diff --git a/doc/langref/wasi_preopens.zig b/doc/langref/wasi_preopens.zig
index 99ab36f314..423e79f3c9 100644
--- a/doc/langref/wasi_preopens.zig
+++ b/doc/langref/wasi_preopens.zig
@@ -1,10 +1,8 @@
 const std = @import("std");
 
-pub fn main(init: std.process.Init) !void {
-    const preopens = try std.fs.wasi.preopensAlloc(init.arena.allocator());
-
-    for (preopens.names, 0..) |preopen, i| {
-        std.debug.print("{d}: {s}\n", .{ i, preopen });
+pub fn main(init: std.process.Init) void {
+    for (init.preopens.map.keys(), 0..) |preopen, i| {
+        std.log.info("{d}: {s}", .{ i, preopen });
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/std/fs.zig b/lib/std/fs.zig
index 4d149dbbda..93c2a9a0ae 100644
--- a/lib/std/fs.zig
+++ b/lib/std/fs.zig
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ const std = @import("std.zig");
 
 /// Deprecated, use `std.Io.Dir.path`.
 pub const path = @import("fs/path.zig");
-pub const wasi = @import("fs/wasi.zig");
 
 pub const base64_alphabet = "ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789-_".*;
 
diff --git a/lib/std/fs/wasi.zig b/lib/std/fs/wasi.zig
deleted file mode 100644
index e17a852a9b..0000000000
--- a/lib/std/fs/wasi.zig
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,55 +0,0 @@
-const std = @import("std");
-const builtin = @import("builtin");
-const mem = std.mem;
-const math = std.math;
-const fs = std.fs;
-const assert = std.debug.assert;
-const Allocator = mem.Allocator;
-const wasi = std.os.wasi;
-const fd_t = wasi.fd_t;
-const prestat_t = wasi.prestat_t;
-
-pub const Preopens = struct {
-    // Indexed by file descriptor number.
-    names: []const []const u8,
-
-    pub fn find(p: Preopens, name: []const u8) ?std.posix.fd_t {
-        for (p.names, 0..) |elem_name, i| {
-            if (mem.eql(u8, elem_name, name)) {
-                return @intCast(i);
-            }
-        }
-        return null;
-    }
-};
-
-pub fn preopensAlloc(gpa: Allocator) Allocator.Error!Preopens {
-    var names: std.ArrayList([]const u8) = .empty;
-    defer names.deinit(gpa);
-
-    try names.ensureUnusedCapacity(gpa, 3);
-
-    names.appendAssumeCapacity("stdin"); // 0
-    names.appendAssumeCapacity("stdout"); // 1
-    names.appendAssumeCapacity("stderr"); // 2
-    while (true) {
-        const fd = @as(wasi.fd_t, @intCast(names.items.len));
-        var prestat: prestat_t = undefined;
-        switch (wasi.fd_prestat_get(fd, &prestat)) {
-            .SUCCESS => {},
-            .OPNOTSUPP, .BADF => return .{ .names = try names.toOwnedSlice(gpa) },
-            else => @panic("fd_prestat_get: unexpected error"),
-        }
-        try names.ensureUnusedCapacity(gpa, 1);
-        // This length does not include a null byte. Let's keep it this way to
-        // gently encourage WASI implementations to behave properly.
-        const name_len = prestat.u.dir.pr_name_len;
-        const name = try gpa.alloc(u8, name_len);
-        errdefer gpa.free(name);
-        switch (wasi.fd_prestat_dir_name(fd, name.ptr, name.len)) {
-            .SUCCESS => {},
-            else => @panic("fd_prestat_dir_name: unexpected error"),
-        }
-        names.appendAssumeCapacity(name);
-    }
-}
diff --git a/lib/std/os/wasi.zig b/lib/std/os/wasi.zig
index caef010683..87e1bc59c2 100644
--- a/lib/std/os/wasi.zig
+++ b/lib/std/os/wasi.zig
@@ -288,8 +288,9 @@ pub const oflags_t = packed struct(u16) {
     _: u12 = 0,
 };
 
-pub const preopentype_t = u8;
-pub const PREOPENTYPE_DIR: preopentype_t = 0;
+pub const preopentype_t = enum(u8) {
+    DIR = 0,
+};
 
 pub const prestat_t = extern struct {
     pr_type: preopentype_t,
diff --git a/lib/std/process.zig b/lib/std/process.zig
index d8db82cc05..0936116bf0 100644
--- a/lib/std/process.zig
+++ b/lib/std/process.zig
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ const max_path_bytes = std.fs.max_path_bytes;
 pub const Child = @import("process/Child.zig");
 pub const Args = @import("process/Args.zig");
 pub const Environ = @import("process/Environ.zig");
+pub const Preopens = @import("process/Preopens.zig");
 
 /// This is the global, process-wide protection to coordinate stderr writes.
 ///
@@ -48,6 +49,10 @@ pub const Init = struct {
     io: Io,
     /// Environment variables, initialized with `gpa`. Not threadsafe.
     environ_map: *Environ.Map,
+    /// Named files that have been provided by the parent process. This is
+    /// mainly useful on WASI, but can be used on other systems to mimic the
+    /// behavior with respect to stdio.
+    preopens: Preopens,
 
     /// Alternative to `Init` as the first parameter of the main function.
     pub const Minimal = struct {
diff --git a/lib/std/process/Preopens.zig b/lib/std/process/Preopens.zig
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8223c29f83
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/std/process/Preopens.zig
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+const Preopens = @This();
+
+const builtin = @import("builtin");
+const native_os = builtin.os.tag;
+
+const std = @import("../std.zig");
+const Io = std.Io;
+const Allocator = std.mem.Allocator;
+
+map: Map,
+
+pub const empty: Preopens = switch (native_os) {
+    .wasi => .{ .map = .empty },
+    else => .{ .map = {} },
+};
+
+pub const Map = switch (native_os) {
+    // Indexed by file descriptor number.
+    .wasi => std.StringArrayHashMapUnmanaged(void),
+    else => void,
+};
+
+pub const Resource = union(enum) {
+    file: Io.File,
+    dir: Io.Dir,
+};
+
+pub fn get(p: *const Preopens, name: []const u8) ?Resource {
+    switch (native_os) {
+        .wasi => {
+            const index = p.map.getIndex(name) orelse return null;
+            if (index <= 2) return .{ .file = .{ .handle = @intCast(index) } };
+            return .{ .dir = .{ .handle = @intCast(index) } };
+        },
+        else => {
+            if (std.mem.eql(u8, name, "stdin")) return .{ .file = .stdin() };
+            if (std.mem.eql(u8, name, "stdout")) return .{ .file = .stdout() };
+            if (std.mem.eql(u8, name, "stderr")) return .{ .file = .stderr() };
+            return null;
+        },
+    }
+}
+
+pub const InitError = Allocator.Error || error{Unexpected};
+
+pub fn init(arena: Allocator) InitError!Preopens {
+    if (native_os != .wasi) return .{ .map = {} };
+    const wasi = std.os.wasi;
+    var map: Map = .empty;
+
+    try map.ensureUnusedCapacity(arena, 3);
+
+    map.putAssumeCapacityNoClobber("stdin", {}); // 0
+    map.putAssumeCapacityNoClobber("stdout", {}); // 1
+    map.putAssumeCapacityNoClobber("stderr", {}); // 2
+    while (true) {
+        const fd: wasi.fd_t = @intCast(map.entries.len);
+        var prestat: wasi.prestat_t = undefined;
+        switch (wasi.fd_prestat_get(fd, &prestat)) {
+            .SUCCESS => {},
+            .OPNOTSUPP, .BADF => return .{ .map = map },
+            else => return error.Unexpected,
+        }
+        try map.ensureUnusedCapacity(arena, 1);
+        // This length does not include a null byte. Let's keep it this way to
+        // gently encourage WASI implementations to behave properly.
+        const name_len = prestat.u.dir.pr_name_len;
+        const name = try arena.alloc(u8, name_len);
+        switch (wasi.fd_prestat_dir_name(fd, name.ptr, name.len)) {
+            .SUCCESS => {},
+            else => return error.Unexpected,
+        }
+        map.putAssumeCapacityNoClobber(name, {});
+    }
+}
diff --git a/lib/std/start.zig b/lib/std/start.zig
index 8d2e2a9df2..685fda3635 100644
--- a/lib/std/start.zig
+++ b/lib/std/start.zig
@@ -708,6 +708,9 @@ inline fn callMain(args: std.process.Args.Vector, environ: std.process.Environ.B
         std.process.fatal("failed to parse environment variables: {t}", .{err});
     defer environ_map.deinit();
 
+    const preopens = std.process.Preopens.init(arena_allocator.allocator()) catch |err|
+        std.process.fatal("failed to init preopens: {t}", .{err});
+
     return wrapMain(root.main(.{
         .minimal = .{
             .args = .{ .vector = args },
@@ -717,6 +720,7 @@ inline fn callMain(args: std.process.Args.Vector, environ: std.process.Environ.B
         .gpa = gpa,
         .io = threaded.io(),
         .environ_map = &environ_map,
+        .preopens = preopens,
     }));
 }
 
diff --git a/src/Compilation.zig b/src/Compilation.zig
index 5d369594c8..d617f0a0e5 100644
--- a/src/Compilation.zig
+++ b/src/Compilation.zig
@@ -758,10 +758,7 @@ pub const Directories = struct {
             search,
             global,
         },
-        wasi_preopens: switch (builtin.target.os.tag) {
-            .wasi => fs.wasi.Preopens,
-            else => void,
-        },
+        preopens: std.process.Preopens,
         self_exe_path: switch (builtin.target.os.tag) {
             .wasi => void,
             else => []const u8,
@@ -776,7 +773,7 @@ pub const Directories = struct {
 
         const zig_lib: Cache.Directory = d: {
             if (override_zig_lib) |path| break :d openUnresolved(arena, io, cwd, path, .@"zig lib");
-            if (wasi) break :d openWasiPreopen(wasi_preopens, "/lib");
+            if (wasi) break :d getPreopen(preopens, "/lib");
             break :d introspect.findZigLibDirFromSelfExe(arena, io, cwd, self_exe_path) catch |err| {
                 fatal("unable to find zig installation directory '{s}': {t}", .{ self_exe_path, err });
             };
@@ -784,7 +781,7 @@ pub const Directories = struct {
 
         const global_cache: Cache.Directory = d: {
             if (override_global_cache) |path| break :d openUnresolved(arena, io, cwd, path, .@"global cache");
-            if (wasi) break :d openWasiPreopen(wasi_preopens, "/cache");
+            if (wasi) break :d getPreopen(preopens, "/cache");
             const path = introspect.resolveGlobalCacheDir(arena, environ_map) catch |err| {
                 fatal("unable to resolve zig cache directory: {t}", .{err});
             };
@@ -817,11 +814,12 @@ pub const Directories = struct {
             .local_cache = local_cache,
         };
     }
-    fn openWasiPreopen(preopens: fs.wasi.Preopens, name: []const u8) Cache.Directory {
+    fn getPreopen(preopens: std.process.Preopens, name: []const u8) Cache.Directory {
         return .{
             .path = if (std.mem.eql(u8, name, ".")) null else name,
-            .handle = .{
-                .handle = preopens.find(name) orelse fatal("WASI preopen not found: '{s}'", .{name}),
+            .handle = switch (preopens.get(name) orelse fatal("preopen not found: '{s}'", .{name})) {
+                .file => fatal("preopen {s} is not a directory", .{name}),
+                .dir => |d| d,
             },
         };
     }
diff --git a/src/main.zig b/src/main.zig
index 97a4e53c2f..1da2c76a1a 100644
--- a/src/main.zig
+++ b/src/main.zig
@@ -55,11 +55,11 @@ pub const std_options_cwd = if (native_os == .wasi) wasi_cwd else null;
 pub const panic = crash_report.panic;
 pub const debug = crash_report.debug;
 
-var wasi_preopens: fs.wasi.Preopens = undefined;
+var preopens: std.process.Preopens = .empty;
 pub fn wasi_cwd() Io.Dir {
     // Expect the first preopen to be current working directory.
     const cwd_fd: std.posix.fd_t = 3;
-    assert(mem.eql(u8, wasi_preopens.names[cwd_fd], "."));
+    assert(mem.eql(u8, preopens.map.keys()[cwd_fd], "."));
     return .{ .handle = cwd_fd };
 }
 
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ pub fn main(init: std.process.Init.Minimal) anyerror!void {
     }
 
     if (native_os == .wasi) {
-        wasi_preopens = try fs.wasi.preopensAlloc(arena);
+        preopens = try .init(arena);
     }
 
     return mainArgs(gpa, arena, io, args, &environ_map);
@@ -360,7 +360,7 @@ fn mainArgs(
             io,
             &stdout_writer.interface,
             args,
-            if (native_os == .wasi) wasi_preopens,
+            preopens,
             &host,
             environ_map,
         );
@@ -3107,7 +3107,7 @@ fn buildOutputType(
                 else => .search,
             };
         },
-        if (native_os == .wasi) wasi_preopens,
+        preopens,
         self_exe_path,
         environ_map,
     );
@@ -5141,7 +5141,7 @@ fn cmdBuild(gpa: Allocator, arena: Allocator, io: Io, args: []const []const u8,
             if (override_local_cache_dir) |d| break :path d;
             break :path try build_root.directory.join(arena, &.{introspect.default_local_zig_cache_basename});
         } },
-        {},
+        .empty,
         self_exe_path,
         environ_map,
     );
@@ -5556,7 +5556,7 @@ fn jitCmd(
         override_lib_dir,
         override_global_cache_dir,
         .global,
-        if (native_os == .wasi) wasi_preopens,
+        preopens,
         self_exe_path,
         environ_map,
     );
diff --git a/src/print_env.zig b/src/print_env.zig
index ac0578852e..163648321e 100644
--- a/src/print_env.zig
+++ b/src/print_env.zig
@@ -14,10 +14,7 @@ pub fn cmdEnv(
     io: Io,
     out: *std.Io.Writer,
     args: []const []const u8,
-    wasi_preopens: switch (builtin.target.os.tag) {
-        .wasi => std.fs.wasi.Preopens,
-        else => void,
-    },
+    preopens: std.process.Preopens,
     host: *const std.Target,
     environ_map: *std.process.Environ.Map,
 ) !void {
@@ -37,7 +34,7 @@ pub fn cmdEnv(
         override_lib_dir,
         override_global_cache_dir,
         .global,
-        if (builtin.target.os.tag == .wasi) wasi_preopens,
+        preopens,
         if (builtin.target.os.tag != .wasi) self_exe_path,
         environ_map,
     );