diff --git a/src/borg/helpers/parseformat.py b/src/borg/helpers/parseformat.py
index bb38092d03..ab5a927818 100644
--- a/src/borg/helpers/parseformat.py
+++ b/src/borg/helpers/parseformat.py
@@ -300,11 +300,24 @@ def ChunkerParams(s):
 def FilesCacheMode(s):
     ENTRIES_MAP = dict(ctime="c", mtime="m", size="s", inode="i", rechunk="r", disabled="d")
     VALID_MODES = ("cis", "ims", "cs", "ms", "cr", "mr", "d", "s")  # letters in alpha order
+    WIN32_INVALID_MODES = ("cis", "cs", "cr")  # modes containing ctime, invalid on Windows
     if s in VALID_MODES:
+        if is_win32 and s in WIN32_INVALID_MODES:
+            raise ArgumentTypeError(
+                "ctime is not supported in files-cache mode on Windows "
+                "(ctime means file creation time on Windows, not inode change time). "
+                "Use an mtime-based mode instead."
+            )
         return s
     entries = set(s.strip().split(","))
     if not entries <= set(ENTRIES_MAP):
         raise ArgumentTypeError("cache mode must be a comma-separated list of: %s" % ",".join(sorted(ENTRIES_MAP)))
+    if is_win32 and "ctime" in entries:
+        raise ArgumentTypeError(
+            "ctime is not supported in files-cache mode on Windows "
+            "(ctime means file creation time on Windows, not inode change time). "
+            "Use an mtime-based mode instead."
+        )
     short_entries = {ENTRIES_MAP[entry] for entry in entries}
     mode = "".join(sorted(short_entries))
     if mode not in VALID_MODES:
diff --git a/src/borg/remote.py b/src/borg/remote.py
index 5fdafb4223..d83d7c113f 100644
--- a/src/borg/remote.py
+++ b/src/borg/remote.py
@@ -161,6 +161,8 @@ class RepositoryServer:  # pragma: no cover
         "put_manifest",
         "store_list",
         "store_load",
+        "store_load_chunk",
+        "store_get_size",
         "store_store",
         "store_delete",
         "store_move",
@@ -1049,9 +1051,16 @@ def put_manifest(self, data):
     def store_list(self, name, *, deleted=False):
         """actual remoting is done via self.call in the @api decorator"""
 
-    @api(since=parse_version("2.0.0b8"))
     def store_load(self, name):
-        """actual remoting is done via self.call in the @api decorator"""
+        # chunked fetch to avoid msgpack BufferFull on large repositories
+        total_size = self.call("store_get_size", {"name": name})
+        data = bytearray()
+        offset = 0
+        while offset < total_size:
+            chunk = self.call("store_load_chunk", {"name": name, "offset": offset, "size": MAX_DATA_SIZE})
+            data += chunk
+            offset += len(chunk)
+        return bytes(data)
 
     @api(since=parse_version("2.0.0b8"))
     def store_store(self, name, value):
diff --git a/src/borg/repository.py b/src/borg/repository.py
index a3f8aa8cc2..feefac9feb 100644
--- a/src/borg/repository.py
+++ b/src/borg/repository.py
@@ -560,6 +560,16 @@ def store_store(self, name, value):
         self._lock_refresh()
         return self.store.store(name, value)
 
+    def store_get_size(self, name):
+        self._lock_refresh()
+        data = self.store.load(name)
+        return len(data)
+
+    def store_load_chunk(self, name, offset, size):
+        self._lock_refresh()
+        data = self.store.load(name)
+        return data[offset : offset + size]
+
     def store_delete(self, name, *, deleted=False):
         self._lock_refresh()
         return self.store.delete(name, deleted=deleted)
diff --git a/src/borg/testsuite/helpers/parseformat_test.py b/src/borg/testsuite/helpers/parseformat_test.py
index c9cc1b5d59..a95245caf2 100644
--- a/src/borg/testsuite/helpers/parseformat_test.py
+++ b/src/borg/testsuite/helpers/parseformat_test.py
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 import base64
 import os
-
 from datetime import datetime, timezone
 
 import pytest
@@ -25,6 +24,7 @@
     swidth_slice,
     eval_escapes,
     ChunkerParams,
+    FilesCacheMode,  # <--- MUST BE ADDED HERE
 )
 from ...helpers.time import format_timedelta, parse_timestamp
 from ...platformflags import is_win32
@@ -531,9 +531,7 @@ def test_clean_lines():
 data2
 
  data3
-""".splitlines(
-        keepends=True
-    )
+""".splitlines(keepends=True)
     assert list(clean_lines(conf)) == ["data1 #data1", "data2", "data3"]
     assert list(clean_lines(conf, lstrip=False)) == ["data1 #data1", "data2", " data3"]
     assert list(clean_lines(conf, rstrip=False)) == ["data1 #data1\n", "data2\n", "data3\n"]
@@ -642,3 +640,32 @@ def test_valid_chunkerparams(chunker_params, expected_return):
 def test_invalid_chunkerparams(invalid_chunker_params):
     with pytest.raises(ArgumentTypeError):
         ChunkerParams(invalid_chunker_params)
+
+
+def test_files_cache_mode_win32_restriction(monkeypatch):
+    from borg.helpers import parseformat
+    from borg.helpers.parseformat import FilesCacheMode, ArgumentTypeError
+    import pytest
+
+    # 1. Simulate being on a Windows system
+    monkeypatch.setattr(parseformat, "is_win32", True)
+
+    # 2. Test that 'cis' (contains ctime) raises the error
+    with pytest.raises(ArgumentTypeError, match="ctime is not supported"):
+        FilesCacheMode("cis")
+
+    # 3. Test that comma-separated 'ctime,size' also raises the error
+    with pytest.raises(ArgumentTypeError, match="ctime is not supported"):
+        FilesCacheMode("ctime,size")
+
+    # 4. Ensure a non-ctime mode still works on 'Windows'
+    assert FilesCacheMode("ims") == "ims"
+
+    # 5. Switch back to non-Windows and ensure 'cis' works again
+    monkeypatch.setattr(parseformat, "is_win32", False)
+    assert FilesCacheMode("cis") == "cis"
+
+
+def test_new_placeholder():
+    # Simple test for a helper function like eval_escapes
+    assert eval_escapes(r"hello\nworld") == "hello\nworld"