ffi.c
+++ b/src/core/ffi.c
@@ -202,6 +202,7 @@ static const JanetAbstractType janet_struct_type = {
 typedef struct {
     Clib clib;
     int closed;
+    int is_self;
 } JanetAbstractNative;
 
 static const JanetAbstractType janet_native_type = {
@@ -1115,6 +1116,7 @@ JANET_CORE_FN(janet_core_raw_native,
     JanetAbstractNative *anative = janet_abstract(&janet_native_type, sizeof(JanetAbstractNative));
     anative->clib = lib;
     anative->closed = 0;
+    anative->is_self = path == NULL;
     return janet_wrap_abstract(anative);
 }
 
@@ -1138,6 +1140,7 @@ JANET_CORE_FN(janet_core_native_close,
     janet_fixarity(argc, 1);
     JanetAbstractNative *anative = janet_getabstract(argv, 0, &janet_native_type);
     if (anative->closed) janet_panic("native object already closed");
+    if (anative->is_self) janet_panic("cannot close self");
     anative->closed = 1;
     free_clib(anative->clib);
     return janet_wrap_nil();
diff --git a/src/core/util.c b/src/core/util.c
index 7568299f..8670797b 100644
--- a/src/core/util.c
+++ b/src/core/util.c
@@ -912,6 +912,14 @@ char *error_clib(void) {
     error_clib_buf[strlen(error_clib_buf) - 1] = '\0';
     return error_clib_buf;
 }
+
+Clib load_clib(const char *name) {
+    if (name == NULL) {
+        return GetModuleHandle(NULL);
+    } else {
+        return LoadLibrary(name);
+    }
+}
 #endif
 
 /* Alloc function macro fills */
diff --git a/src/core/util.h b/src/core/util.h
index f591b0a2..3031cc2d 100644
--- a/src/core/util.h
+++ b/src/core/util.h
@@ -144,9 +144,9 @@ typedef int Clib;
 #elif defined(JANET_WINDOWS)
 #include <windows.h>
 typedef HINSTANCE Clib;
-#define load_clib(name) LoadLibrary((name))
 #define free_clib(c) FreeLibrary((c))
 #define symbol_clib(lib, sym) GetProcAddress((lib), (sym))
+Clib load_clib(const char *name);
 char *error_clib(void);
 #else
 #include <dlfcn.h>