diff --git a/include/wx/filefn.h b/include/wx/filefn.h
index b94428b201..5349903d17 100644
--- a/include/wx/filefn.h
+++ b/include/wx/filefn.h
@@ -459,6 +459,9 @@ WXDLLIMPEXP_BASE bool wxMkdir(const wxString& dir, int perm = wxS_DIR_DEFAULT);
 // Remove directory. Flags reserved for future use.
 WXDLLIMPEXP_BASE bool wxRmdir(const wxString& dir, int flags = 0);
 
+// Return file descriptor of an open file, -1 if not available.
+WXDLLIMPEXP_BASE int wxGetFileDescriptor(FILE *fp);
+
 // Return the type of an open file
 WXDLLIMPEXP_BASE wxFileKind wxGetFileKind(int fd);
 WXDLLIMPEXP_BASE wxFileKind wxGetFileKind(FILE *fp);
diff --git a/interface/wx/filefn.h b/interface/wx/filefn.h
index 704af7d591..0410345a82 100644
--- a/interface/wx/filefn.h
+++ b/interface/wx/filefn.h
@@ -543,6 +543,21 @@ enum wxFileKind
 
 ///@}
 
+/** @addtogroup group_funcmacro_file */
+///@{
+/**
+    Returns the file descriptor for the given @a fp.
+
+    @param fp
+        A valid pointer to a @c FILE.
+    @returns
+        The file descriptor for the given @a fp, or -1 on error.
+
+    @since 3.3.4
+ */
+int wxGetFileDescriptor(FILE *fp);
+///@}
+
 /** @addtogroup group_funcmacro_file */
 ///@{
 /**
diff --git a/src/common/filefn.cpp b/src/common/filefn.cpp
index e2bb9a644f..93de94bf35 100644
--- a/src/common/filefn.cpp
+++ b/src/common/filefn.cpp
@@ -1038,13 +1038,21 @@ wxFileKind wxGetFileKind(FILE *fp)
 #if defined(wxFILEKIND_STUB)
     (void)fp;
     return wxFILE_KIND_DISK;
-#elif defined(__WINDOWS__) && !defined(__CYGWIN__) && !defined(__WINE__)
-    return fp ? wxGetFileKind(_fileno(fp)) : wxFILE_KIND_UNKNOWN;
 #else
-    return fp ? wxGetFileKind(fileno(fp)) : wxFILE_KIND_UNKNOWN;
+    return fp ? wxGetFileKind(wxGetFileDescriptor(fp)) : wxFILE_KIND_UNKNOWN;
 #endif
 }
 
+int wxGetFileDescriptor(FILE *fp)
+{
+    wxCHECK_MSG( fp, -1, wxT("invalid file") );
+
+#if defined(__WINDOWS__) && !defined(__CYGWIN__) && !defined(__WINE__)
+    return _fileno(fp);
+#else
+    return fileno(fp);
+#endif
+}
 
 //------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // wild character routines