diff --git a/src/uu/cat/Cargo.toml b/src/uu/cat/Cargo.toml
index b3004310a5..634936a253 100644
--- a/src/uu/cat/Cargo.toml
+++ b/src/uu/cat/Cargo.toml
@@ -20,7 +20,13 @@ clap = { workspace = true }
 fluent = { workspace = true }
 memchr = { workspace = true }
 thiserror = { workspace = true }
-uucore = { workspace = true, features = ["fast-inc", "fs", "pipes", "signals"] }
+uucore = { workspace = true, features = [
+  "fast-inc",
+  "fs",
+  "pipes",
+  "signals",
+  "stdio",
+] }
 
 [dev-dependencies]
 divan = { workspace = true }
diff --git a/src/uu/cat/src/cat.rs b/src/uu/cat/src/cat.rs
index 768cb16984..4ae1393d8b 100644
--- a/src/uu/cat/src/cat.rs
+++ b/src/uu/cat/src/cat.rs
@@ -13,12 +13,14 @@ use memchr::memchr2;
 use std::ffi::OsString;
 use std::fs::{File, metadata};
 use std::io::{self, BufWriter, ErrorKind, IsTerminal, Read, Write};
-#[cfg(any(unix, target_os = "wasi"))]
+#[cfg(not(windows))]
 use std::os::fd::AsFd;
 #[cfg(unix)]
 use std::os::unix::fs::FileTypeExt;
 use uucore::display::Quotable;
 use uucore::error::{UResult, strip_errno};
+#[cfg(not(windows))]
+use uucore::stdio;
 use uucore::translate;
 use uucore::{fast_inc::fast_inc_one, format_usage};
 
@@ -170,14 +172,14 @@ struct OutputState {
     one_blank_kept: bool,
 }
 
-#[cfg(any(unix, target_os = "wasi"))]
+#[cfg(not(windows))]
 trait FdReadable: Read + AsFd {}
-#[cfg(not(any(unix, target_os = "wasi")))]
+#[cfg(windows)]
 trait FdReadable: Read {}
 
-#[cfg(any(unix, target_os = "wasi"))]
+#[cfg(not(windows))]
 impl<T> FdReadable for T where T: Read + AsFd {}
-#[cfg(not(any(unix, target_os = "wasi")))]
+#[cfg(windows)]
 impl<T> FdReadable for T where T: Read {}
 
 /// Represents an open file handle, stream, or other device
@@ -491,38 +493,30 @@ fn get_input_type(path: &OsString) -> CatResult<InputType> {
 /// Writes handle to stdout with no configuration. This allows a
 /// simple memory copy.
 fn print_fast<R: FdReadable>(handle: &mut InputHandle<R>) -> CatResult<()> {
-    let stdout = io::stdout();
-    #[cfg(any(target_os = "linux", target_os = "android"))]
-    let mut stdout = stdout;
     // Try to use the splice() system call for faster writing. If it works, we're done.
     #[cfg(any(target_os = "linux", target_os = "android"))]
-    if uucore::pipes::splice_unbounded_auto(&handle.reader, &mut stdout)?.is_ok() {
+    if uucore::pipes::splice_unbounded_auto(&handle.reader, &mut *stdio::stdout_raw())?.is_ok() {
         return Ok(());
     }
 
     // If we're not on Linux or Android, or the splice() call failed,
     // fall back on slower writing.
-    print_unbuffered(handle, stdout)
+    print_unbuffered(handle)
 }
 
 #[cfg_attr(any(target_os = "linux", target_os = "android"), inline(never))] // splice fast-path does not require this allocation
-fn print_unbuffered<R: FdReadable>(
-    handle: &mut InputHandle<R>,
-    stdout: io::Stdout,
-) -> CatResult<()> {
-    #[cfg(any(unix, target_os = "wasi"))]
-    let mut stdout = uucore::io::RawWriter(stdout); // use raw syscall to remove buffering
-    #[cfg(not(any(unix, target_os = "wasi")))]
-    let mut stdout = stdout.lock();
+fn print_unbuffered<R: FdReadable>(handle: &mut InputHandle<R>) -> CatResult<()> {
+    #[cfg(not(windows))]
+    let stdout = &mut *stdio::stdout_raw();
+    #[cfg(windows)]
+    let stdout = &mut io::stdout().lock();
     let mut buf = [0; 1024 * 64];
     loop {
         match handle.reader.read(&mut buf) {
             Ok(0) => return Ok(()),
             Ok(n) => {
                 stdout.write_all(&buf[..n]).map_err(CatError::Write)?;
-                // cannot use rustix::io on Windows
-                // really bad workaround for unbuffered write <https://github.com/uutils/coreutils/issues/12188>
-                #[cfg(not(any(unix, target_os = "wasi")))]
+                #[cfg(windows)]
                 stdout.flush().map_err(CatError::Write)?;
             }
             Err(e) if e.kind() != ErrorKind::Interrupted => return Err(e.into()),
diff --git a/src/uucore/Cargo.toml b/src/uucore/Cargo.toml
index b1867dae76..1f73d43df8 100644
--- a/src/uucore/Cargo.toml
+++ b/src/uucore/Cargo.toml
@@ -203,6 +203,7 @@ safe-traversal = ["libc", "nix/fs", "nix/dir", "nix/user", "rustix/fs"]
 selinux = ["dep:selinux", "libc"]
 smack = ["xattr"]
 signals = ["nix/fs", "nix/signal", "nix/poll"]
+stdio = ["libc"]
 sum = [
   "digest",
   "hex",
diff --git a/src/uucore/src/lib/features.rs b/src/uucore/src/lib/features.rs
index 4bce7676bd..0e3be0c8e2 100644
--- a/src/uucore/src/lib/features.rs
+++ b/src/uucore/src/lib/features.rs
@@ -129,6 +129,8 @@ pub mod selinux;
 pub mod signals;
 #[cfg(all(feature = "smack", target_os = "linux"))]
 pub mod smack;
+#[cfg(all(feature = "stdio", any(unix, target_os = "hermit", target_os = "wasi")))]
+pub mod stdio;
 #[cfg(all(feature = "systemd_logind", target_os = "linux"))]
 pub mod systemd_logind;
 #[cfg(all(
diff --git a/src/uucore/src/lib/features/stdio.rs b/src/uucore/src/lib/features/stdio.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1080533336
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/uucore/src/lib/features/stdio.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+// This file is part of the uutils coreutils package.
+//
+// For the full copyright and license information, please view the LICENSE
+// file that was distributed with this source code.
+
+//! Abstractions for raw access to stdin and stdout, without buffering.
+
+use core::ops::{Deref, DerefMut};
+use std::fs::File;
+use std::mem::ManuallyDrop;
+use std::os::fd::{FromRawFd as _, OwnedFd, RawFd};
+
+pub struct StdinRaw(ManuallyDrop<File>);
+
+pub struct StdoutRaw(ManuallyDrop<File>);
+
+pub struct StderrRaw(ManuallyDrop<File>);
+
+pub fn stdin_raw() -> StdinRaw {
+    // SAFETY: We ensure that the file descriptor is never closed by
+    // wrapping the `File` in `ManuallyDrop`.
+    let fd = unsafe { OwnedFd::from_raw_fd(libc::STDIN_FILENO as RawFd) };
+    StdinRaw(ManuallyDrop::new(File::from(fd)))
+}
+
+pub fn stdout_raw() -> StdoutRaw {
+    // SAFETY: We ensure that the file descriptor is never closed by
+    // wrapping the `File` in `ManuallyDrop`.
+    let fd = unsafe { OwnedFd::from_raw_fd(libc::STDOUT_FILENO as RawFd) };
+    StdoutRaw(ManuallyDrop::new(File::from(fd)))
+}
+
+pub fn stderr_raw() -> StderrRaw {
+    // SAFETY: We ensure that the file descriptor is never closed by
+    // wrapping the `File` in `ManuallyDrop`.
+    let fd = unsafe { OwnedFd::from_raw_fd(libc::STDERR_FILENO as RawFd) };
+    StderrRaw(ManuallyDrop::new(File::from(fd)))
+}
+
+impl Deref for StdinRaw {
+    type Target = File;
+
+    fn deref(&self) -> &Self::Target {
+        &self.0
+    }
+}
+
+impl DerefMut for StdinRaw {
+    fn deref_mut(&mut self) -> &mut Self::Target {
+        &mut self.0
+    }
+}
+
+impl Deref for StdoutRaw {
+    type Target = File;
+
+    fn deref(&self) -> &Self::Target {
+        &self.0
+    }
+}
+
+impl DerefMut for StdoutRaw {
+    fn deref_mut(&mut self) -> &mut Self::Target {
+        &mut self.0
+    }
+}
+
+impl Deref for StderrRaw {
+    type Target = File;
+
+    fn deref(&self) -> &Self::Target {
+        &self.0
+    }
+}
+
+impl DerefMut for StderrRaw {
+    fn deref_mut(&mut self) -> &mut Self::Target {
+        &mut self.0
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/uucore/src/lib/lib.rs b/src/uucore/src/lib/lib.rs
index 85ccbaa332..85b163c2e8 100644
--- a/src/uucore/src/lib/lib.rs
+++ b/src/uucore/src/lib/lib.rs
@@ -77,6 +77,8 @@ pub use crate::features::quoting_style;
 pub use crate::features::ranges;
 #[cfg(feature = "ringbuffer")]
 pub use crate::features::ringbuffer;
+#[cfg(all(feature = "stdio", any(unix, target_os = "hermit", target_os = "wasi")))]
+pub use crate::features::stdio;
 #[cfg(feature = "sum")]
 pub use crate::features::sum;
 #[cfg(all(feature = "systemd_logind", target_os = "linux"))]