diff --git a/cmake/build_helpers.cmake b/cmake/build_helpers.cmake
index 9e7d2f8f4..0d4839e7c 100644
--- a/cmake/build_helpers.cmake
+++ b/cmake/build_helpers.cmake
@@ -253,6 +253,9 @@ macro(createPackage)
         set(CPACK_GENERATOR "DragNDrop")
     else()
         install(TARGETS main RUNTIME DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_BINDIR})
+        if(WIN32) # Forwarder is only needed on Windows
+            install(TARGETS imhex-forwarder BUNDLE DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_BINDIR})
+        endif()
     endif()
 
     if (CREATE_PACKAGE)
@@ -608,11 +611,13 @@ function(generatePDBs)
     )
     FetchContent_Populate(cv2pdb)
 
-    set(PDBS_TO_GENERATE main libimhex ${PLUGINS})
+    set(PDBS_TO_GENERATE main imhex-forwarder libimhex ${PLUGINS})
     add_custom_target(pdbs)
     foreach (PDB ${PDBS_TO_GENERATE})
         if (PDB STREQUAL "main")
             set(GENERATED_PDB imhex)
+        elseif (PDB STREQUAL "imhex-forwarder")
+            set(GENERATED_PDB imhex-gui)
         elseif (PDB STREQUAL "libimhex")
             set(GENERATED_PDB libimhex)
         else ()
diff --git a/main/CMakeLists.txt b/main/CMakeLists.txt
index 65ed226e0..32afd1eb3 100644
--- a/main/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/main/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -28,11 +28,28 @@ set(LIBROMFS_PROJECT_NAME imhex)
 add_subdirectory(${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/../lib/external/libromfs ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/main/libromfs EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL)
 set_target_properties(${LIBROMFS_LIBRARY} PROPERTIES POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE ON)
 
-set_target_properties(main PROPERTIES
+if (WIN32)
+    # HACK: `imhex` -> `imhex-gui` and we add a forwarder as `imhex`, so that the user can just run `imhex` and it will start the GUI
+    # Workaround for .NET plugin crashing caused by the console window being freed.
+    set(IMHEX_APPLICATION_NAME "imhex-gui") 
+    add_executable(imhex-forwarder
+        source/forwarder/main.cpp
+        ${IMHEX_ICON})
+    target_link_libraries(imhex-forwarder PRIVATE libwolv-io ${FMT_LIBRARIES})
+    set_target_properties(imhex-forwarder PROPERTIES
         OUTPUT_NAME "imhex"
         RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/..
         CXX_VISIBILITY_PRESET hidden
         POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE ON)
+else ()
+    set(IMHEX_APPLICATION_NAME "imhex")
+endif ()
+
+set_target_properties(main PROPERTIES
+    OUTPUT_NAME ${IMHEX_APPLICATION_NAME}
+    RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/..
+    CXX_VISIBILITY_PRESET hidden
+    POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE ON)
 
 add_compile_definitions(IMHEX_PROJECT_NAME="${PROJECT_NAME}")
 
diff --git a/main/source/forwarder/main.cpp b/main/source/forwarder/main.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cad9b15e5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/main/source/forwarder/main.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+#include <windows.h>
+#include <wolv/io/fs.hpp>
+
+int main() {
+    HWND consoleWindow = ::GetConsoleWindow();
+    DWORD processId = 0;
+    ::GetWindowThreadProcessId(consoleWindow, &processId);
+    if (GetCurrentProcessId() == processId) {
+        FreeConsole();
+    } else {
+        auto hConsole = ::GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE);
+        if (hConsole != INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE) {
+            DWORD mode = 0;
+            if (::GetConsoleMode(hConsole, &mode) == TRUE) {
+                mode |= ENABLE_VIRTUAL_TERMINAL_PROCESSING | ENABLE_PROCESSED_OUTPUT;
+                ::SetConsoleMode(hConsole, mode);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    auto executablePath = wolv::io::fs::getExecutablePath();
+    auto executableFullPath = executablePath->parent_path() / "imhex-gui.exe";
+    
+    PROCESS_INFORMATION process;
+    STARTUPINFOW startupInfo;
+    ZeroMemory(&process, sizeof(PROCESS_INFORMATION));
+    ZeroMemory(&startupInfo, sizeof(STARTUPINFOW));
+    startupInfo.cb = sizeof(STARTUPINFOW);
+
+    if (CreateProcessW(executableFullPath.wstring().c_str(), GetCommandLineW(), nullptr, nullptr, FALSE, 0, nullptr, nullptr, &startupInfo, &process) == FALSE) {
+        auto error = GetLastError();
+
+        wchar_t errorMessageString[1024];
+        FormatMessageW(FORMAT_MESSAGE_FROM_SYSTEM, nullptr, error, 0, errorMessageString, 1024, nullptr);
+
+        std::wstring errorMessage = L"Failed to start ImHex:\n\nError code: ";
+
+        // Format error code to have 8 digits hex
+        wchar_t errorCodeString[11];
+        swprintf_s(errorCodeString, 11, L"0x%08X", error);
+
+        errorMessage += errorCodeString;
+        errorMessage += L"\n\n";
+        errorMessage += errorMessageString;
+
+        MessageBoxW(nullptr, errorMessage.c_str(), L"ImHex Forwarder", MB_OK | MB_ICONERROR);
+        return 1;
+    }
+
+    WaitForSingleObject(process.hProcess, INFINITE);
+    CloseHandle(process.hProcess);
+
+    return 0;
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/main/source/window/win_window.cpp b/main/source/window/win_window.cpp
index 8370469a6..880c1d3ae 100644
--- a/main/source/window/win_window.cpp
+++ b/main/source/window/win_window.cpp
@@ -237,7 +237,6 @@ namespace hex {
         ::GetWindowThreadProcessId(consoleWindow, &processId);
         if (GetCurrentProcessId() == processId) {
             ShowWindow(consoleWindow, SW_HIDE);
-            FreeConsole();
             log::impl::redirectToFile();
         } else {
             auto hConsole = ::GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE);