diff --git a/runtime/windows_icon.rc b/runtime/windows_icon.rc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..87b79e9ea7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/runtime/windows_icon.rc
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+// NOTE: this resource file *must* be in the same folder as the icon.
+// Otherwise, absolute paths would need to be used.
+// see https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/menurc/icon-resource
+NEOVIM_ICON ICON "neovim.ico"
diff --git a/src/nvim/CMakeLists.txt b/src/nvim/CMakeLists.txt
index 950e4d54a0..56a09ec734 100644
--- a/src/nvim/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/nvim/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -708,6 +708,12 @@ target_sources(main_lib INTERFACE
   ${EXTERNAL_SOURCES}
   ${EXTERNAL_HEADERS})
 
+if(WIN32)
+  # add windows resource file pointing to the neovim icon
+  # this makes the icon appear for the neovim exe and associated filetypes
+  target_sources(nvim_bin PRIVATE ${NVIM_RUNTIME_DIR}/windows_icon.rc)
+endif()
+
 target_sources(nlua0 PUBLIC ${NLUA0_SOURCES})
 
 target_link_libraries(nvim_bin PRIVATE main_lib PUBLIC libuv)