diff --git a/examples/unix/main.c b/examples/unix/main.c
index c59edbd..26e8c05 100644
--- a/examples/unix/main.c
+++ b/examples/unix/main.c
@@ -2,11 +2,12 @@
 
 typedef void (*func_handle)();
 
-int main()
-{
-    struct hotwire_dll_t dll = hw_dlopen("./bin/exampleUnixLib.dll", RTLD_NOW);
+int main() {
+  struct hotwire_dll_t dll = hw_dlopen("./bin/exampleUnixLib.dll", RTLD_NOW);
 
-    func_handle func = (func_handle)hw_dlsym(dll, "test");
+  func_handle func = (func_handle)hw_dlsym(dll, "test");
 
-    func();
+  func();
+
+  hw_dlclose(dll);
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/examples/win/main.c b/examples/win/main.c
index 5ecd03f..5202d78 100644
--- a/examples/win/main.c
+++ b/examples/win/main.c
@@ -9,4 +9,6 @@ int main()
     func_handle func = (func_handle)hw_dlsym(dll, "test");
 
     func();
+
+    hw_dlclose(dll);
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/dlopen.c b/src/dlopen.c
index c711929..9048b99 100644
--- a/src/dlopen.c
+++ b/src/dlopen.c
@@ -9,9 +9,9 @@ struct hotwire_dll_t hw_dlopen(const char *file, int flags) {
 #if defined(__linux__) || defined(__APPLE__)
   dll.dll_handle = dlopen(file, flags);
 
-  if (dll.dll_handle == NULL){
-    printf("could not load dll(UNIX api call returned error)\n");
-    printf("error message: %s\n", dlerror());
+  if (dll.dll_handle == NULL) {
+    printf("Could not load dll(UNIX api call returned error)\n");
+    printf("Error message: %s\n", dlerror());
 
     exit(-1);
   }
@@ -21,9 +21,9 @@ struct hotwire_dll_t hw_dlopen(const char *file, int flags) {
 #if defined(_WIN32)
   dll.dll_handle = LoadLibrary(file);
 
-  if (!dll.dll_handle){
-    printf("could not load dll(windows api call returned error)\n");
-    
+  if (!dll.dll_handle) {
+    printf("Could not load dll(Windows api call returned error)\n");
+    hw_platform_win32_get_last_error(TEXT("LoadLibrary"));
     exit(-1);
   }
 #endif
@@ -31,12 +31,61 @@ struct hotwire_dll_t hw_dlopen(const char *file, int flags) {
   return dll;
 }
 
-void* hw_dlsym(struct hotwire_dll_t dll, const char* symbol){
-  #if defined(_WIN32)
-    return GetProcAddress(dll.dll_handle, symbol);
-  #endif
+void *hw_dlsym(struct hotwire_dll_t dll, const char *symbol) {
+#if defined(_WIN32)
+  return GetProcAddress(dll.dll_handle, symbol);
+#endif
 
-  #if defined(__linux) || defined(__APPLE__)
-    return dlsym(dll.dll_handle, symbol);
-  #endif
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+#if defined(__linux) || defined(__APPLE__)
+  return dlsym(dll.dll_handle, symbol);
+#endif
+}
+
+enum hotwire_status_code hw_dlclose(struct hotwire_dll_t handle) {
+#if defined(__linux) || defined(__APPLE__)
+  if (dlclose(handle.dll_handle) != 0) {
+    return Failed;
+  } else {
+    return Success;
+  }
+#endif
+
+#if defined(__WIN32)
+  if (FreeLibrary(handle.dll_handle)) {
+    return Success;
+  } else {
+    return Failed;
+  }
+#endif
+
+  return NoPlatform;
+}
+
+#if defined(_WIN32)
+void hw_platform_win32_get_last_error(LPTSTR lpszFunction) {
+  LPVOID lpMsgBuf;
+  LPVOID lpDisplayBuf;
+  DWORD dw = GetLastError();
+
+  FormatMessage(FORMAT_MESSAGE_ALLOCATE_BUFFER | FORMAT_MESSAGE_FROM_SYSTEM |
+                    FORMAT_MESSAGE_IGNORE_INSERTS,
+                NULL, dw, MAKELANGID(LANG_NEUTRAL, SUBLANG_DEFAULT),
+                (LPTSTR)&lpMsgBuf, 0, NULL);
+
+  // Display the error message and exit the process
+
+  lpDisplayBuf =
+      (LPVOID)LocalAlloc(LMEM_ZEROINIT, (lstrlen((LPCTSTR)lpMsgBuf) +
+                                         lstrlen((LPCTSTR)lpszFunction) + 40) *
+                                            sizeof(TCHAR));
+  StringCchPrintf((LPTSTR)lpDisplayBuf, LocalSize(lpDisplayBuf) / sizeof(TCHAR),
+                  TEXT("%s failed with error %d: %s"), lpszFunction, dw,
+                  lpMsgBuf);
+
+  printf("Error message: %s", (LPCTSTR)lpDisplayBuf);
+
+  LocalFree(lpMsgBuf);
+  LocalFree(lpDisplayBuf);
+}
+
+#endif
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/dlopen.h b/src/dlopen.h
index 87b9097..2e68778 100644
--- a/src/dlopen.h
+++ b/src/dlopen.h
@@ -11,24 +11,32 @@
 
 #if defined(_WIN32)
 #include <windows.h>
+#include <strsafe.h>
 #endif
 
+// Platform specific code functions
+
+#if defined(_WIN32)
+void hw_platform_win32_get_last_error(LPTSTR lpszFunction);
+#endif
+
+enum hotwire_status_code { Failed, Success, NoPlatform };
 
 struct hotwire_dll_t {
-    #if defined(__linux__) || defined(__APPLE__)
-    void* dll_handle;
-    #endif
+#if defined(__linux__) || defined(__APPLE__)
+  void *dll_handle;
+#endif
 
-    #if defined(_WIN32)
-    HINSTANCE dll_handle;
-    #endif
+#if defined(_WIN32)
+  HINSTANCE dll_handle;
+#endif
 };
 
-// Function arguments are based off the dlopen() api on POSIX based operating systems
-// Loads dll from library
-struct hotwire_dll_t hw_dlopen(const char* file, int flags);
+// Function arguments are based off the dlopen() api on POSIX based operating
+// systems Loads dll from library
+struct hotwire_dll_t hw_dlopen(const char *file, int flags);
 
 // Loads symbol from DLL
-void* hw_dlsym(struct hotwire_dll_t dll, const char* symbol);
+void *hw_dlsym(struct hotwire_dll_t dll, const char *symbol);
 
-int hw_dlclose(void* handle);
+enum hotwire_status_code hw_dlclose(struct hotwire_dll_t handle);