diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index f2e3d128f2..e7b6bff119 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -14212,6 +14212,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "uuid",
  "vim",
  "welcome",
+ "windows 0.58.0",
  "winresource",
  "workspace",
  "zed_actions",
diff --git a/crates/zed/Cargo.toml b/crates/zed/Cargo.toml
index c4647593e9..0fbdbe1ca7 100644
--- a/crates/zed/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/zed/Cargo.toml
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ log.workspace = true
 markdown_preview.workspace = true
 menu.workspace = true
 mimalloc = { version = "0.1", optional = true }
-nix = {workspace = true, features = ["pthread", "signal"] }
+nix = { workspace = true, features = ["pthread", "signal"] }
 node_runtime.workspace = true
 notifications.workspace = true
 outline.workspace = true
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ tab_switcher.workspace = true
 supermaven.workspace = true
 task.workspace = true
 tasks_ui.workspace = true
-time.workspace =  true
+time.workspace = true
 telemetry_events.workspace = true
 terminal_view.workspace = true
 theme.workspace = true
@@ -114,6 +114,9 @@ welcome.workspace = true
 workspace.workspace = true
 zed_actions.workspace = true
 
+[target.'cfg(target_os = "windows")'.dependencies]
+windows.workspace = true
+
 [target.'cfg(target_os = "windows")'.build-dependencies]
 winresource = "0.1"
 
diff --git a/crates/zed/src/main.rs b/crates/zed/src/main.rs
index e23ed69584..d9ffb29c39 100644
--- a/crates/zed/src/main.rs
+++ b/crates/zed/src/main.rs
@@ -318,6 +318,15 @@ fn init_ui(
 }
 
 fn main() {
+    #[cfg(target_os = "windows")]
+    {
+        use zed::single_instance::*;
+        if !check_single_instance() {
+            println!("zed is already running");
+            return;
+        }
+    }
+
     let start_time = std::time::Instant::now();
     menu::init();
     zed_actions::init();
@@ -360,7 +369,7 @@ fn main() {
             }
         }
     }
-    #[cfg(not(target_os = "linux"))]
+    #[cfg(not(any(target_os = "linux", target_os = "windows")))]
     {
         use zed::only_instance::*;
         if ensure_only_instance() != IsOnlyInstance::Yes {
diff --git a/crates/zed/src/zed.rs b/crates/zed/src/zed.rs
index 1b9b8ee042..9e0d061884 100644
--- a/crates/zed/src/zed.rs
+++ b/crates/zed/src/zed.rs
@@ -2,9 +2,11 @@ mod app_menus;
 pub mod inline_completion_registry;
 #[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
 pub(crate) mod linux_prompts;
-#[cfg(not(target_os = "linux"))]
+#[cfg(not(any(target_os = "linux", target_os = "windows")))]
 pub(crate) mod only_instance;
 mod open_listener;
+#[cfg(target_os = "windows")]
+pub(crate) mod single_instance;
 
 pub use app_menus::*;
 use assistant::PromptBuilder;
diff --git a/crates/zed/src/zed/single_instance.rs b/crates/zed/src/zed/single_instance.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e8d32e7ed0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/zed/src/zed/single_instance.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+use release_channel::ReleaseChannel;
+use windows::{
+    core::HSTRING,
+    Win32::{
+        Foundation::{GetLastError, ERROR_ALREADY_EXISTS},
+        System::Threading::CreateEventW,
+    },
+};
+
+fn retrieve_app_instance_event_identifier() -> &'static str {
+    match *release_channel::RELEASE_CHANNEL {
+        ReleaseChannel::Dev => "Local\\Zed-Editor-Dev-Instance-Event",
+        ReleaseChannel::Nightly => "Local\\Zed-Editor-Nightly-Instance-Event",
+        ReleaseChannel::Preview => "Local\\Zed-Editor-Preview-Instance-Event",
+        ReleaseChannel::Stable => "Local\\Zed-Editor-Stable-Instance-Event",
+    }
+}
+
+pub fn check_single_instance() -> bool {
+    if *db::ZED_STATELESS || *release_channel::RELEASE_CHANNEL == ReleaseChannel::Dev {
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    check_single_instance_event()
+}
+
+fn check_single_instance_event() -> bool {
+    unsafe {
+        CreateEventW(
+            None,
+            false,
+            false,
+            &HSTRING::from(retrieve_app_instance_event_identifier()),
+        )
+        .expect("Unable to create instance sync event")
+    };
+    let last_err = unsafe { GetLastError() };
+    last_err != ERROR_ALREADY_EXISTS
+}