diff --git a/can/interfaces/gs_usb.py b/can/interfaces/gs_usb.py
index 6297fc1f5..35de63668 100644
--- a/can/interfaces/gs_usb.py
+++ b/can/interfaces/gs_usb.py
@@ -12,6 +12,42 @@
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
+def _scan_gs_usb_devices() -> list[GsUsb]:
+    """Scan for gs_usb devices using auto-detected backend.
+
+    Unlike :meth:`GsUsb.scan`, this does not force the ``libusb1`` backend,
+    allowing ``pyusb`` to auto-detect the best available backend. This enables
+    support for WinUSB on Windows in addition to libusbK.
+    """
+    return [
+        GsUsb(dev)
+        for dev in (
+            usb.core.find(
+                find_all=True,
+                custom_match=GsUsb.is_gs_usb_device,
+            )
+            or []
+        )
+    ]
+
+
+def _find_gs_usb_device(bus: int, address: int) -> GsUsb | None:
+    """Find a specific gs_usb device using auto-detected backend.
+
+    Unlike :meth:`GsUsb.find`, this does not force the ``libusb1`` backend,
+    allowing ``pyusb`` to auto-detect the best available backend. This enables
+    support for WinUSB on Windows in addition to libusbK.
+    """
+    dev = usb.core.find(
+        custom_match=GsUsb.is_gs_usb_device,
+        bus=bus,
+        address=address,
+    )
+    if dev:
+        return GsUsb(dev)
+    return None
+
+
 class GsUsbBus(can.BusABC):
     def __init__(
         self,
@@ -32,7 +68,6 @@ def __init__(
         :param can_filters: not supported
         :param bitrate: CAN network bandwidth (bits/s)
         """
-        self._is_shutdown = False
         if (index is not None) and ((bus or address) is not None):
             raise CanInitializationError(
                 "index and bus/address cannot be used simultaneously"
@@ -43,7 +78,7 @@ def __init__(
 
         self._index = None
         if index is not None:
-            devs = GsUsb.scan()
+            devs = _scan_gs_usb_devices()
             if len(devs) <= index:
                 raise CanInitializationError(
                     f"Cannot find device {index}. Devices found: {len(devs)}"
@@ -51,7 +86,7 @@ def __init__(
             gs_usb = devs[index]
             self._index = index
         else:
-            gs_usb = GsUsb.find(bus=bus, address=address)
+            gs_usb = _find_gs_usb_device(bus=bus, address=address)
             if not gs_usb:
                 raise CanInitializationError(f"Cannot find device {channel}")
 
@@ -139,7 +174,7 @@ def _recv_internal(self, timeout: float | None) -> tuple[can.Message | None, boo
         frame = GsUsbFrame()
 
         # Do not set timeout as None or zero here to avoid blocking
-        timeout_ms = round(timeout * 1000) if timeout else 1
+        timeout_ms = round(timeout * 1000) if timeout else 0
         if not self.gs_usb.read(frame=frame, timeout_ms=timeout_ms):
             return None, False
 
@@ -158,15 +193,16 @@ def _recv_internal(self, timeout: float | None) -> tuple[can.Message | None, boo
         return msg, False
 
     def shutdown(self):
-        if self._is_shutdown:
+        already_shutdown = self._is_shutdown
+        super().shutdown()
+        if already_shutdown:
             return
 
-        super().shutdown()
         self.gs_usb.stop()
         if self._index is not None:
             # Avoid errors on subsequent __init() by repeating the .scan() and .start() that would otherwise fail
             # the next time the device is opened in __init__()
-            devs = GsUsb.scan()
+            devs = _scan_gs_usb_devices()
             if self._index < len(devs):
                 gs_usb = devs[self._index]
                 try:
@@ -175,4 +211,3 @@ def shutdown(self):
                     gs_usb.stop()
                 except usb.core.USBError:
                     pass
-        self._is_shutdown = True
diff --git a/doc/changelog.d/2031.changed.md b/doc/changelog.d/2031.changed.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7d33a6c80
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/changelog.d/2031.changed.md
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+* make gs_usb use WinUSB instead of requiring libusbK. 
+* gs_usb: timeout=None means foreever
diff --git a/doc/interfaces/gs_usb.rst b/doc/interfaces/gs_usb.rst
index 8bab07c6f..580a994fc 100755
--- a/doc/interfaces/gs_usb.rst
+++ b/doc/interfaces/gs_usb.rst
@@ -52,8 +52,10 @@ Windows, Linux and Mac.
    The backend driver depends on `pyusb <https://pyusb.github.io/pyusb/>`_ so a ``pyusb`` backend driver library such as
    ``libusb`` must be installed.
 
-   On Windows a tool such as `Zadig <https://zadig.akeo.ie/>`_ can be used to set the USB device driver to
-   ``libusbK``.
+   On Windows, WinUSB and libusbK are both supported. Devices with WCID (Windows Compatible ID) descriptors,
+   such as candleLight firmware, will automatically use WinUSB without any additional driver installation.
+   Alternatively, a tool such as `Zadig <https://zadig.akeo.ie/>`_ can be used to set the USB device driver to
+   either ``WinUSB`` or ``libusbK``.
 
 
 Supplementary Info
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index ddaf61ef5..1f4475176 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ neovi = ["filelock", "python-ics>=2.12"]
 canalystii = ["canalystii>=0.1.0"]
 cantact = ["cantact>=0.0.7"]
 cvector = ["python-can-cvector"]
-gs-usb = ["gs-usb>=0.2.1"]
+gs-usb = ["gs-usb>=0.2.1", "pyusb>=1.0.2"]
 nixnet = ["nixnet>=0.3.2"]
 pcan = ["uptime~=3.0.1"]
 remote = ["python-can-remote"]
@@ -103,6 +103,7 @@ test = [
     "coverage==7.13.*",
     "hypothesis==6.*",
     "parameterized==0.9.*",
+    "gs-usb==0.3.*",
 ]
 dev = [
     {include-group = "docs"},
diff --git a/test/test_interface_gs_usb.py b/test/test_interface_gs_usb.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b4ec76e5a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test_interface_gs_usb.py
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+"""Tests for the gs_usb interface."""
+
+from unittest.mock import MagicMock, patch
+
+import pytest
+
+from can.interfaces.gs_usb import (
+    GsUsbBus,
+    _find_gs_usb_device,
+    _scan_gs_usb_devices,
+)
+
+
+@patch("can.interfaces.gs_usb.usb.core.find")
+def test_scan_does_not_force_backend(mock_find):
+    """Verify that _scan_gs_usb_devices does not pass a backend argument,
+    allowing pyusb to auto-detect the best available backend (WinUSB, libusbK, etc.)."""
+    mock_find.return_value = []
+
+    _scan_gs_usb_devices()
+
+    mock_find.assert_called_once()
+    call_kwargs = mock_find.call_args[1]
+    assert (
+        "backend" not in call_kwargs
+    ), "backend should not be specified so pyusb can auto-detect"
+    assert call_kwargs["find_all"] is True
+
+
+@patch("can.interfaces.gs_usb.usb.core.find")
+def test_find_does_not_force_backend(mock_find):
+    """Verify that _find_gs_usb_device does not pass a backend argument,
+    allowing pyusb to auto-detect the best available backend (WinUSB, libusbK, etc.)."""
+    mock_find.return_value = None
+
+    _find_gs_usb_device(bus=1, address=2)
+
+    mock_find.assert_called_once()
+    call_kwargs = mock_find.call_args[1]
+    assert (
+        "backend" not in call_kwargs
+    ), "backend should not be specified so pyusb can auto-detect"
+    assert call_kwargs["bus"] == 1
+    assert call_kwargs["address"] == 2
+
+
+@patch("can.interfaces.gs_usb.usb.core.find")
+def test_scan_returns_gs_usb_devices(mock_find):
+    """Verify that _scan_gs_usb_devices wraps found USB devices in GsUsb objects."""
+    mock_dev1 = MagicMock()
+    mock_dev2 = MagicMock()
+    mock_find.return_value = [mock_dev1, mock_dev2]
+
+    devices = _scan_gs_usb_devices()
+
+    assert len(devices) == 2
+    assert devices[0].gs_usb is mock_dev1
+    assert devices[1].gs_usb is mock_dev2
+
+
+@patch("can.interfaces.gs_usb.usb.core.find")
+def test_find_returns_gs_usb_device(mock_find):
+    """Verify that _find_gs_usb_device wraps the found USB device in a GsUsb object."""
+    mock_dev = MagicMock()
+    mock_find.return_value = mock_dev
+
+    device = _find_gs_usb_device(bus=1, address=2)
+
+    assert device is not None
+    assert device.gs_usb is mock_dev
+
+
+@patch("can.interfaces.gs_usb.usb.core.find")
+def test_find_returns_none_when_no_device(mock_find):
+    """Verify that _find_gs_usb_device returns None when no device is found."""
+    mock_find.return_value = None
+
+    device = _find_gs_usb_device(bus=1, address=2)
+
+    assert device is None
+
+
+@patch("can.interfaces.gs_usb.usb.core.find")
+def test_scan_returns_empty_list_when_no_devices(mock_find):
+    """Verify that _scan_gs_usb_devices returns an empty list when no devices are found."""
+    mock_find.return_value = []
+
+    devices = _scan_gs_usb_devices()
+
+    assert devices == []