diff --git a/compat/mingw.c b/compat/mingw.c
index 3ebb3d3c35..2d0ebc8ccb 100644
--- a/compat/mingw.c
+++ b/compat/mingw.c
@@ -2758,6 +2758,9 @@ static void setup_windows_environment(void)
 		if (!tmp && (tmp = getenv("USERPROFILE")))
 			setenv("HOME", tmp, 1);
 	}
+
+	if (!getenv("LC_ALL") && !getenv("LC_CTYPE") && !getenv("LANG"))
+		setenv("LC_CTYPE", "C", 1);
 }
 
 int is_valid_win32_path(const char *path, int allow_literal_nul)
diff --git a/compat/terminal.c b/compat/terminal.c
index 35bca03d14..a42072e255 100644
--- a/compat/terminal.c
+++ b/compat/terminal.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#include "git-compat-util.h"
+#include "cache.h"
 #include "compat/terminal.h"
 #include "sigchain.h"
 #include "strbuf.h"
@@ -193,6 +193,55 @@ static int mingw_getchar(void)
 }
 #define getchar mingw_getchar
 
+static char *shell_prompt(const char *prompt, int echo)
+{
+	const char *read_input[] = {
+		/* Note: call 'bash' explicitly, as 'read -s' is bash-specific */
+		"bash", "-c", echo ?
+		"cat >/dev/tty && read -r line </dev/tty && echo \"$line\"" :
+		"cat >/dev/tty && read -r -s line </dev/tty && echo \"$line\" && echo >/dev/tty",
+		NULL
+	};
+	struct child_process child = CHILD_PROCESS_INIT;
+	static struct strbuf buffer = STRBUF_INIT;
+	int prompt_len = strlen(prompt), len = -1, code;
+
+	child.argv = read_input;
+	child.in = -1;
+	child.out = -1;
+	child.silent_exec_failure = 1;
+
+	if (start_command(&child))
+		return NULL;
+
+	if (write_in_full(child.in, prompt, prompt_len) != prompt_len) {
+		error("could not write to prompt script");
+		close(child.in);
+		goto ret;
+	}
+	close(child.in);
+
+	strbuf_reset(&buffer);
+	len = strbuf_read(&buffer, child.out, 1024);
+	if (len < 0) {
+		error("could not read from prompt script");
+		goto ret;
+	}
+
+	strbuf_strip_suffix(&buffer, "\n");
+	strbuf_strip_suffix(&buffer, "\r");
+
+ret:
+	close(child.out);
+	code = finish_command(&child);
+	if (code) {
+		error("failed to execute prompt script (exit code %d)", code);
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	return len < 0 ? NULL : buffer.buf;
+}
+
 #endif
 
 #ifndef FORCE_TEXT
@@ -205,6 +254,15 @@ char *git_terminal_prompt(const char *prompt, int echo)
 	int r;
 	FILE *input_fh, *output_fh;
 
+#ifdef GIT_WINDOWS_NATIVE
+
+	/* try shell_prompt first, fall back to CONIN/OUT if bash is missing */
+	char *result = shell_prompt(prompt, echo);
+	if (result)
+		return result;
+
+#endif
+
 	input_fh = fopen(INPUT_PATH, "r" FORCE_TEXT);
 	if (!input_fh)
 		return NULL;
diff --git a/gpg-interface.c b/gpg-interface.c
index 5134ce2780..9c715b7933 100644
--- a/gpg-interface.c
+++ b/gpg-interface.c
@@ -365,11 +365,9 @@ int sign_buffer(struct strbuf *buffer, struct strbuf *signature, const char *sig
 	struct child_process gpg = CHILD_PROCESS_INIT;
 	int ret;
 	size_t i, j, bottom;
-	struct strbuf gpg_status = STRBUF_INIT;
 
 	argv_array_pushl(&gpg.args,
 			 use_format->program,
-			 "--status-fd=2",
 			 "-bsau", signing_key,
 			 NULL);
 
@@ -381,12 +379,10 @@ int sign_buffer(struct strbuf *buffer, struct strbuf *signature, const char *sig
 	 */
 	sigchain_push(SIGPIPE, SIG_IGN);
 	ret = pipe_command(&gpg, buffer->buf, buffer->len,
-			   signature, 1024, &gpg_status, 0);
+			   signature, 1024, NULL, 0);
 	sigchain_pop(SIGPIPE);
 
-	ret |= !strstr(gpg_status.buf, "\n[GNUPG:] SIG_CREATED ");
-	strbuf_release(&gpg_status);
-	if (ret)
+	if (ret || signature->len == bottom)
 		return error(_("gpg failed to sign the data"));
 
 	/* Strip CR from the line endings, in case we are on Windows. */
diff --git a/t/t7004-tag.sh b/t/t7004-tag.sh
index 6db92bd3ba..9d366d930b 100755
--- a/t/t7004-tag.sh
+++ b/t/t7004-tag.sh
@@ -1365,12 +1365,6 @@ test_expect_success GPG \
 	'test_config user.signingkey BobTheMouse &&
 	test_must_fail git tag -s -m tail tag-gpg-failure'
 
-# try to produce invalid signature
-test_expect_success GPG \
-	'git tag -s fails if gpg is misconfigured (bad signature format)' \
-	'test_config gpg.program echo &&
-	 test_must_fail git tag -s -m tail tag-gpg-failure'
-
 # try to sign with bad user.signingkey
 test_expect_success GPGSM \
 	'git tag -s fails if gpgsm is misconfigured (bad key)' \
@@ -1378,13 +1372,6 @@ test_expect_success GPGSM \
 	 test_config gpg.format x509 &&
 	 test_must_fail git tag -s -m tail tag-gpg-failure'
 
-# try to produce invalid signature
-test_expect_success GPGSM \
-	'git tag -s fails if gpgsm is misconfigured (bad signature format)' \
-	'test_config gpg.x509.program echo &&
-	 test_config gpg.format x509 &&
-	 test_must_fail git tag -s -m tail tag-gpg-failure'
-
 # try to verify without gpg:
 
 rm -rf gpghome
diff --git a/t/t9020-remote-svn.sh b/t/t9020-remote-svn.sh
index 6fca08e5e3..76d9be2e1d 100755
--- a/t/t9020-remote-svn.sh
+++ b/t/t9020-remote-svn.sh
@@ -12,6 +12,12 @@ then
 	test_done
 fi
 
+if test_have_prereq MINGW
+then
+	skip_all='skipping remote-svn tests for lack of POSIX'
+	test_done
+fi
+
 # Override svnrdump with our simulator
 PATH="$HOME:$PATH"
 export PATH PYTHON_PATH GIT_BUILD_DIR