diff --git a/cmake/CMakeLists.txt b/cmake/CMakeLists.txt
index 6571924298..a8b2a5661d 100644
--- a/cmake/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/cmake/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -167,18 +167,25 @@ if(PKG_USER-ADIOS)
   list(APPEND LAMMPS_LINK_LIBS adios2::adios2)
 endif()
 
-# do MPI detection after language activation, if MPI for these language is required
+# do MPI detection after language activation,
+# in case MPI for these languages is required
 set(MPI_CXX_SKIP_MPICXX TRUE)
 find_package(MPI QUIET)
 option(BUILD_MPI "Build MPI version" ${MPI_FOUND})
+
 if(BUILD_MPI)
-  find_package(MPI REQUIRED)
-  include_directories(${MPI_CXX_INCLUDE_PATH})
-  add_definitions(-DMPICH_SKIP_MPICXX -DOMPI_SKIP_MPICXX=1)
-  list(APPEND LAMMPS_LINK_LIBS ${MPI_CXX_LIBRARIES})
-  option(LAMMPS_LONGLONG_TO_LONG "Workaround if your system or MPI version does not recognize 'long long' data types" OFF)
-  if(LAMMPS_LONGLONG_TO_LONG)
-    add_definitions(-DLAMMPS_LONGLONG_TO_LONG)
+  # We use a non-standard procedure to compile with MPI on windows
+  if (CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME STREQUAL Windows)
+    include(MPI4WIN)
+  else()
+    find_package(MPI REQUIRED)
+    include_directories(${MPI_CXX_INCLUDE_PATH})
+    add_definitions(-DMPICH_SKIP_MPICXX -DOMPI_SKIP_MPICXX=1)
+    list(APPEND LAMMPS_LINK_LIBS ${MPI_CXX_LIBRARIES})
+    option(LAMMPS_LONGLONG_TO_LONG "Workaround if your system or MPI version does not recognize 'long long' data types" OFF)
+    if(LAMMPS_LONGLONG_TO_LONG)
+      add_definitions(-DLAMMPS_LONGLONG_TO_LONG)
+    endif()
   endif()
 else()
   enable_language(C)
@@ -335,11 +342,6 @@ include(Packages/MESSAGE)
 include(Packages/MSCG)
 include(Packages/COMPRESS)
 
-# the windows version of LAMMPS requires a couple extra libraries
-if(${CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME} STREQUAL "Windows")
-  list(APPEND LAMMPS_LINK_LIBS -lwsock32 -lpsapi)
-endif()
-
 set(CMAKE_TUNE_FLAGS "${CMAKE_TUNE_DEFAULT}" CACHE STRING "Compiler specific optimization or instrumentation")
 set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} ${CMAKE_TUNE_FLAGS}")
 if(CMAKE_Fortran_FLAGS)
@@ -428,6 +430,9 @@ foreach(SIMPLE_LIB POEMS USER-ATC USER-AWPMD USER-H5MD)
       ${LAMMPS_LIB_SOURCE_DIR}/${PKG_LIB}/[^.]*.c
       ${LAMMPS_LIB_SOURCE_DIR}/${PKG_LIB}/[^.]*.cpp)
     add_library(${PKG_LIB} STATIC ${${PKG_LIB}_SOURCES})
+    if(LAMMPS_USE_MPI4WIN)
+      add_dependencies(${PKG_LIB} mpi4win_build)
+    endif()
     list(APPEND LAMMPS_LINK_LIBS ${PKG_LIB})
     if(PKG_LIB STREQUAL awpmd)
       target_include_directories(awpmd PUBLIC ${LAMMPS_LIB_SOURCE_DIR}/awpmd/systems/interact ${LAMMPS_LIB_SOURCE_DIR}/awpmd/ivutils/include)
@@ -465,6 +470,18 @@ include(Packages/OPT)
 include(Packages/USER-INTEL)
 include(Packages/GPU)
 
+######################################################################
+# the windows version of LAMMPS requires a couple extra libraries
+# and the MPI library - if use - has to be linked right before those
+# and after everything else that is compiled locally
+######################################################################
+if(${CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME} STREQUAL "Windows")
+  if(LAMMPS_USE_MPI4WIN)
+    list(APPEND LAMMPS_LINK_LIBS ${MPI4WIN_LIBRARIES})
+  endif()
+  list(APPEND LAMMPS_LINK_LIBS -lwsock32 -lpsapi)
+endif()
+
 ######################################################
 # Generate style headers based on global list of
 # styles registered during package selection
diff --git a/cmake/Modules/MPI4WIN.cmake b/cmake/Modules/MPI4WIN.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1f3195041a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmake/Modules/MPI4WIN.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+# Download and configure custom MPICH files for Windows
+message(STATUS "Downloading and configuring MPICH-1.4.1 for Windows")
+include(ExternalProject)
+if (CMAKE_SYSTEM_PROCESSOR STREQUAL "x86_64")
+  ExternalProject_Add(mpi4win_build
+    URL https://download.lammps.org/thirdparty/mpich2-win64-devel.tar.gz
+    URL_MD5 4939fdb59d13182fd5dd65211e469f14
+    CONFIGURE_COMMAND "" BUILD_COMMAND "" INSTALL_COMMAND ""
+    BUILD_BYPRODUCTS <SOURCE_DIR>/lib/libmpi.a)
+else()
+  ExternalProject_Add(mpi4win_build
+    URL https://download.lammps.org/thirdparty/mpich2-win32-devel.tar.gz
+    URL_MD5 a61d153500dce44e21b755ee7257e031
+    CONFIGURE_COMMAND "" BUILD_COMMAND "" INSTALL_COMMAND ""
+    BUILD_BYPRODUCTS <SOURCE_DIR>/lib/libmpi.a)
+endif()
+
+ExternalProject_get_property(mpi4win_build SOURCE_DIR)
+add_definitions(-DMPICH_SKIP_MPICXX)
+include_directories("${SOURCE_DIR}/include")
+set(MPI4WIN_LIBRARIES "${SOURCE_DIR}/lib/libmpi.a")
+list(APPEND LAMMPS_DEPS mpi4win_build)
+set(LAMMPS_USE_MPI4WIN ON)
diff --git a/cmake/Modules/Packages/GPU.cmake b/cmake/Modules/Packages/GPU.cmake
index 200d8fb51e..abbcb1f495 100644
--- a/cmake/Modules/Packages/GPU.cmake
+++ b/cmake/Modules/Packages/GPU.cmake
@@ -108,6 +108,9 @@ if(PKG_GPU)
       endif()
 
       list(APPEND LAMMPS_LINK_LIBS gpu)
+      if(LAMMPS_USE_MPI4WIN)
+        add_dependencies(gpu mpi4win_build)
+      endif()
 
       add_executable(nvc_get_devices ${LAMMPS_LIB_SOURCE_DIR}/gpu/geryon/ucl_get_devices.cpp)
       target_compile_definitions(nvc_get_devices PRIVATE -DUCL_CUDADR)
@@ -169,6 +172,9 @@ if(PKG_GPU)
       target_compile_definitions(gpu PRIVATE -DUSE_OPENCL)
 
       list(APPEND LAMMPS_LINK_LIBS gpu)
+      if(LAMMPS_USE_MPI4WIN)
+        add_dependencies(gpu mpi4win_build)
+      endif()
 
       add_executable(ocl_get_devices ${LAMMPS_LIB_SOURCE_DIR}/gpu/geryon/ucl_get_devices.cpp)
       target_compile_definitions(ocl_get_devices PRIVATE -DUCL_OPENCL)
diff --git a/cmake/presets/mingw-cross.cmake b/cmake/presets/mingw-cross.cmake
index 41a0023e0b..1285c3f262 100644
--- a/cmake/presets/mingw-cross.cmake
+++ b/cmake/presets/mingw-cross.cmake
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ set(WIN_PACKAGES ASPHERE BODY CLASS2 COLLOID COMPRESS CORESHELL DIPOLE GPU
                  POEMS QEQ REPLICA RIGID SHOCK SNAP SPIN SRD VORONOI
                  USER-ATC USER-AWPMD USER-BOCS USER-CGDNA USER-CGSDK
                  USER-COLVARS USER-DIFFRACTION USER-DPD USER-DRUDE USER-EFF
-                 USER-FEP USER-INTEL USER-MANIFOLD USER-MEAMC USER-MESO
+                 USER-FEP USER-INTEL USER-MANIFOLD USER-MEAMC USER-MESODPD
                  USER-MISC USER-MGPT USER-MOFFF USER-MOLFILE USER-OMP
                  USER-PHONON USER-PTM USER-QTB USER-REACTION USER-REAXC
                  USER-SDPD USER-SMD USER-SMTBQ USER-SPH USER-TALLY USER-UEF
@@ -13,6 +13,12 @@ foreach(PKG ${WIN_PACKAGES})
   set(PKG_${PKG} ON CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
 endforeach()
 
+# these two packages require a full MPI implementation
+if(BUILD_MPI)
+  set(PKG_MPIIO ON CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+  set(PKG_USER-LB ON CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+endif()
+
 set(DOWNLOAD_VORO ON CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
 set(DOWNLOAD_EIGEN3 ON CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
 set(LAMMPS_MEMALIGN "0" CACHE STRING "" FORCE)