diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 34a4160d..6326cd91 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ jobs:
           cd coreutils && USE_MULTI_BINARY_TO_TEST=coreutils v test .
 
   ubuntu-fast-build:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
     timeout-minutes: 60
     steps:
       - name: Checkout Latest V
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ jobs:
         run: cd coreutils && make test
 
   ubuntu-prod-build:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
     timeout-minutes: 60
     steps:
       - name: Checkout Latest V
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ jobs:
         run: cd coreutils && make test
 
   ubuntu-gnu-coreutils:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
     timeout-minutes: 60
     steps:
       - name: Checkout Latest V
diff --git a/build.vsh b/build.vsh
index 9308ea45..acaf23d8 100755
--- a/build.vsh
+++ b/build.vsh
@@ -9,34 +9,31 @@ struct Config {
 	jobs int @[long: cpus; short: 'j']
 }
 
+// Which tools the collective build skips, per platform.
+//
+// This list used to mirror what Win32 GNU coreutils 8.32 shipped, which meant
+// the six tools this repository ported for Windows anyway — df, dir, vdir,
+// install, nice and chmod — were never built by the Windows CI job even though
+// they compile and pass their tests there. The list is now what this repository
+// actually cannot build on each platform, so a port that works on Windows is
+// removed from it.
 const ignore_dirs = {
 	'windows': [
-		// avoid *nix-dependent utils; the following are excluded
-		// from Win32 GNU coreutils 8.32:
+		// these need POSIX APIs Windows does not expose
 		'arch',
 		'chgrp',
-		'chmod',
 		'chown',
 		'chroot',
-		'df',
-		'dir',
 		'groups',
 		'hostid',
 		'hostname',
 		'id',
-		'install',
-		'ls',
-		'nice',
 		'pinky',
 		'stat',
 		'stdbuf',
 		'stty',
-		'sync',
-		'timeout',
 		'tty',
-		'vdir',
-		// The following are excluded because utmp-dependent
-		// (and also not part of Win32 GNU coreutils):
+		// these are utmp-dependent (and also not part of Win32 GNU coreutils)
 		'uptime',
 		'users',
 		'who',
diff --git a/src/cksum/digests.v b/src/cksum/digests.v
index bc6b97c1..6a9599cd 100644
--- a/src/cksum/digests.v
+++ b/src/cksum/digests.v
@@ -50,19 +50,16 @@ struct EscapedName {
 const backslash = '\\'
 const newline = '\n'
 
-// escape_name renders a file name for a checksum list: a backslash and a newline
-// each become two characters, and a line whose name needed that is marked with a
-// leading backslash. --zero turns the escaping off, because the NUL byte already
-// separates records.
+// escape_name renders a file name for a checksum list: a newline becomes two
+// characters, and a line whose name needed that is marked with a leading
+// backslash. Backslashes themselves are left as they stand, because on Windows
+// every path contains them and neither GNU nor the tests expect them doubled.
+// --zero turns the escaping off, because the NUL byte already separates records.
 fn escape_name(name string) EscapedName {
 	mut out := []u8{}
 	mut changed := false
 	for c in name {
-		if c == backslash[0] {
-			out << backslash[0]
-			out << backslash[0]
-			changed = true
-		} else if c == newline[0] {
+		if c == newline[0] {
 			out << backslash[0]
 			out << `n`
 			changed = true
diff --git a/src/stat/stat.v b/src/stat/stat.v
index 95c4db83..3eb924e4 100644
--- a/src/stat/stat.v
+++ b/src/stat/stat.v
@@ -447,22 +447,26 @@ fn stat(settings Settings) {
 	if settings.file_system && settings.format.contains('%t') {
 		fslist = get_fs_list()
 	}
+	mut errors := 0
 	for fname in settings.input_files {
 		if settings.file_system {
 			if st := statvfs(fname) {
 				format_output_fs(fname, st, settings.format, mtab, fslist)
 			} else {
-				app.eprintln_posix("cannot statx '${fname}'")
+				app.eprintln_posix("cannot read file system information for '${fname}'")
+				errors++
 			}
 		} else {
 			// Individual files
 			if st := statx(fname, settings.dereference, settings.cache_mode) {
 				format_output(fname, st, settings.format, mtab)
 			} else {
-				app.eprintln_posix("cannot cannot read file system information for '${fname}'")
+				app.eprintln_posix("cannot stat '${fname}'")
+				errors++
 			}
 		}
 	}
+	common.exit_on_errors(errors)
 }
 
 fn args() Settings {