How to configure git to use meld for diff & merge

Question

Running Windows 11. Trying to configure meld as a diff/merge tool used with git the same way I'm using it under Linux.

Meld launches OK via git difftool --dir-diff, but looks like it fails to read/write into/from the temporary locations:

There was a problem opening the file “C:\Users\myusername\AppData\Local\Temp\git-difftool.a09536\left”.
Error opening file C:\Users\myusername\AppData\Local\Temp\git-difftool.a09537\left: No such file or directory

Note this error is shown in meld's own UI. Similar error for the right-hand pane.

Relevant parts of C:\Users\myusername\.gitconfig:

[merge]
    tool = meld_conf
    conflictstyle = diff3
    prompt = false
[mergetool "meld_conf"]
    cmd = meld --auto-merge $LOCAL $BASE $REMOTE --output $MERGED --diff $LOCAL $BASE --diff $BASE $REMOTE
[difftool]
    prompt = true
[diff]
    tool = meld
    renames = true
    colorMoved = default
    indentHeuristic = true

$ git --version
git version 2.41.0.windows.1

Meld 3.22.0, installed via chocolatey.

Any input?