diff --git a/.wolfssl_known_macro_extras b/.wolfssl_known_macro_extras
index 0e4fddbfb8..0d3929bfe1 100644
--- a/.wolfssl_known_macro_extras
+++ b/.wolfssl_known_macro_extras
@@ -583,6 +583,7 @@ WC_STRICT_SIG
 WC_WANT_FLAG_DONT_USE_AESNI
 WC_XMSS_FULL_HASH
 WIFI_AVAILABLE
+WIN_REUSE_CRYPT_HANDLE
 WOLFCRYPT_FIPS_CORE_DYNAMIC_HASH_VALUE
 WOLFSENTRY_H
 WOLFSENTRY_NO_JSON
diff --git a/src/internal.c b/src/internal.c
index e7f7e454c4..93c5b00c2a 100644
--- a/src/internal.c
+++ b/src/internal.c
@@ -19059,7 +19059,7 @@ static int Poly1305TagOld(WOLFSSL* ssl, byte* additional, int additionalSz,
 
     /* length of additional input plus padding */
     XMEMSET(padding, 0, sizeof(padding));
-    padding[0] = additionalSz;
+    padding[0] = (byte)additionalSz;
     if ((ret = wc_Poly1305Update(ssl->auth.poly1305, padding,
                     sizeof(padding))) != 0)
         return ret;
@@ -19141,7 +19141,8 @@ int ChachaAEADEncrypt(WOLFSSL* ssl, byte* out, const byte* input,
     }
 #endif
 
-    addSz = writeAeadAuthData(ssl, msgLen, type, add, 0, &seq, verifyOrder);
+    addSz = writeAeadAuthData(ssl, (word16)msgLen, type, add, 0, &seq,
+        verifyOrder);
     if (addSz < 0)
         return addSz;
 
@@ -19336,7 +19337,8 @@ int ChachaAEADDecrypt(WOLFSSL* ssl, byte* plain, const byte* input,
 #endif
 
 
-    addSz = writeAeadAuthData(ssl, msgLen, no_type, add, 1, &seq, PEER_ORDER);
+    addSz = writeAeadAuthData(ssl, (word16)msgLen, no_type, add, 1, &seq,
+        PEER_ORDER);
     if (addSz < 0)
         return addSz;
 
diff --git a/wolfcrypt/src/random.c b/wolfcrypt/src/random.c
index 746a06b90f..311d5a71c0 100644
--- a/wolfcrypt/src/random.c
+++ b/wolfcrypt/src/random.c
@@ -2711,6 +2711,34 @@ int wc_GenerateSeed(OS_Seed* os, byte* output, word32 sz)
 
 #elif defined(USE_WINDOWS_API)
 
+#ifdef WIN_REUSE_CRYPT_HANDLE
+/* shared crypt handle for RNG use */
+static ProviderHandle gHandle = 0;
+
+int wc_WinCryptHandleInit(void)
+{
+    int ret = 0;
+    if (gHandle == 0) {
+        if(!CryptAcquireContext(&gHandle, 0, 0, PROV_RSA_FULL,
+                                        CRYPT_VERIFYCONTEXT)) {
+            DWORD dw = GetLastError();
+            WOLFSSL_MSG("CryptAcquireContext failed!");
+            WOLFSSL_ERROR((int)dw);
+            ret = WINCRYPT_E;
+        }
+    }
+    return ret;
+}
+
+void wc_WinCryptHandleCleanup(void)
+{
+    if (gHandle != 0) {
+        CryptReleaseContext(gHandle, 0);
+        gHandle = 0;
+    }
+}
+#endif /* WIN_REUSE_CRYPT_HANDLE */
+
 int wc_GenerateSeed(OS_Seed* os, byte* output, word32 sz)
 {
 #ifdef WOLF_CRYPTO_CB
@@ -2741,14 +2769,27 @@ int wc_GenerateSeed(OS_Seed* os, byte* output, word32 sz)
         }
     #endif /* HAVE_INTEL_RDSEED */
 
-    if(!CryptAcquireContext(&os->handle, 0, 0, PROV_RSA_FULL,
-                            CRYPT_VERIFYCONTEXT))
+#ifdef WIN_REUSE_CRYPT_HANDLE
+    /* Check that handle was initialized.
+     * Note: initialization should be done through:
+     * wolfSSL_Init -> wolfCrypt_Init -> wc_WinCryptHandleInit
+     */
+    if (wc_WinCryptHandleInit() != 0) {
         return WINCRYPT_E;
-
-    if (!CryptGenRandom(os->handle, sz, output))
+    }
+    if (!CryptGenRandom(gHandle, sz, output))
         return CRYPTGEN_E;
-
+#else
+    if (!CryptAcquireContext(&os->handle, 0, 0, PROV_RSA_FULL,
+                            CRYPT_VERIFYCONTEXT)) {
+        return WINCRYPT_E;
+    }
+    if (!CryptGenRandom(os->handle, sz, output)) {
+        return CRYPTGEN_E;
+    }
     CryptReleaseContext(os->handle, 0);
+    os->handle = 0;
+#endif
 
     return 0;
 }
diff --git a/wolfcrypt/src/wc_port.c b/wolfcrypt/src/wc_port.c
index a75785227b..ee876752ee 100644
--- a/wolfcrypt/src/wc_port.c
+++ b/wolfcrypt/src/wc_port.c
@@ -339,13 +339,20 @@ int wolfCrypt_Init(void)
             return ret;
     #endif
 
-#ifdef HAVE_ENTROPY_MEMUSE
-    ret = Entropy_Init();
-    if (ret != 0) {
-        WOLFSSL_MSG("Error initializing entropy");
-        return ret;
-    }
-#endif
+    #if defined(USE_WINDOWS_API) && defined(WIN_REUSE_CRYPT_HANDLE)
+        /* A failure here should not happen, but if it does the actual RNG seed
+         * call will fail. This init is for a shared crypt provider handle for
+         * RNG */
+        (void)wc_WinCryptHandleInit();
+    #endif
+
+    #ifdef HAVE_ENTROPY_MEMUSE
+        ret = Entropy_Init();
+        if (ret != 0) {
+            WOLFSSL_MSG("Error initializing entropy");
+            return ret;
+        }
+    #endif
 
 #ifdef HAVE_ECC
     #ifdef FP_ECC
@@ -516,6 +523,10 @@ int wolfCrypt_Cleanup(void)
         Entropy_Final();
     #endif
 
+    #if defined(USE_WINDOWS_API) && defined(WIN_REUSE_CRYPT_HANDLE)
+        wc_WinCryptHandleCleanup();
+    #endif
+
     #ifdef WOLF_CRYPTO_CB
         wc_CryptoCb_Cleanup();
     #endif
diff --git a/wolfssl.vcxproj b/wolfssl.vcxproj
index 01f2a8f3a9..58410b144a 100644
--- a/wolfssl.vcxproj
+++ b/wolfssl.vcxproj
@@ -437,6 +437,7 @@
     <ClCompile Include="wolfcrypt\src\ge_operations.c" />
     <ClCompile Include="wolfcrypt\src\hash.c" />
     <ClCompile Include="wolfcrypt\src\hmac.c" />
+    <ClCompile Include="wolfcrypt\src\hpke.c" />
     <ClCompile Include="wolfcrypt\src\integer.c" />
     <ClCompile Include="wolfcrypt\src\kdf.c" />
     <ClCompile Include="wolfcrypt\src\wc_mlkem.c" />
diff --git a/wolfssl/wolfcrypt/random.h b/wolfssl/wolfcrypt/random.h
index 3b4533e0d8..5abd6c011f 100644
--- a/wolfssl/wolfcrypt/random.h
+++ b/wolfssl/wolfcrypt/random.h
@@ -133,6 +133,12 @@
     #else
         typedef unsigned long ProviderHandle;
     #endif
+
+    #ifdef WIN_REUSE_CRYPT_HANDLE
+        /* called from wolfCrypt_Init() and wolfCrypt_Cleanup() */
+        WOLFSSL_LOCAL int  wc_WinCryptHandleInit(void);
+        WOLFSSL_LOCAL void wc_WinCryptHandleCleanup(void);
+    #endif
 #endif
 
 #ifndef WC_RNG_TYPE_DEFINED /* guard on redeclaration */