diff --git a/mesonbuild/modules/windows.py b/mesonbuild/modules/windows.py
index 17cb87524..f0d5113f8 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/modules/windows.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/modules/windows.py
@@ -12,7 +12,9 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
+import enum
 import os
+import re
 
 from .. import mlog
 from .. import mesonlib, build
@@ -24,6 +26,10 @@ from ..interpreter import CustomTargetHolder
 from ..interpreterbase import permittedKwargs, FeatureNewKwargs
 from ..dependencies import ExternalProgram
 
+class ResourceCompilerType(enum.Enum):
+    windres = 1
+    rc = 2
+
 class WindowsModule(ExtensionModule):
 
     def detect_compiler(self, compilers):
@@ -62,7 +68,19 @@ class WindowsModule(ExtensionModule):
         if not rescomp.found():
             raise MesonException('Could not find Windows resource compiler')
 
-        self._rescomp = rescomp
+        for (arg, match, type) in [
+                ('/?', '^.*Microsoft.*Resource Compiler.*$', ResourceCompilerType.rc),
+                ('--version', '^.*GNU windres.*$', ResourceCompilerType.windres),
+        ]:
+            p, o, e = mesonlib.Popen_safe(rescomp.get_command() + [arg])
+            m = re.search(match, o, re.MULTILINE)
+            if m:
+                mlog.log('Windows resource compiler: %s' % m.group())
+                self._rescomp = (rescomp, type)
+                break
+        else:
+            raise MesonException('Could not determine type of Windows resource compiler')
+
         return self._rescomp
 
     @FeatureNewKwargs('windows.compile_resources', '0.47.0', ['depend_files', 'depends'])
@@ -80,8 +98,8 @@ class WindowsModule(ExtensionModule):
                 raise MesonException('Resource include dirs should be include_directories().')
         extra_args += get_include_args(inc_dirs)
 
-        rescomp = self._find_resource_compiler(state)
-        if 'rc' in rescomp.get_path():
+        rescomp, rescomp_type = self._find_resource_compiler(state)
+        if rescomp_type == ResourceCompilerType.rc:
             # RC is used to generate .res files, a special binary resource
             # format, which can be passed directly to LINK (apparently LINK uses
             # CVTRES internally to convert this to a COFF object)
@@ -137,7 +155,7 @@ class WindowsModule(ExtensionModule):
             }
 
             # instruct binutils windres to generate a preprocessor depfile
-            if 'windres' in rescomp.get_path():
+            if rescomp_type == ResourceCompilerType.windres:
                 res_kwargs['depfile'] = res_kwargs['output'] + '.d'
                 res_kwargs['command'] += ['--preprocessor-arg=-MD', '--preprocessor-arg=-MQ@OUTPUT@', '--preprocessor-arg=-MF@DEPFILE@']