diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 46ac1194db..b9590d811b 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -3812,12 +3812,15 @@ ifdef MSVC
 	$(RM) $(patsubst %.o,%.o.pdb,$(OBJECTS))
 	$(RM) headless-git.o.pdb
 	$(RM) $(patsubst %.exe,%.pdb,$(OTHER_PROGRAMS))
+	$(RM) $(patsubst %.exe,%.ilk,$(OTHER_PROGRAMS))
 	$(RM) $(patsubst %.exe,%.iobj,$(OTHER_PROGRAMS))
 	$(RM) $(patsubst %.exe,%.ipdb,$(OTHER_PROGRAMS))
 	$(RM) $(patsubst %.exe,%.pdb,$(PROGRAMS))
+	$(RM) $(patsubst %.exe,%.ilk,$(PROGRAMS))
 	$(RM) $(patsubst %.exe,%.iobj,$(PROGRAMS))
 	$(RM) $(patsubst %.exe,%.ipdb,$(PROGRAMS))
 	$(RM) $(patsubst %.exe,%.pdb,$(TEST_PROGRAMS))
+	$(RM) $(patsubst %.exe,%.ilk,$(TEST_PROGRAMS))
 	$(RM) $(patsubst %.exe,%.iobj,$(TEST_PROGRAMS))
 	$(RM) $(patsubst %.exe,%.ipdb,$(TEST_PROGRAMS))
 	$(RM) compat/vcbuild/MSVC-DEFS-GEN
diff --git a/compat/vcbuild/find_vs_env.bat b/compat/vcbuild/find_vs_env.bat
index b35d264c0e..379b16296e 100644
--- a/compat/vcbuild/find_vs_env.bat
+++ b/compat/vcbuild/find_vs_env.bat
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ REM ================================================================
 
    SET sdk_dir=%WindowsSdkDir%
    SET sdk_ver=%WindowsSDKVersion%
+   SET sdk_ver_bin_dir=%WindowsSdkVerBinPath%%tgt%
    SET si=%sdk_dir%Include\%sdk_ver%
    SET sdk_includes=-I"%si%ucrt" -I"%si%um" -I"%si%shared"
    SET sl=%sdk_dir%lib\%sdk_ver%
@@ -130,6 +131,7 @@ REM ================================================================
 
    SET sdk_dir=%WindowsSdkDir%
    SET sdk_ver=%WindowsSDKVersion%
+   SET sdk_ver_bin_dir=%WindowsSdkVerBinPath%bin\amd64
    SET si=%sdk_dir%Include\%sdk_ver%
    SET sdk_includes=-I"%si%ucrt" -I"%si%um" -I"%si%shared" -I"%si%winrt"
    SET sl=%sdk_dir%lib\%sdk_ver%
@@ -160,6 +162,11 @@ REM ================================================================
    echo msvc_includes=%msvc_includes%
    echo msvc_libs=%msvc_libs%
 
+   echo sdk_ver_bin_dir=%sdk_ver_bin_dir%
+   SET X1=%sdk_ver_bin_dir:C:=/C%
+   SET X2=%X1:\=/%
+   echo sdk_ver_bin_dir_msys=%X2%
+
    echo sdk_includes=%sdk_includes%
    echo sdk_libs=%sdk_libs%
 
diff --git a/compat/vcbuild/scripts/clink.pl b/compat/vcbuild/scripts/clink.pl
index c4c99d1a11..677d44e46f 100755
--- a/compat/vcbuild/scripts/clink.pl
+++ b/compat/vcbuild/scripts/clink.pl
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ my @cflags = ();
 my @lflags = ();
 my $is_linking = 0;
 my $is_debug = 0;
+my $is_gui = 0;
 while (@ARGV) {
 	my $arg = shift @ARGV;
 	if ("$arg" eq "-DDEBUG") {
@@ -67,7 +68,11 @@ while (@ARGV) {
 		}
 		push(@args, $lib);
 	} elsif ("$arg" eq "-lexpat") {
+	    if ($is_debug) {
+		push(@args, "libexpatd.lib");
+	    } else {
 		push(@args, "libexpat.lib");
+	    }
 	} elsif ("$arg" =~ /^-L/ && "$arg" ne "-LTCG") {
 		$arg =~ s/^-L/-LIBPATH:/;
 		push(@lflags, $arg);
@@ -119,11 +124,23 @@ while (@ARGV) {
 		push(@cflags, "-wd4996");
 	} elsif ("$arg" =~ /^-W[a-z]/) {
 		# let's ignore those
+	} elsif ("$arg" eq "-fno-stack-protector") {
+		# eat this
+	} elsif ("$arg" eq "-mwindows") {
+		$is_gui = 1;
 	} else {
 		push(@args, $arg);
 	}
 }
 if ($is_linking) {
+	if ($is_gui) {
+		push(@args, "-ENTRY:wWinMainCRTStartup");
+		push(@args, "-SUBSYSTEM:WINDOWS");
+	} else {
+		push(@args, "-ENTRY:wmainCRTStartup");
+		push(@args, "-SUBSYSTEM:CONSOLE");
+	}
+
 	push(@args, @lflags);
 	unshift(@args, "link.exe");
 } else {
diff --git a/compat/vcbuild/scripts/rc.pl b/compat/vcbuild/scripts/rc.pl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7bca4cd81c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compat/vcbuild/scripts/rc.pl
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+#!/usr/bin/perl -w
+######################################################################
+# Compile Resources on Windows
+#
+# This is a wrapper to facilitate the compilation of Git with MSVC
+# using GNU Make as the build system. So, instead of manipulating the
+# Makefile into something nasty, just to support non-space arguments
+# etc, we use this wrapper to fix the command line options
+#
+######################################################################
+use strict;
+my @args = ();
+my @input = ();
+
+while (@ARGV) {
+	my $arg = shift @ARGV;
+	if ("$arg" =~ /^-[dD]/) {
+		# GIT_VERSION gets passed with too many
+		# layers of dquote escaping.
+		$arg =~ s/\\"/"/g;
+
+		push(@args, $arg);
+
+	} elsif ("$arg" eq "-i") {
+		my $arg = shift @ARGV;
+		# TODO complain if NULL or is dashed ??
+		push(@input, $arg);
+
+	} elsif ("$arg" eq "-o") {
+		my $arg = shift @ARGV;
+		# TODO complain if NULL or is dashed ??
+		push(@args, "-fo$arg");
+
+	} else {
+		push(@args, $arg);
+	}
+}
+
+push(@args, "-nologo");
+push(@args, "-v");
+push(@args, @input);
+
+unshift(@args, "rc.exe");
+printf("**** @args\n");
+
+exit (system(@args) != 0);
diff --git a/config.mak.uname b/config.mak.uname
index 600a90b855..e95f917902 100644
--- a/config.mak.uname
+++ b/config.mak.uname
@@ -440,7 +440,7 @@ ifeq ($(uname_S),Windows)
 	# link.exe next to, and required by, cl.exe, we have to prepend this
 	# onto the existing $PATH.
 	#
-	SANE_TOOL_PATH ?= $(msvc_bin_dir_msys)
+	SANE_TOOL_PATH ?= $(msvc_bin_dir_msys):$(sdk_ver_bin_dir_msys)
 	HAVE_ALLOCA_H = YesPlease
 	NO_PREAD = YesPlease
 	NEEDS_CRYPTO_WITH_SSL = YesPlease
@@ -502,12 +502,14 @@ endif
 		compat/win32/trace2_win32_process_info.o \
 		compat/win32/dirent.o
 	COMPAT_CFLAGS = -D__USE_MINGW_ACCESS -DDETECT_MSYS_TTY -DENSURE_MSYSTEM_IS_SET -DNOGDI -DHAVE_STRING_H -Icompat -Icompat/regex -Icompat/win32 -DSTRIP_EXTENSION=\".exe\"
-	BASIC_LDFLAGS = -IGNORE:4217 -IGNORE:4049 -NOLOGO -ENTRY:wmainCRTStartup -SUBSYSTEM:CONSOLE
+	BASIC_LDFLAGS = -IGNORE:4217 -IGNORE:4049 -NOLOGO
 	# invalidcontinue.obj allows Git's source code to close the same file
 	# handle twice, or to access the osfhandle of an already-closed stdout
 	# See https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms235330.aspx
 	EXTLIBS = user32.lib advapi32.lib shell32.lib wininet.lib ws2_32.lib invalidcontinue.obj kernel32.lib ntdll.lib
+	GITLIBS += git.res
 	PTHREAD_LIBS =
+	RC = compat/vcbuild/scripts/rc.pl
 	lib =
 	BASIC_CFLAGS += $(vcpkg_inc) $(sdk_includes) $(msvc_includes)
 ifndef DEBUG
diff --git a/contrib/buildsystems/Generators/Vcxproj.pm b/contrib/buildsystems/Generators/Vcxproj.pm
index 0439b82f55..a6d1c6b8d0 100644
--- a/contrib/buildsystems/Generators/Vcxproj.pm
+++ b/contrib/buildsystems/Generators/Vcxproj.pm
@@ -89,6 +89,16 @@ sub createProject {
     $defines =~ s/>/>/g;
     $defines =~ s/\'//g;
 
+    my $rcdefines = $defines;
+    $rcdefines =~ s/(?<!\\)"/\\$&/g;
+
+    my $entrypoint = 'wmainCRTStartup';
+    my $subsystem = 'Console';
+    if (grep /^-mwindows$/, @{$$build_structure{"$prefix${name}_LFLAGS"}}) {
+        $entrypoint = 'wWinMainCRTStartup';
+        $subsystem = 'Windows';
+    }
+
     my $dir = $vcxproj;
     $dir =~ s/\/[^\/]*$//;
     die "Could not create the directory $dir for $label project!\n" unless (-d "$dir" || mkdir "$dir");
@@ -176,9 +186,9 @@ sub createProject {
       <AdditionalLibraryDirectories>\$(VCPKGLibDirectory);%(AdditionalLibraryDirectories)</AdditionalLibraryDirectories>
       <AdditionalDependencies>\$(VCPKGLibs);\$(AdditionalDependencies)</AdditionalDependencies>
       <AdditionalOptions>invalidcontinue.obj %(AdditionalOptions)</AdditionalOptions>
-      <EntryPointSymbol>wmainCRTStartup</EntryPointSymbol>
+      <EntryPointSymbol>$entrypoint</EntryPointSymbol>
       <ManifestFile>$cdup\\compat\\win32\\git.manifest</ManifestFile>
-      <SubSystem>Console</SubSystem>
+      <SubSystem>$subsystem</SubSystem>
     </Link>
 EOM
     if ($target eq 'libgit') {
@@ -203,6 +213,9 @@ EOM
       <PreprocessorDefinitions>WIN32;_DEBUG;$defines;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
       <RuntimeLibrary>MultiThreadedDebugDLL</RuntimeLibrary>
     </ClCompile>
+    <ResourceCompile>
+      <PreprocessorDefinitions>WIN32;_DEBUG;$rcdefines;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
+    </ResourceCompile>
     <Link>
       <GenerateDebugInformation>true</GenerateDebugInformation>
     </Link>
@@ -216,6 +229,9 @@ EOM
       <FunctionLevelLinking>true</FunctionLevelLinking>
       <FavorSizeOrSpeed>Speed</FavorSizeOrSpeed>
     </ClCompile>
+    <ResourceCompile>
+      <PreprocessorDefinitions>WIN32;NDEBUG;$rcdefines;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
+    </ResourceCompile>
     <Link>
       <GenerateDebugInformation>true</GenerateDebugInformation>
       <EnableCOMDATFolding>true</EnableCOMDATFolding>
@@ -225,9 +241,15 @@ EOM
   <ItemGroup>
 EOM
     foreach(@sources) {
-        print F << "EOM";
+        if (/\.rc$/) {
+            print F << "EOM";
+    <ResourceCompile Include="$_" />
+EOM
+        } else {
+            print F << "EOM";
     <ClCompile Include="$_" />
 EOM
+        }
     }
     print F << "EOM";
   </ItemGroup>
diff --git a/contrib/buildsystems/engine.pl b/contrib/buildsystems/engine.pl
index 069be7e4be..417ae71d44 100755
--- a/contrib/buildsystems/engine.pl
+++ b/contrib/buildsystems/engine.pl
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ sub parseMakeOutput
             next;
         }
 
-        if($text =~ / -c /) {
+        if($text =~ / -c / || $text =~ / -i \S+\.rc /) {
             # compilation
             handleCompileLine($text, $line);
 
@@ -263,16 +263,15 @@ sub handleCompileLine
         if ("$part" eq "-o") {
             # ignore object file
             shift @parts;
-        } elsif ("$part" eq "-c") {
+        } elsif ("$part" eq "-c" || "$part" eq "-i" || "$part" =~ /^-fno-/) {
             # ignore compile flag
-        } elsif ("$part" eq "-c") {
         } elsif ($part =~ /^.?-I/) {
             push(@incpaths, $part);
         } elsif ($part =~ /^.?-D/) {
             push(@defines, $part);
         } elsif ($part =~ /^-/) {
             push(@cflags, $part);
-        } elsif ($part =~ /\.(c|cc|cpp)$/) {
+        } elsif ($part =~ /\.(c|cc|cpp|rc)$/) {
             $sourcefile = $part;
         } else {
             die "Unhandled compiler option @ line $lineno: $part";
@@ -359,7 +358,7 @@ sub handleLinkLine
             push(@libs, $part);
         } elsif ($part eq 'invalidcontinue.obj') {
             # ignore - known to MSVC
-        } elsif ($part =~ /\.o$/) {
+        } elsif ($part =~ /\.(o|res)$/) {
             push(@objfiles, $part);
         } elsif ($part =~ /\.obj$/) {
             # do nothing, 'make' should not be producing .obj, only .o files
@@ -373,6 +372,7 @@ sub handleLinkLine
         my $sourcefile = $_;
         $sourcefile =~ s/^headless-git\.o$/compat\/win32\/headless.c/;
         $sourcefile =~ s/\.o$/.c/;
+        $sourcefile =~ s/\.res$/.rc/;
         push(@sources, $sourcefile);
         push(@cflags, @{$compile_options{"${sourcefile}_CFLAGS"}});
         push(@defines, @{$compile_options{"${sourcefile}_DEFINES"}});