diff --git a/doc/config.but b/doc/config.but
index 56641b5b..ae714db3 100644
--- a/doc/config.but
+++ b/doc/config.but
@@ -1091,7 +1091,9 @@ empty box when the window loses focus; an underline or a vertical
 line becomes dotted.
 
 The \q{\ii{Cursor blinks}} option makes the cursor blink on and off. This
-works in any of the cursor modes.
+works in any of the cursor modes. (On Windows, the blink rate matches
+that configured in Control Panel; so this setting will have no effect
+if cursor blinking has been disabled system-wide.)
 
 \S{config-font} Controlling the \i{font} used in the terminal window
 
diff --git a/terminal/terminal.c b/terminal/terminal.c
index 0fad9eb8..574e8261 100644
--- a/terminal/terminal.c
+++ b/terminal/terminal.c
@@ -1381,9 +1381,10 @@ static void term_schedule_tblink(Terminal *term)
  */
 static void term_schedule_cblink(Terminal *term)
 {
-    if (term->blink_cur && term->has_focus) {
+    int delay = CBLINK_DELAY;
+    if (term->blink_cur && term->has_focus && delay > 0) {
         if (!term->cblink_pending)
-            term->next_cblink = schedule_timer(CBLINK_DELAY, term_timer, term);
+            term->next_cblink = schedule_timer(delay, term_timer, term);
         term->cblink_pending = true;
     } else {
         term->cblinker = true;         /* reset when not in use */
diff --git a/windows/CMakeLists.txt b/windows/CMakeLists.txt
index 960a440d..1b5c6162 100644
--- a/windows/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/windows/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ add_sources_from_current_dir(utils
   utils/agent_named_pipe_name.c
   utils/arm_arch_queries.c
   utils/aux_match_opt.c
+  utils/blink_time.c
   utils/centre_window.c
   utils/cmdline_arg.c
   utils/cryptoapi.c
diff --git a/windows/platform.h b/windows/platform.h
index 10551e87..0932e02a 100644
--- a/windows/platform.h
+++ b/windows/platform.h
@@ -203,8 +203,10 @@ void centre_window(HWND hwnd);
 
 #define PUTTY_CHM_FILE "putty.chm"
 
+int get_caret_blink_time(void);
+
 #define GETTICKCOUNT GetTickCount
-#define CURSORBLINK GetCaretBlinkTime()
+#define CURSORBLINK get_caret_blink_time()
 #define TICKSPERSEC 1000               /* GetTickCount returns milliseconds */
 
 #define DEFAULT_CODEPAGE CP_ACP
diff --git a/windows/utils/blink_time.c b/windows/utils/blink_time.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3a7ac400
--- /dev/null
+++ b/windows/utils/blink_time.c
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+/*
+ * Wrapper for GetCaretBlinkTime() which turns it into a signed integer,
+ * with 0 meaning "no blinking".
+ */
+
+#include "putty.h"
+#include <winuser.h>
+
+int get_caret_blink_time(void)
+{
+    UINT blinktime = GetCaretBlinkTime();
+    if (blinktime == INFINITE)
+        /* Windows' registry representation for 'no caret blinking'
+         * is the string "-1", but we may as well use 0 as the sentinel
+         * value, as it'd be bad to attempt blinking with period 0
+         * in any case. */
+        return 0;
+    else
+        /* assume this won't be so big that casting is a problem */
+        return (int) blinktime;
+}