diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 3b7cdf0b21..51283a1fbc 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -42,9 +42,9 @@ http://www.consul.io/docs
 
 ## Developing Consul
 
-If you wish to work on Consul itself, you'll first need [Go](http://golang.org)
+If you wish to work on Consul itself, you'll first need [Go](https://golang.org)
 installed (version 1.4+ is _required_). Make sure you have Go properly installed,
-including setting up your [GOPATH](http://golang.org/doc/code.html#GOPATH).
+including setting up your [GOPATH](https://golang.org/doc/code.html#GOPATH).
 
 Next, clone this repository into `$GOPATH/src/github.com/hashicorp/consul` and
 then just type `make`. In a few moments, you'll have a working `consul` executable:
@@ -63,3 +63,23 @@ You can run tests by typing `make test`.
 
 If you make any changes to the code, run `make format` in order to automatically
 format the code according to Go standards.
+
+### Building Consul on Windows
+
+Make sure Go 1.4+ is installed on your system and that the Go command is in your
+%PATH%.
+
+For building Consul on Windows, you also need to have MinGW installed.
+[TDM-GCC](http://tdm-gcc.tdragon.net/) is a simple bundle installer which has all
+the required tools for building Consul with MinGW.
+
+Install TDM-GCC and make sure it has been added to your %PATH%.
+
+If all goes well, you should be able to build Consul by running `make.bat` from a
+command prompt.
+
+See also [golang/winstrap](https://github.com/golang/winstrap) and
+[golang/wiki/WindowsBuild](https://github.com/golang/go/wiki/WindowsBuild)
+for more information of how to set up a general Go build environment on Windows
+with MinGW.
+
diff --git a/build.bat b/build.bat
deleted file mode 100644
index f522775333..0000000000
--- a/build.bat
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,18 +0,0 @@
-@echo off
-
-REM Download Mingw 64 on Windows from http://win-builds.org/download.html
-
-set GOARCH=%2
-IF "%2" == "" (set GOARCH=amd64)
-set MODULENAME=%1
-set ORG_PATH=github.com\hashicorp
-set REPO_PATH=%ORG_PATH%\%MODULENAME%
-
-set GOPATH=%cd%\gopath
-
-rmdir /s /q %GOPATH%\src\%REPO_PATH% 2>nul
-mkdir %GOPATH%\src\%ORG_PATH% 2>nul
-go get .\...
-mklink /J "%GOPATH%\src\%REPO_PATH%" "%cd%" 2>nul
-
-%GOROOT%\bin\go build -o bin\%GOARCH%\%MODULENAME%.exe %REPO_PATH%
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/make.bat b/make.bat
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..659560e735
--- /dev/null
+++ b/make.bat
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+@echo off
+
+setlocal
+
+set _EXITCODE=0
+
+set _DEPSFILE=%TEMP%\consul-deps.txt
+go list -f "{{range .TestImports}}{{.}} {{end}}" .\... >%_DEPSFILE%
+
+set _PKGSFILE=%TEMP%\consul-pkgs.txt
+go list .\... >%_PKGSFILE%
+
+set _VETARGS=-asmdecl -atomic -bool -buildtags -copylocks -methods^
+ -nilfunc -printf -rangeloops -shift -structtags -unsafeptr
+if defined VETARGS set _VETARGS=%VETARGS%
+
+:deps
+echo --^> Installing build dependencies
+for /f "delims=" %%d in (%_DEPSFILE%) do go get -d -v .\... %%d
+
+if [%1]==[] goto all
+if x%1==xdeps goto end
+goto args
+
+:args
+for %%a in (all,cover,integ,test,vet,updatedeps) do (if x%1==x%%a goto %%a)
+echo.
+echo Unknown make target: %1
+echo Expected one of "all", "cover", "deps", "integ", "test", "vet", or "updatedeps".
+set _EXITCODE=1
+goto end
+
+:all
+md bin 2>NUL
+call .\scripts\windows\build.bat %CD%
+if not errorlevel 1 goto end
+echo.
+echo BUILD FAILED
+set _EXITCODE=%ERRORLEVEL%
+goto end
+
+:cover
+set _COVER=--cover
+go tool cover 2>NUL
+if %ERRORLEVEL% EQU 3 go get golang.org/x/tools/cmd/cover
+goto test
+
+:integ
+set INTEG_TESTS=yes
+goto test
+
+:test
+call .\scripts\windows\verify_no_uuid.bat %CD%
+if %ERRORLEVEL% EQU 0 goto _test
+echo.
+echo UUID verification failed.
+set _EXITCODE=%ERRORLEVEL%
+goto end
+:_test
+for /f "delims=" %%p in (%_PKGSFILE%) do (
+	go test %_COVER% %%p
+	if errorlevel 1 set _TESTFAIL=1
+)
+if x%_TESTFAIL%==x1 set _EXITCODE=1 && goto end
+goto vet
+
+:vet
+go tool vet 2>NUL
+if %ERRORLEVEL% EQU 3 go get golang.org/x/tools/cmd/vet
+echo --^> Running go tool vet %_VETARGS%
+go tool vet %_VETARGS% .
+echo.
+if %ERRORLEVEL% EQU 0 echo ALL TESTS PASSED && goto end
+echo Vet found suspicious constructs. Please check the reported constructs
+echo and fix them if necessary before submitting the code for reviewal.
+set _EXITCODE=%ERRORLEVEL%
+goto end
+
+:updatedeps
+echo --^> Updating build dependencies
+for /f "delims=" %%d in (%_DEPSFILE%) do go get -d -f -u .\... %%d
+goto end
+
+:end
+del /F %_DEPSFILE% %_PKGSFILE% 2>NUL
+exit /B %_EXITCODE%
diff --git a/scripts/windows/build.bat b/scripts/windows/build.bat
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..312cd67746
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/windows/build.bat
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+@echo off
+
+setlocal
+
+if not exist %1 exit /B 1
+cd %1
+
+:: Get the git commit
+set _GIT_COMMIT_FILE=%TEMP%\consul-git_commit.txt
+set _GIT_DIRTY_FILE=%TEMP%\consul-git_dirty.txt
+set _GIT_DESCRIBE_FILE=%TEMP%\consul-git_describe.txt
+
+set _NUL_CMP_FILE=%TEMP%\consul-nul_cmp.txt
+type NUL >%_NUL_CMP_FILE%
+
+git rev-parse HEAD >%_GIT_COMMIT_FILE%
+set /p _GIT_COMMIT=<%_GIT_COMMIT_FILE%
+del /F "%_GIT_COMMIT_FILE%" 2>NUL
+
+set _GIT_DIRTY=
+git status --porcelain >%_GIT_DIRTY_FILE%
+fc %_GIT_DIRTY_FILE% %_NUL_CMP_FILE% >NUL
+if errorlevel 1 set _GIT_DIRTY=+CHANGES
+del /F "%_GIT_DIRTY_FILE%" 2>NUL
+del /F "%_NUL_CMP_FILE%" 2>NUL
+
+git describe --tags >%_GIT_DESCRIBE_FILE%
+set /p _GIT_DESCRIBE=<%_GIT_DESCRIBE_FILE%
+del /F "%_GIT_DESCRIBE_FILE%" 2>NUL
+
+:: Install dependencies
+echo --^> Installing dependencies to speed up builds...
+go get .\...
+
+:: Build!
+echo --^> Building...
+go build^
+ -ldflags "-X main.GitCommit %_GIT_COMMIT%%_GIT_DIRTY% -X main.GitDescribe %_GIT_DESCRIBE%"^
+ -v^
+ -o bin\consul.exe .
+if errorlevel 1 exit /B 1
+copy /B /Y bin\consul.exe %GOPATH%\bin\consul.exe >NUL
diff --git a/scripts/windows/verify_no_uuid.bat b/scripts/windows/verify_no_uuid.bat
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bcbc5fa28c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/windows/verify_no_uuid.bat
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+@echo off
+
+setlocal
+
+if not exist %1\consul\state_store.go exit /B 1
+if not exist %1\consul\fsm.go exit /B 1
+
+findstr /R generateUUID %1\consul\state_store.go 1>nul
+if not %ERRORLEVEL% EQU 1 exit /B 1
+
+findstr generateUUID %1\consul\fsm.go 1>nul
+if not %ERRORLEVEL% EQU 1 exit /B 1
+
+exit /B 0