Index: lib/gis/open.c
===================================================================
--- lib/gis/open.c	(revision 35654)
+++ lib/gis/open.c	(working copy)
@@ -74,7 +74,12 @@
 
 	G__file_name(path, element, name, mapset);
 
+
+#ifdef __MINGW32__
+	return open(path, O_BINARY);
+#else
 	return open(path, 0);
+#endif
     }
     /* WRITE */
     if (mode == 1 || mode == 2) {