diff --git a/ChangeLog.txt b/ChangeLog.txt
index 0477ea06b6..cc4fb35fb2 100644
--- a/ChangeLog.txt
+++ b/ChangeLog.txt
@@ -7,6 +7,11 @@
    Entries may not always be in chronological/commit order.
    See license at the end of file. */
 
+2024-10-18 07:56 UTC+0200 Aleksander Czajczynski (hb fki.pl)
+  * src/common/hbver.c
+    * guard Win10 build number getter from the unknown,
+      using old Win32 API that is not going to be deprecated.
+
 2024-10-17 15:04 UTC+0200 Aleksander Czajczynski (hb fki.pl)
   * .github/workflows/windows-ci.yml
     * update windows MSYS2 integration runner set of
diff --git a/src/common/hbver.c b/src/common/hbver.c
index 82c5ac3d16..1bd9bb0cd3 100644
--- a/src/common/hbver.c
+++ b/src/common/hbver.c
@@ -414,7 +414,15 @@ static void s_hb_winVerInit( void )
                memory, though build number is there only on Win10 and up.
                https://www.geoffchappell.com/studies/windows/km/ntoskrnl/inc/api/ntexapi_x/kuser_shared_data/index.htm */
 
-      s_iWinNT = ( int ) * ( PULONG ) ( 0x7FFE0000 + 0x0260 );
+      MEMORY_BASIC_INFORMATION minfo;
+      minfo.Protect = 0;
+      if( VirtualQuery( ( void * ) 0x7FFE0000, &minfo, sizeof( minfo ) ) &&
+          ( minfo.Protect & ( PAGE_READONLY | PAGE_READWRITE | PAGE_WRITECOPY |
+            PAGE_EXECUTE_READ | PAGE_EXECUTE_READWRITE | PAGE_EXECUTE_WRITECOPY ) ) &&
+          ! ( minfo.Protect & ( PAGE_GUARD | PAGE_NOACCESS ) ) )
+         s_iWinNT = ( int ) * ( PULONG ) ( 0x7FFE0000 + 0x0260 );
+      else
+         s_iWinNT = 1; /* unknown NT emulator */
 
       /* COMPAT: this seems much simpler than dyn-calling GetVersionEx
                  or WDK RtlGetVersion (having in mind deprecation warnings,