diff --git a/.github/workflows/MainDistributionPipeline.yml b/.github/workflows/MainDistributionPipeline.yml
index 9720e43..1ca1192 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/MainDistributionPipeline.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/MainDistributionPipeline.yml
@@ -23,8 +23,10 @@ jobs:
 
   duckdb-stable-build:
     name: Build extension binaries
-    uses: duckdb/extension-ci-tools/.github/workflows/_extension_distribution.yml@v1.4.4
+    # ci-tools v1.4.5 finds VS 2026's vcvars on windows-latest; v1.4.4 only
+    # knows the VS 2022 path, so windows_amd64 silently built with MinGW gcc.
+    uses: duckdb/extension-ci-tools/.github/workflows/_extension_distribution.yml@v1.4.5
     with:
       duckdb_version: v1.4.4
-      ci_tools_version: v1.4.4
+      ci_tools_version: v1.4.5
       extension_name: parser_tools
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index d03b95c..019f982 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -5,4 +5,17 @@ EXT_NAME=parser_tools
 EXT_CONFIG=${PROJ_DIR}extension_config.cmake
 
 # Include the Makefile from extension-ci-tools
-include extension-ci-tools/makefiles/duckdb_extension.Makefile
\ No newline at end of file
+include extension-ci-tools/makefiles/duckdb_extension.Makefile
+
+# duckdb/CMakeLists.txt sets CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 11 as a plain (non-FORCE) cache
+# default; MSVC has no /std:c++11, so on real MSVC that resolves to its
+# implicit default dialect, which does not enable C++17 inline variables. The
+# vendored fmt (third_party/fmt) needs them, so a real-MSVC windows_amd64
+# build fails compiling fmt's format.h ("inline variables require
+# /std:c++17"). Passing this on the cmake command line wins over the
+# unforced cache set() in duckdb's own CMakeLists.txt. Scoped to plain MSVC:
+# windows_amd64_mingw/_rtools build with g++, which already compiles fmt
+# fine under GCC's default dialect.
+ifeq ($(DUCKDB_PLATFORM),windows_amd64)
+	BUILD_FLAGS += -DCMAKE_CXX_STANDARD=17
+endif
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/extension_config.cmake b/extension_config.cmake
index 08d8033..0d742ee 100644
--- a/extension_config.cmake
+++ b/extension_config.cmake
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 # This file is included by DuckDB's build system. It specifies which extension to load
 
+# DuckDB v1.4.4's bundled fmt uses stdext::checked_array_iterator when
+# _SECURE_SCL is defined. VS 2026 removed that non-standard iterator, so select
+# fmt's portable pointer implementation before DuckDB configures third_party.
+set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 17 CACHE STRING "" FORCE)
+include(${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/scripts/patch_bundled_fmt.cmake)
+
 # Extension from this repo
 duckdb_extension_load(parser_tools
     SOURCE_DIR ${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}
@@ -7,4 +13,4 @@ duckdb_extension_load(parser_tools
 )
 
 # Any extra extensions that should be built
-# e.g.: duckdb_extension_load(json)
\ No newline at end of file
+# e.g.: duckdb_extension_load(json)
diff --git a/scripts/patch_bundled_fmt.cmake b/scripts/patch_bundled_fmt.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..25e96c2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/patch_bundled_fmt.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+# Work around fmt 6.1.2 using the removed MSVC stdext::checked_array_iterator.
+#
+# This is intentionally idempotent: configure can be re-run without changing the
+# DuckDB submodule after the first successful patch. On non-MSVC compilers the
+# guarded branch was already inactive, so selecting the fallback is equivalent.
+
+set(_parser_tools_fmt_header
+    "${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/../duckdb/third_party/fmt/include/fmt/format.h")
+
+if(NOT EXISTS "${_parser_tools_fmt_header}")
+  message(FATAL_ERROR "Bundled fmt header not found: ${_parser_tools_fmt_header}")
+endif()
+
+file(READ "${_parser_tools_fmt_header}" _parser_tools_fmt_contents)
+string(FIND "${_parser_tools_fmt_contents}" "#ifdef _SECURE_SCL" _parser_tools_guard)
+
+if(_parser_tools_guard GREATER -1)
+  string(REPLACE
+    "#ifdef _SECURE_SCL"
+    "#if 0 // stdext::checked_array_iterator was removed from newer MSVC"
+    _parser_tools_fmt_contents
+    "${_parser_tools_fmt_contents}")
+  file(WRITE "${_parser_tools_fmt_header}" "${_parser_tools_fmt_contents}")
+  message(STATUS "Patched bundled fmt to avoid stdext::checked_array_iterator")
+else()
+  message(STATUS "Bundled fmt already uses the portable iterator implementation")
+endif()