diff --git a/src/port/open.c b/src/port/open.c
index 51652762a1..2196cbc992 100644
--- a/src/port/open.c
+++ b/src/port/open.c
@@ -144,11 +144,19 @@ pgwin32_open(const char *fileName, int fileFlags,...)
 		 */
 		if (err == ERROR_ACCESS_DENIED)
 		{
-			if (loops < 10)
-			{
-				pg_usleep(100000);
-				loops++;
-				continue;
+			/*
+			 * We don't want to retry fopen() with a directory,
+			 * which is known to fail with the same ERROR_ACCESS_DENIED error
+			 * (Windows NT status code STATUS_FILE_IS_A_DIRECTORY).
+			 */
+			struct stat st;
+			if (stat(fileName, &st) != 0 || !S_ISDIR(st.st_mode)) {
+				if (loops < 10)
+				{
+					pg_usleep(100000);
+					loops++;
+					continue;
+				}
 			}
 		}