diff --git a/lib/std/fs/file.zig b/lib/std/fs/file.zig
index 5b51f19f41..8f7a46ad3e 100644
--- a/lib/std/fs/file.zig
+++ b/lib/std/fs/file.zig
@@ -145,6 +145,16 @@ pub const File = struct {
     }
 
     pub const Stat = struct {
+        /// A number that the system uses to point to the file metadata. This number is not guaranteed to be
+        /// unique across time, as some file systems may reuse an inode after it's file has been deleted.
+        /// Some systems may change the inode of a file over time.
+        ///
+        /// On Linux, the inode _is_ structure that stores the metadata, and the inode _number_ is what
+        /// you see here: the index number of the inode.
+        ///
+        /// The FileIndex on Windows is similar. It is a number for a file that is unique to each filesystem.
+        inode: os.ino_t,
+
         size: u64,
         mode: Mode,
 
@@ -174,6 +184,7 @@ pub const File = struct {
                 else => return windows.unexpectedStatus(rc),
             }
             return Stat{
+                .inode = info.InternalInformation.IndexNumber,
                 .size = @bitCast(u64, info.StandardInformation.EndOfFile),
                 .mode = 0,
                 .atime = windows.fromSysTime(info.BasicInformation.LastAccessTime),
@@ -187,6 +198,7 @@ pub const File = struct {
         const mtime = st.mtime();
         const ctime = st.ctime();
         return Stat{
+            .inode = st.ino,
             .size = @bitCast(u64, st.size),
             .mode = st.mode,
             .atime = @as(i64, atime.tv_sec) * std.time.ns_per_s + atime.tv_nsec,
diff --git a/lib/std/os/bits/darwin.zig b/lib/std/os/bits/darwin.zig
index fb933c6698..6808af0315 100644
--- a/lib/std/os/bits/darwin.zig
+++ b/lib/std/os/bits/darwin.zig
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ pub const mach_timebase_info_data = extern struct {
 };
 
 pub const off_t = i64;
+pub const ino_t = u64;
 
 /// Renamed to Stat to not conflict with the stat function.
 /// atime, mtime, and ctime have functions to return `timespec`,
@@ -64,7 +65,7 @@ pub const Stat = extern struct {
     dev: i32,
     mode: u16,
     nlink: u16,
-    ino: u64,
+    ino: ino_t,
     uid: u32,
     gid: u32,
     rdev: i32,
diff --git a/lib/std/os/bits/dragonfly.zig b/lib/std/os/bits/dragonfly.zig
index c6c23affa7..27b2733b76 100644
--- a/lib/std/os/bits/dragonfly.zig
+++ b/lib/std/os/bits/dragonfly.zig
@@ -138,8 +138,10 @@ pub const MAP_SIZEALIGN = 262144;
 
 pub const PATH_MAX = 1024;
 
+pub const ino_t = c_ulong;
+
 pub const Stat = extern struct {
-    ino: c_ulong,
+    ino: ino_t,
     nlink: c_uint,
     dev: c_uint,
     mode: c_ushort,
diff --git a/lib/std/os/bits/freebsd.zig b/lib/std/os/bits/freebsd.zig
index b7d14934f5..02fe7e75b3 100644
--- a/lib/std/os/bits/freebsd.zig
+++ b/lib/std/os/bits/freebsd.zig
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ pub const msghdr_const = extern struct {
 };
 
 pub const off_t = i64;
+pub const ino_t = u64;
 
 /// Renamed to Stat to not conflict with the stat function.
 /// atime, mtime, and ctime have functions to return `timespec`,
@@ -107,7 +108,7 @@ pub const off_t = i64;
 /// methods to accomplish this.
 pub const Stat = extern struct {
     dev: u64,
-    ino: u64,
+    ino: ino_t,
     nlink: usize,
 
     mode: u16,
diff --git a/lib/std/os/bits/linux/x86_64.zig b/lib/std/os/bits/linux/x86_64.zig
index 608f74e2d3..e92591d94e 100644
--- a/lib/std/os/bits/linux/x86_64.zig
+++ b/lib/std/os/bits/linux/x86_64.zig
@@ -481,6 +481,7 @@ pub const msghdr_const = extern struct {
 };
 
 pub const off_t = i64;
+pub const ino_t = u64;
 
 /// Renamed to Stat to not conflict with the stat function.
 /// atime, mtime, and ctime have functions to return `timespec`,
@@ -490,7 +491,7 @@ pub const off_t = i64;
 /// methods to accomplish this.
 pub const Stat = extern struct {
     dev: u64,
-    ino: u64,
+    ino: ino_t,
     nlink: usize,
 
     mode: u32,
diff --git a/lib/std/os/bits/netbsd.zig b/lib/std/os/bits/netbsd.zig
index 89e0998d6d..735485695a 100644
--- a/lib/std/os/bits/netbsd.zig
+++ b/lib/std/os/bits/netbsd.zig
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ pub const msghdr_const = extern struct {
 };
 
 pub const off_t = i64;
+pub const ino_t = u64;
 
 /// Renamed to Stat to not conflict with the stat function.
 /// atime, mtime, and ctime have functions to return `timespec`,
@@ -79,7 +80,7 @@ pub const off_t = i64;
 pub const Stat = extern struct {
     dev: u64,
     mode: u32,
-    ino: u64,
+    ino: ino_t,
     nlink: usize,
 
     uid: u32,
diff --git a/lib/std/os/bits/wasi.zig b/lib/std/os/bits/wasi.zig
index f56e53504e..8fb85e1fcd 100644
--- a/lib/std/os/bits/wasi.zig
+++ b/lib/std/os/bits/wasi.zig
@@ -178,6 +178,7 @@ pub const FILESTAT_SET_MTIM: fstflags_t = 0x0004;
 pub const FILESTAT_SET_MTIM_NOW: fstflags_t = 0x0008;
 
 pub const inode_t = u64;
+pub const ino_t = inode_t;
 
 pub const linkcount_t = u32;
 
diff --git a/lib/std/os/bits/windows.zig b/lib/std/os/bits/windows.zig
index ba2725e0a9..05486c8f7b 100644
--- a/lib/std/os/bits/windows.zig
+++ b/lib/std/os/bits/windows.zig
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ usingnamespace @import("../windows/bits.zig");
 const ws2_32 = @import("../windows/ws2_32.zig");
 
 pub const fd_t = HANDLE;
+pub const ino_t = LARGE_INTEGER;
 pub const pid_t = HANDLE;
 pub const mode_t = u0;