diff --git a/cmake/libdwarfs.cmake b/cmake/libdwarfs.cmake
index e84b838d..786902b9 100644
--- a/cmake/libdwarfs.cmake
+++ b/cmake/libdwarfs.cmake
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ add_library(
 add_library(
   dwarfs_reader
 
+  src/reader/block_cache_byte_buffer_factory.cpp
   src/reader/block_cache_options.cpp
   src/reader/block_range.cpp
   src/reader/filesystem_options.cpp
diff --git a/include/dwarfs/reader/block_cache_byte_buffer_factory.h b/include/dwarfs/reader/block_cache_byte_buffer_factory.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c02c53f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/dwarfs/reader/block_cache_byte_buffer_factory.h
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+/* vim:set ts=2 sw=2 sts=2 et: */
+/**
+ * \author     Marcus Holland-Moritz (github@mhxnet.de)
+ * \copyright  Copyright (c) Marcus Holland-Moritz
+ *
+ * This file is part of dwarfs.
+ *
+ * dwarfs is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * dwarfs is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with dwarfs.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+#pragma once
+
+#include <dwarfs/byte_buffer_factory.h>
+
+namespace dwarfs::reader {
+
+class block_cache_byte_buffer_factory {
+ public:
+  static byte_buffer_factory create();
+};
+
+} // namespace dwarfs::reader
diff --git a/include/dwarfs/vector_byte_buffer_factory.h b/include/dwarfs/vector_byte_buffer_factory.h
index 22a56cba..d75b0988 100644
--- a/include/dwarfs/vector_byte_buffer_factory.h
+++ b/include/dwarfs/vector_byte_buffer_factory.h
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include <dwarfs/byte_buffer_factory.h>
-#include <dwarfs/vector_byte_buffer.h>
 
 namespace dwarfs {
 
diff --git a/src/reader/block_cache_byte_buffer_factory.cpp b/src/reader/block_cache_byte_buffer_factory.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..474601bf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/reader/block_cache_byte_buffer_factory.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,139 @@
+/* vim:set ts=2 sw=2 sts=2 et: */
+/**
+ * \author     Marcus Holland-Moritz (github@mhxnet.de)
+ * \copyright  Copyright (c) Marcus Holland-Moritz
+ *
+ * This file is part of dwarfs.
+ *
+ * dwarfs is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * dwarfs is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with dwarfs.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+#include <cassert>
+#include <stdexcept>
+
+#ifdef _WIN32
+#include <dwarfs/vector_byte_buffer.h>
+#else
+#include <sys/mman.h>
+#endif
+
+#include <dwarfs/reader/block_cache_byte_buffer_factory.h>
+
+namespace dwarfs::reader {
+
+namespace {
+
+#ifndef _WIN32
+class mmap_file {
+ public:
+  mmap_file(size_t size)
+      : data_{::mmap(nullptr, size, PROT_READ | PROT_WRITE,
+                     MAP_PRIVATE | MAP_ANONYMOUS, -1, 0)}
+      , size_{size} {
+    if (data_ == MAP_FAILED) {
+      throw std::runtime_error("mmap failed");
+    }
+  }
+
+  size_t size() const { return size_; }
+
+  uint8_t* data() { return static_cast<uint8_t*>(data_); }
+  uint8_t const* data() const { return static_cast<uint8_t const*>(data_); }
+
+  ~mmap_file() {
+    auto rv [[maybe_unused]] = ::munmap(data_, size_);
+    assert(rv == 0);
+  }
+
+ private:
+  void* data_;
+  size_t size_;
+};
+
+class mmap_byte_buffer_impl : public mutable_byte_buffer_interface {
+ public:
+  explicit mmap_byte_buffer_impl(size_t size)
+      : data_{size} {}
+
+  size_t size() const override { return size_; }
+
+  size_t capacity() const override { return data_.size(); }
+
+  uint8_t const* data() const override { return data_.data(); }
+
+  uint8_t* mutable_data() override { return data_.data(); }
+
+  std::span<uint8_t const> span() const override {
+    return {data_.data(), size_};
+  }
+
+  std::span<uint8_t> mutable_span() override { return {data_.data(), size_}; }
+
+  void clear() override { frozen_error("clear"); }
+
+  void reserve(size_t size) override {
+    if (size > data_.size()) {
+      frozen_error("reserve");
+    }
+  }
+
+  void resize(size_t size) override {
+    if (size > data_.size()) {
+      frozen_error("resize beyond capacity");
+    }
+    size_ = size;
+  }
+
+  void shrink_to_fit() override { frozen_error("shrink_to_fit"); }
+
+  void freeze_location() override {
+    // always frozen
+  }
+
+  std::vector<uint8_t>& raw_vector() override {
+    throw std::runtime_error(
+        "operation not allowed on mmap buffer: raw_vector");
+  }
+
+ private:
+  void frozen_error(std::string_view what) const {
+    throw std::runtime_error("operation not allowed on mmap buffer: " +
+                             std::string{what});
+  }
+
+  mmap_file data_;
+  size_t size_{0};
+};
+#endif
+
+class block_cache_byte_buffer_factory_impl
+    : public byte_buffer_factory_interface {
+ public:
+  mutable_byte_buffer create_mutable_fixed_reserve(size_t size) const override {
+#ifdef _WIN32
+    return vector_byte_buffer::create_reserve(size);
+#else
+    return mutable_byte_buffer{std::make_shared<mmap_byte_buffer_impl>(size)};
+#endif
+  }
+};
+
+} // namespace
+
+byte_buffer_factory block_cache_byte_buffer_factory::create() {
+  return byte_buffer_factory{
+      std::make_shared<block_cache_byte_buffer_factory_impl>()};
+}
+
+} // namespace dwarfs::reader
diff --git a/src/reader/internal/block_cache.cpp b/src/reader/internal/block_cache.cpp
index 14dc6c8f..4e50e387 100644
--- a/src/reader/internal/block_cache.cpp
+++ b/src/reader/internal/block_cache.cpp
@@ -44,11 +44,11 @@
 #include <dwarfs/logger.h>
 #include <dwarfs/mmif.h>
 #include <dwarfs/performance_monitor.h>
+#include <dwarfs/reader/block_cache_byte_buffer_factory.h>
 #include <dwarfs/reader/block_cache_options.h>
 #include <dwarfs/reader/cache_tidy_config.h>
 #include <dwarfs/scope_exit.h>
 #include <dwarfs/util.h>
-#include <dwarfs/vector_byte_buffer_factory.h>
 
 #include <dwarfs/internal/fs_section.h>
 #include <dwarfs/internal/worker_group.h>
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ class block_cache_ final : public block_cache::impl {
                [[maybe_unused]])
       : cache_(0)
       , mm_(std::move(mm))
-      , buffer_factory_{vector_byte_buffer_factory::create()}
+      , buffer_factory_{block_cache_byte_buffer_factory::create()}
       , LOG_PROXY_INIT(lgr)
       // clang-format off
       PERFMON_CLS_PROXY_INIT(perfmon, "block_cache")
diff --git a/src/reader/internal/cached_block.cpp b/src/reader/internal/cached_block.cpp
index 81ed088d..fab16ad0 100644
--- a/src/reader/internal/cached_block.cpp
+++ b/src/reader/internal/cached_block.cpp
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
  * along with dwarfs.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
  */
 
+#include <algorithm>
 #include <atomic>
 
 #ifndef _WIN32
diff --git a/src/vector_byte_buffer_factory.cpp b/src/vector_byte_buffer_factory.cpp
index 876e35a4..5369ed25 100644
--- a/src/vector_byte_buffer_factory.cpp
+++ b/src/vector_byte_buffer_factory.cpp
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
  * along with dwarfs.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
  */
 
+#include <dwarfs/vector_byte_buffer.h>
 #include <dwarfs/vector_byte_buffer_factory.h>
 
 namespace dwarfs {