diff --git a/.github/workflows/ports_windows.yml b/.github/workflows/ports_windows.yml
index c882f498f1f0b..f2f756923348c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ports_windows.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ports_windows.yml
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ jobs:
       matrix:
         platform: [x86, x64]
         configuration: [Debug, Release]
-        variant: [dev, standard]
+        variant: [dev, tns]
         visualstudio: ['2017', '2019', '2022']
         include:
         - visualstudio: '2017'
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ jobs:
           vs_version: '[17, 18)'
         # trim down the number of jobs in the matrix
         exclude:
-        - variant: standard
+        - variant: tns
           configuration: Debug
         - visualstudio: '2019'
           configuration: Debug
@@ -60,6 +60,20 @@ jobs:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v3
     - name: Build mpy-cross.exe
       run: msbuild mpy-cross\mpy-cross.vcxproj -maxcpucount -property:Configuration=${{ matrix.configuration }} -property:Platform=${{ matrix.platform }}
+    - name: Set custom build options
+      shell: pwsh
+      run: |
+        @'
+        <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> 
+        <Project xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
+          <ItemDefinitionGroup>
+            <ClCompile>
+              <!--To make the standard test suite pass.-->
+              <PreprocessorDefinitions>%(PreprocessorDefinitions);MICROPY_STACK_CHECK=1</PreprocessorDefinitions>
+            </ClCompile>
+          </ItemDefinitionGroup>
+        </Project>
+        '@ | Set-Content ports\windows\msvc\user.props
     - name: Build micropython.exe
       run: msbuild ports\windows\micropythoncore.vcxproj;ports\windows\micropython.vcxproj -maxcpucount -property:Configuration=${{ matrix.configuration }} -property:Platform=${{ matrix.platform }} -property:PyVariant=${{ matrix.variant }} 
     - name: Get micropython.exe path
@@ -92,7 +106,7 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
-        variant: [dev, standard]
+        variant: [dev, tns]
         sys: [mingw32, mingw64]
         include:
           - sys: mingw32
@@ -133,7 +147,7 @@ jobs:
     - name: Update submodules
       run: make -C ports/windows VARIANT=${{ matrix.variant }} submodules
     - name: Build micropython.exe
-      run: make -C ports/windows -j2 VARIANT=${{ matrix.variant }}
+      run: make -C ports/windows -j2 VARIANT=${{ matrix.variant }} CFLAGS_EXTRA="-DMICROPY_STACK_CHECK=1"
     - name: Run tests
       id: test
       # msys python breaks tests so we need to use "real" windows python
diff --git a/ports/windows/Makefile b/ports/windows/Makefile
index b49bfddaac559..4b806b7d5e728 100644
--- a/ports/windows/Makefile
+++ b/ports/windows/Makefile
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ ifdef VARIANT_DIR
 VARIANT ?= $(notdir $(VARIANT_DIR:/=))
 else
 # If not given on the command line, then default to standard.
-VARIANT ?= standard
+VARIANT ?= tns
 VARIANT_DIR ?= variants/$(VARIANT)
 endif
 
diff --git a/ports/windows/mpconfigport.h b/ports/windows/mpconfigport.h
index 67a3fd08e39dc..97dd9fb83814a 100644
--- a/ports/windows/mpconfigport.h
+++ b/ports/windows/mpconfigport.h
@@ -51,7 +51,9 @@
 #define MICROPY_ENABLE_GC           (1)
 #define MICROPY_ENABLE_FINALISER    (1)
 #define MICROPY_ENABLE_PYSTACK      (1)
-#define MICROPY_STACK_CHECK         (1)
+#ifndef MICROPY_STACK_CHECK
+#define MICROPY_STACK_CHECK         (0)
+#endif
 #define MICROPY_MALLOC_USES_ALLOCATED_SIZE (1)
 #define MICROPY_MEM_STATS           (1)
 #define MICROPY_DEBUG_PRINTER       (&mp_stderr_print)
diff --git a/ports/windows/msvc/variant.props b/ports/windows/msvc/variant.props
index 33322ad1cf09c..dcc85b96c6fbf 100644
--- a/ports/windows/msvc/variant.props
+++ b/ports/windows/msvc/variant.props
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
   <!-- Define the variant-related properties -->
   <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(PyBuildingMpyCross)' != 'True'">
     <PyVariantscluded>True</PyVariantscluded>
-    <PyVariant Condition="'$(PyVariant)' == ''">standard</PyVariant>
+    <PyVariant Condition="'$(PyVariant)' == ''">tns</PyVariant>
     <PyBuild Condition="'$(PyBuild)' == ''">build-$(PyVariant)</PyBuild>
   </PropertyGroup>
 </Project>
diff --git a/ports/windows/variants/tns/builtins.c b/ports/windows/variants/tns/builtins.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..f09b78508948e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ports/windows/variants/tns/builtins.c
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+#include "py/objexcept.h"
+
+MP_DEFINE_EXCEPTION(ConnectionError, OSError)
+MP_DEFINE_EXCEPTION(TimeoutError, OSError)
diff --git a/ports/windows/variants/tns/mpconfigvariant.h b/ports/windows/variants/tns/mpconfigvariant.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..26e9dfe0d7663
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ports/windows/variants/tns/mpconfigvariant.h
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+#define MICROPY_ENABLE_SCHEDULER                  (0)
+#define MICROPY_PY_BUILTINS_HELP                  (1)
+#define MICROPY_PY_BUILTINS_HELP_MODULES          (1)
+#define MICROPY_PY_BUILTINS_MEMORYVIEW_ITEMSIZE   (1)
+#define MICROPY_PY_BUILTINS_NEXT2                 (1)
+#define MICROPY_PY_BUILTINS_DESCRIPTOR            (1)
+#define MICROPY_PY_BUILTINS_RANGE_BINOP           (1)
+#define MICROPY_PY_BUILTINS_SLICE_INDICES         (1)
+#define MICROPY_PY_COLLECTIONS_NAMEDTUPLE__ASDICT (1)
+#define MICROPY_PY_MATH_CONSTANTS                 (1)
+#define MICROPY_PY_MATH_FACTORIAL                 (1)
+#define MICROPY_PY_SYS_EXECUTABLE                 (1)
+#define MICROPY_PY_PLATFORM                       (1)
+#define MICROPY_PY_RANDOM_EXTRA_FUNCS             (1)
+#define MICROPY_PY_RE_MATCH_GROUPS                (1)
+#define MICROPY_PY_RE_MATCH_SPAN_START_END        (1)
+#define MICROPY_PY_RE_SUB                         (1)
+#define MICROPY_REPL_EMACS_WORDS_MOVE             (1)
+#define MICROPY_REPL_EMACS_EXTRA_WORDS_MOVE       (1)
+
+extern const struct _mp_obj_type_t mp_type_ConnectionError;
+extern const struct _mp_obj_type_t mp_type_TimeoutError;
+#define MICROPY_PORT_EXTRA_BUILTINS \
+    { MP_ROM_QSTR(MP_QSTR_ConnectionError), MP_ROM_PTR(&mp_type_ConnectionError) }, \
+    { MP_ROM_QSTR(MP_QSTR_TimeoutError), MP_ROM_PTR(&mp_type_TimeoutError) }, \
+// Extra line to avoid "backslash-newline at end of file" warning.
diff --git a/ports/windows/variants/tns/mpconfigvariant.mk b/ports/windows/variants/tns/mpconfigvariant.mk
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..e4376136274c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ports/windows/variants/tns/mpconfigvariant.mk
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+PROG ?= micropython
diff --git a/ports/windows/variants/tns/mpconfigvariant.props b/ports/windows/variants/tns/mpconfigvariant.props
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..3f8e0c00042f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ports/windows/variants/tns/mpconfigvariant.props
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+<Project>
+  <PropertyGroup>
+    <PyProg>micropython</PyProg>
+  </PropertyGroup>
+  <ItemGroup>
+    <PyExtModSource Include="..\..\extmod\modplatform.c" />
+  </ItemGroup>
+</Project>