diff --git a/common/include/common/ivshmem.h b/common/include/common/ivshmem.h
index 73052da4..da6834da 100644
--- a/common/include/common/ivshmem.h
+++ b/common/include/common/ivshmem.h
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ struct IVSHMEM
 };
 
 void ivshmemOptionsInit();
+bool ivshmemInit(struct IVSHMEM * dev);
 bool ivshmemOpen(struct IVSHMEM * dev);
 bool ivshmemOpenDev(struct IVSHMEM * dev, const char * shmDev);
-void ivshmemClose(struct IVSHMEM * dev);
\ No newline at end of file
+void ivshmemClose(struct IVSHMEM * dev);
+void ivshmemFree(struct IVSHMEM * dev);
diff --git a/common/src/platform/windows/ivshmem.c b/common/src/platform/windows/ivshmem.c
index f993a015..a2c94a75 100644
--- a/common/src/platform/windows/ivshmem.c
+++ b/common/src/platform/windows/ivshmem.c
@@ -49,66 +49,80 @@ void ivshmemOptionsInit()
   option_register(options);
 }
 
-bool ivshmemOpen(struct IVSHMEM * dev)
+bool ivshmemInit(struct IVSHMEM * dev)
 {
-  assert(dev);
+  assert(dev && !dev->opaque);
 
-  HANDLE devHandle;
+  HANDLE                           handle;
+  HDEVINFO                         devInfoSet;
+  PSP_DEVICE_INTERFACE_DETAIL_DATA infData = NULL;
+  SP_DEVICE_INTERFACE_DATA         devInterfaceData = {0};
 
+  devInfoSet = SetupDiGetClassDevs(NULL, NULL, NULL, DIGCF_PRESENT | DIGCF_ALLCLASSES | DIGCF_DEVICEINTERFACE);
+  devInterfaceData.cbSize = sizeof(SP_DEVICE_INTERFACE_DATA);
+
+  const int shmDevice = option_get_int("os", "shmDevice");
+  if (SetupDiEnumDeviceInterfaces(devInfoSet, NULL, &GUID_DEVINTERFACE_IVSHMEM, shmDevice, &devInterfaceData) == FALSE)
   {
-    HDEVINFO                         devInfoSet;
-    PSP_DEVICE_INTERFACE_DETAIL_DATA infData = NULL;
-    SP_DEVICE_INTERFACE_DATA         devInterfaceData = {0};
-
-    devInfoSet = SetupDiGetClassDevs(NULL, NULL, NULL, DIGCF_PRESENT | DIGCF_ALLCLASSES | DIGCF_DEVICEINTERFACE);
-    devInterfaceData.cbSize = sizeof(SP_DEVICE_INTERFACE_DATA);
-
-    const int shmDevice = option_get_int("os", "shmDevice");
-    if (SetupDiEnumDeviceInterfaces(devInfoSet, NULL, &GUID_DEVINTERFACE_IVSHMEM, shmDevice, &devInterfaceData) == FALSE)
+    DWORD error = GetLastError();
+    if (error == ERROR_NO_MORE_ITEMS)
     {
-      DWORD error = GetLastError();
-      if (error == ERROR_NO_MORE_ITEMS)
-      {
-        DEBUG_WINERROR("Unable to enumerate the device, is it attached?", error);
-        return false;
-      }
-
-      DEBUG_WINERROR("SetupDiEnumDeviceInterfaces failed", error);
+      DEBUG_WINERROR("Unable to enumerate the device, is it attached?", error);
       return false;
     }
 
-    DWORD reqSize = 0;
-    SetupDiGetDeviceInterfaceDetail(devInfoSet, &devInterfaceData, NULL, 0, &reqSize, NULL);
-    if (!reqSize)
-    {
-      DEBUG_WINERROR("SetupDiGetDeviceInterfaceDetail", GetLastError());
-      return false;
-    }
-
-    infData         = (PSP_DEVICE_INTERFACE_DETAIL_DATA)calloc(reqSize, 1);
-    infData->cbSize = sizeof(SP_DEVICE_INTERFACE_DETAIL_DATA);
-    if (!SetupDiGetDeviceInterfaceDetail(devInfoSet, &devInterfaceData, infData, reqSize, NULL, NULL))
-    {
-      free(infData);
-      DEBUG_WINERROR("SetupDiGetDeviceInterfaceDetail", GetLastError());
-      return false;
-    }
-
-    devHandle = CreateFile(infData->DevicePath, 0, 0, NULL, OPEN_EXISTING, 0, 0);
-    if (devHandle == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE)
-    {
-      SetupDiDestroyDeviceInfoList(devInfoSet);
-      free(infData);
-      DEBUG_WINERROR("CreateFile returned INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE", GetLastError());
-      return false;
-    }
-
-    free(infData);
-    SetupDiDestroyDeviceInfoList(devInfoSet);
+    DEBUG_WINERROR("SetupDiEnumDeviceInterfaces failed", error);
+    return false;
   }
 
+  DWORD reqSize = 0;
+  SetupDiGetDeviceInterfaceDetail(devInfoSet, &devInterfaceData, NULL, 0, &reqSize, NULL);
+  if (!reqSize)
+  {
+    DEBUG_WINERROR("SetupDiGetDeviceInterfaceDetail", GetLastError());
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  infData         = (PSP_DEVICE_INTERFACE_DETAIL_DATA)calloc(reqSize, 1);
+  infData->cbSize = sizeof(SP_DEVICE_INTERFACE_DETAIL_DATA);
+  if (!SetupDiGetDeviceInterfaceDetail(devInfoSet, &devInterfaceData, infData, reqSize, NULL, NULL))
+  {
+    free(infData);
+    DEBUG_WINERROR("SetupDiGetDeviceInterfaceDetail", GetLastError());
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  handle = CreateFile(infData->DevicePath, 0, 0, NULL, OPEN_EXISTING, 0, 0);
+  if (handle == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE)
+  {
+    SetupDiDestroyDeviceInfoList(devInfoSet);
+    free(infData);
+    DEBUG_WINERROR("CreateFile returned INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE", GetLastError());
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  free(infData);
+  SetupDiDestroyDeviceInfoList(devInfoSet);
+
+  struct IVSHMEMInfo * info =
+    (struct IVSHMEMInfo *)malloc(sizeof(struct IVSHMEMInfo));
+
+  info->handle = handle;
+  dev->opaque  = info;
+  dev->size    = 0;
+  dev->mem     = NULL;
+
+  return true;
+}
+
+bool ivshmemOpen(struct IVSHMEM * dev)
+{
+  assert(dev && dev->opaque && !dev->mem);
+
+  struct IVSHMEMInfo * info = (struct IVSHMEMInfo *)dev->opaque;
+
   IVSHMEM_SIZE size;
-  if (!DeviceIoControl(devHandle, IOCTL_IVSHMEM_REQUEST_SIZE, NULL, 0, &size, sizeof(IVSHMEM_SIZE), NULL, NULL))
+  if (!DeviceIoControl(info->handle, IOCTL_IVSHMEM_REQUEST_SIZE, NULL, 0, &size, sizeof(IVSHMEM_SIZE), NULL, NULL))
   {
     DEBUG_WINERROR("DeviceIoControl Failed", GetLastError());
     return 0;
@@ -117,7 +131,7 @@ bool ivshmemOpen(struct IVSHMEM * dev)
   IVSHMEM_MMAP_CONFIG config = { .cacheMode = IVSHMEM_CACHE_WRITECOMBINED };
   IVSHMEM_MMAP map = { 0 };
   if (!DeviceIoControl(
-    devHandle,
+    info->handle,
     IOCTL_IVSHMEM_REQUEST_MMAP,
     &config, sizeof(IVSHMEM_MMAP_CONFIG),
     &map   , sizeof(IVSHMEM_MMAP),
@@ -127,27 +141,30 @@ bool ivshmemOpen(struct IVSHMEM * dev)
     return false;
   }
 
-  struct IVSHMEMInfo * info =
-    (struct IVSHMEMInfo *)malloc(sizeof(struct IVSHMEMInfo));
-
-  info->handle = devHandle;
-
-  dev->opaque = info;
   dev->size   = (unsigned int)size;
   dev->mem    = map.ptr;
-
   return true;
 }
 
 void ivshmemClose(struct IVSHMEM * dev)
 {
-  assert(dev);
+  assert(dev && dev->opaque && dev->mem);
 
-  struct IVSHMEMInfo * info =
-    (struct IVSHMEMInfo *)dev->opaque;
+  struct IVSHMEMInfo * info = (struct IVSHMEMInfo *)dev->opaque;
 
   if (!DeviceIoControl(info->handle, IOCTL_IVSHMEM_RELEASE_MMAP, NULL, 0, NULL, 0, NULL, NULL))
     DEBUG_WINERROR("DeviceIoControl failed", GetLastError());
 
+  dev->size = 0;
+  dev->mem  = NULL;
+}
+
+void ivshmemFree(struct IVSHMEM * dev)
+{
+  assert(dev && dev->opaque && !dev->mem);
+
+  struct IVSHMEMInfo * info = (struct IVSHMEMInfo *)dev->opaque;
+
   free(info);
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+  dev->opaque = NULL;
+}
diff --git a/host/platform/Windows/src/service.c b/host/platform/Windows/src/service.c
index f5239bea..82b7b12c 100644
--- a/host/platform/Windows/src/service.c
+++ b/host/platform/Windows/src/service.c
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA
 #define INSTANCE_MUTEX_NAME "Global\\6f1a5eec-af3f-4a65-99dd-ebe0e4ecea55"
 
 #include "interface/platform.h"
+#include "common/ivshmem.h"
 
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdbool.h>
@@ -598,6 +599,15 @@ VOID WINAPI SvcMain(DWORD dwArgc, LPTSTR *lpszArgv)
 
   setupLogging();
 
+  /* check if the ivshmem device exists */
+  struct IVSHMEM shmDev = { 0 };
+  if (!ivshmemInit(&shmDev))
+  {
+    doLog("Unable to find the IVSHMEM device, terminating the service\n");
+    goto shutdown;
+  }
+  ivshmemFree(&shmDev);
+
   ReportSvcStatus(SERVICE_RUNNING, NO_ERROR, 0);
   while(1)
   {
@@ -645,6 +655,7 @@ VOID WINAPI SvcMain(DWORD dwArgc, LPTSTR *lpszArgv)
     }
   }
 
+shutdown:
   ReportSvcStatus(SERVICE_STOPPED, NO_ERROR, 0);
   CloseHandle(ghSvcStopEvent);
   finishLogging();
diff --git a/host/src/app.c b/host/src/app.c
index 7d7eaa10..b29f2011 100644
--- a/host/src/app.c
+++ b/host/src/app.c
@@ -447,7 +447,13 @@ int app_main(int argc, char * argv[])
 
   DEBUG_INFO("Looking Glass Host (%s)", BUILD_VERSION);
 
-  struct IVSHMEM shmDev;
+  struct IVSHMEM shmDev = { 0 };
+  if (!ivshmemInit(&shmDev))
+  {
+    DEBUG_ERROR("Failed to find the IVSHMEM device");
+    return -1;
+  }
+
   if (!ivshmemOpen(&shmDev))
   {
     DEBUG_ERROR("Failed to open the IVSHMEM device");
@@ -638,6 +644,7 @@ fail:
   lgmpHostFree(&app.lgmp);
 
   ivshmemClose(&shmDev);
+  ivshmemFree(&shmDev);
   return exitcode;
 }