diff --git a/src/options.c b/src/options.c
index 537b2e6f..24cba032 100644
--- a/src/options.c
+++ b/src/options.c
@@ -163,10 +163,22 @@ void mi_option_disable(mi_option_t option) {
 
 static void mi_out_stderr(const char* msg, void* arg) {
   MI_UNUSED(arg);
+  if (msg == NULL) return;
   #ifdef _WIN32
   // on windows with redirection, the C runtime cannot handle locale dependent output
   // after the main thread closes so we use direct console output.
-  if (!_mi_preloading()) { _cputs(msg); }
+  if (!_mi_preloading()) { 
+    // _cputs(msg);  // _cputs cannot be used at is aborts if it fails to lock the console
+    static HANDLE hcon = INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE;
+    if (hcon == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE) {
+      hcon = GetStdHandle(STD_ERROR_HANDLE);
+    }
+    const size_t len = strlen(msg);
+    if (hcon != INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE && len > 0 && len < UINT32_MAX) {
+      DWORD written = 0;
+      WriteConsoleA(hcon, msg, (DWORD)len, &written, NULL);
+    }
+  }
   #else
   fputs(msg, stderr);
   #endif
diff --git a/src/os.c b/src/os.c
index 0fd10768..4a597632 100644
--- a/src/os.c
+++ b/src/os.c
@@ -335,15 +335,8 @@ static void* mi_win_virtual_allocx(void* addr, size_t size, size_t try_alignment
     if (hint != NULL) {
       void* p = VirtualAlloc(hint, size, flags, PAGE_READWRITE);
       if (p != NULL) return p;
-      // for robustness always fall through in case of an error
-      /*
-      DWORD err = GetLastError();
-      if (err != ERROR_INVALID_ADDRESS &&   // If linked with multiple instances, we may have tried to allocate at an already allocated area (#210)
-          err != ERROR_INVALID_PARAMETER) { // Windows7 instability (#230)
-        return NULL;
-      }
-      */
       _mi_warning_message("unable to allocate hinted aligned OS memory (%zu bytes, error code: 0x%x, address: %p, alignment: %zu, flags: 0x%x)\n", size, GetLastError(), hint, try_alignment, flags);
+      // fall through on error
     }
   } 
 #endif