diff --git a/programs/fileio.c b/programs/fileio.c
index c3754504e..81b9991d7 100644
--- a/programs/fileio.c
+++ b/programs/fileio.c
@@ -380,8 +380,11 @@ int FIO_rust_setDictBufferMMap(const char* fileName,
                                void** buffer,
                                size_t* mappedSize,
                                void** dictHandle);
-void FIO_rust_munmapDict(void** buffer, size_t* bufferSize, void** dictHandle);
 #endif
+void FIO_rust_freeDict(int dictBufferType,
+                       void** buffer,
+                       size_t* bufferSize,
+                       void** dictHandle);
 int FIO_rust_removeFile(const char* path);
 int FIO_rust_passThrough(ReadPoolCtx_t* readCtx, WritePoolCtx_t* writeCtx);
 #ifdef ZSTD_LZ4COMPRESS
@@ -656,10 +659,6 @@ static size_t FIO_setDictBufferMalloc(FIO_Dict_t* dict, const char* fileName, FI
 }
 
 #if (PLATFORM_POSIX_VERSION > 0)
-static void FIO_munmap(FIO_Dict_t* dict)
-{
-    FIO_rust_munmapDict(&dict->dictBuffer, &dict->dictBufferSize, NULL);
-}
 static size_t FIO_setDictBufferMMap(FIO_Dict_t* dict, const char* fileName, FIO_prefs_t* const prefs, stat_t* dictFileStat)
 {
     U64 fileSize;
@@ -701,12 +700,6 @@ static size_t FIO_setDictBufferMMap(FIO_Dict_t* dict, const char* fileName, FIO_
     return 0;
 }
 #elif defined(_MSC_VER) || defined(_WIN32)
-static void FIO_munmap(FIO_Dict_t* dict)
-{
-    FIO_rust_munmapDict(&dict->dictBuffer,
-                        &dict->dictBufferSize,
-                        (void**)&dict->dictHandle);
-}
 static size_t FIO_setDictBufferMMap(FIO_Dict_t* dict, const char* fileName, FIO_prefs_t* const prefs, stat_t* dictFileStat)
 {
     U64 fileSize;
@@ -755,26 +748,30 @@ static size_t FIO_setDictBufferMMap(FIO_Dict_t* dict, const char* fileName, FIO_
 {
    return FIO_setDictBufferMalloc(dict, fileName, prefs, dictFileStat);
 }
-static void FIO_munmap(FIO_Dict_t* dict) {
-   free(dict->dictBuffer);
-   dict->dictBuffer = NULL;
-   dict->dictBufferSize = 0;
-}
 #endif
 
 static void FIO_freeDict(FIO_Dict_t* dict) {
-    if (dict->dictBufferType == FIO_mallocDict) {
-        free(dict->dictBuffer);
-        dict->dictBuffer = NULL;
-        dict->dictBufferSize = 0;
-    } else if (dict->dictBufferType == FIO_mmapDict)  {
-        FIO_munmap(dict);
-    } else {
+    if (dict->dictBufferType != FIO_mallocDict
+        && dict->dictBufferType != FIO_mmapDict) {
         assert(0); /* Should not reach this case */
+        return;
     }
+
+    FIO_rust_freeDict((int)dict->dictBufferType,
+                      &dict->dictBuffer,
+                      &dict->dictBufferSize,
+#if defined(_MSC_VER) || defined(_WIN32)
+                      (void**)&dict->dictHandle
+#else
+                      NULL
+#endif
+    );
 }
 
 static void FIO_initDict(FIO_Dict_t* dict, const char* fileName, FIO_prefs_t* const prefs, stat_t* dictFileStat, FIO_dictBufferType_t dictBufferType) {
+#if defined(_MSC_VER) || defined(_WIN32)
+    dict->dictHandle = NULL;
+#endif
     dict->dictBufferType = dictBufferType;
     if (dict->dictBufferType == FIO_mallocDict) {
         dict->dictBufferSize = FIO_setDictBufferMalloc(dict, fileName, prefs, dictFileStat);
diff --git a/rust/src/fileio_backend.rs b/rust/src/fileio_backend.rs
index 26f1e62f4..1be321a6b 100644
--- a/rust/src/fileio_backend.rs
+++ b/rust/src/fileio_backend.rs
@@ -454,6 +454,13 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn FIO_rust_munmapDict(
         }
     }
 
+    #[cfg(not(any(unix, windows)))]
+    {
+        if !mapping.is_null() {
+            unsafe { libc::free(mapping) };
+        }
+    }
+
     unsafe {
         *buffer = ptr::null_mut();
         *buffer_size = 0;
@@ -463,6 +470,47 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn FIO_rust_munmapDict(
     }
 }
 
+const FIO_MALLOC_DICT: c_int = 0;
+const FIO_MMAP_DICT: c_int = 1;
+
+/// Releases either kind of dictionary buffer and clears its C-visible fields.
+///
+/// C retains the enum validation and calls this leaf only for the two valid
+/// `FIO_dictBufferType_t` values.  Mapped buffers go through the existing
+/// platform-aware release leaf so Windows views and file handles remain paired
+/// correctly, while malloc-backed buffers use the matching libc allocator.
+#[no_mangle]
+pub unsafe extern "C" fn FIO_rust_freeDict(
+    dict_buffer_type: c_int,
+    buffer: *mut *mut c_void,
+    buffer_size: *mut usize,
+    dict_handle: *mut *mut c_void,
+) {
+    match dict_buffer_type {
+        FIO_MALLOC_DICT => {
+            if !buffer.is_null() {
+                let allocation = unsafe { *buffer };
+                if !allocation.is_null() {
+                    unsafe { libc::free(allocation) };
+                }
+            }
+            unsafe {
+                if !buffer.is_null() {
+                    *buffer = ptr::null_mut();
+                }
+                if !buffer_size.is_null() {
+                    *buffer_size = 0;
+                }
+                if !dict_handle.is_null() {
+                    *dict_handle = ptr::null_mut();
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        FIO_MMAP_DICT => unsafe { FIO_rust_munmapDict(buffer, buffer_size, dict_handle) },
+        _ => {}
+    }
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
@@ -664,12 +712,59 @@ mod tests {
         let mapped = unsafe { std::slice::from_raw_parts(buffer.cast::<u8>(), mapped_size) };
         assert_eq!(mapped, payload);
 
-        unsafe { FIO_rust_munmapDict(&mut buffer, &mut mapped_size, ptr::null_mut()) };
+        let mut dict_handle = 1usize as *mut c_void;
+        unsafe {
+            FIO_rust_freeDict(
+                FIO_MMAP_DICT,
+                &mut buffer,
+                &mut mapped_size,
+                &mut dict_handle,
+            )
+        };
         assert!(buffer.is_null());
         assert_eq!(mapped_size, 0);
+        assert!(dict_handle.is_null());
+
+        // The release leaf is idempotent after the dispatch has cleared the
+        // ownership fields, so cleanup cannot double-release the mapping.
+        unsafe { FIO_rust_munmapDict(&mut buffer, &mut mapped_size, &mut dict_handle) };
         fs::remove_file(path).expect("remove temporary file");
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn frees_malloc_dictionary_and_clears_ownership() {
+        let allocation = unsafe { libc::malloc(16) };
+        assert!(!allocation.is_null());
+        let mut buffer = allocation;
+        let mut buffer_size = 16;
+        let mut dict_handle = 1usize as *mut c_void;
+
+        unsafe {
+            FIO_rust_freeDict(
+                FIO_MALLOC_DICT,
+                &mut buffer,
+                &mut buffer_size,
+                &mut dict_handle,
+            )
+        };
+        assert!(buffer.is_null());
+        assert_eq!(buffer_size, 0);
+        assert!(dict_handle.is_null());
+
+        // A second release sees only cleared fields and must not double-free.
+        unsafe {
+            FIO_rust_freeDict(
+                FIO_MALLOC_DICT,
+                &mut buffer,
+                &mut buffer_size,
+                &mut dict_handle,
+            )
+        };
+        assert!(buffer.is_null());
+        assert_eq!(buffer_size, 0);
+        assert!(dict_handle.is_null());
+    }
+
     #[cfg(unix)]
     #[test]
     fn maps_empty_dictionary_with_owned_zero_size_sentinel() {