diff --git a/appveyor.yml b/appveyor.yml
index c7980be94353..a4ab92a53f34 100644
--- a/appveyor.yml
+++ b/appveyor.yml
@@ -1,20 +1,49 @@
+# Notes:
+#   - Minimal appveyor.yml file is an empty file. All sections are optional.
+#   - Indent each level of configuration with 2 spaces. Do not use tabs!
+#   - All section names are case-sensitive.
+#   - Section names should be unique on each level.
+
 version: "{build}"
+
 os: Windows Server 2012 R2
+
+clone_folder: c:\go\src\github.com\ipfs\go-ipfs
+
 environment:
   GOPATH: c:\gopath
-  TEST_NO_FUSE: 1
-  TEST_VERBOSE: 1
-  TEST_SUITE: test_sharness_expensive
+  #TEST_NO_FUSE: 1
+  #TEST_VERBOSE: 1
+  #TEST_SUITE: test_sharness_expensive
+  #GOFLAGS: -tags nofuse 
+  global:
+    BASH: C:\cygwin\bin\bash
+  matrix:
+  - GOARCH: amd64
+    GOVERSION: 1.5.1
+    GOROOT: c:\go
+    DOWNLOADPLATFORM: "x64"
+  
 install:
-  - set PATH=%GOPATH%\bin;c:\go\bin;%PATH%
-  - rmdir c:\go /s /q
-  - appveyor DownloadFile https://storage.googleapis.com/golang/go1.5.1.windows-amd64.msi
-  - msiexec /i go1.5.1.windows-amd64.msi /q
+  # Enable make
+  #- SET PATH=c:\MinGW\bin;%PATH%
+  #- copy c:\MinGW\bin\mingw32-make.exe c:\MinGW\bin\make.exe
   - go version
   - go env
+  
+# Cygwin build script
+#
+# NOTES:
+#
+# The stdin/stdout file descriptor appears not to be valid for the Appveyor
+# build which causes failures as certain functions attempt to redirect 
+# default file handles. Ensure a dummy file descriptor is opened with 'exec'.
+#  
 build_script:
-  - make install
+  - '%BASH% -lc "cd $APPVEYOR_BUILD_FOLDER; exec 0</dev/null; make nofuse"'
+  
 test_script:
-  - make $TEST_SUITE
+  - '%BASH% -lc "cd $APPVEYOR_BUILD_FOLDER; exec 0</dev/null; export GOFLAGS=''-tags nofuse''; export TEST_NO_FUSE=1; export TEST_VERBOSE=1; export TEST_SUITE=test_sharness_expensive; make $TEST_SUITE"'   
+  
 build:
   parallel: true
diff --git a/test/dependencies/iptb/main.go b/test/dependencies/iptb/main.go
index fd0bd90630c7..d9eb96ed5cff 100644
--- a/test/dependencies/iptb/main.go
+++ b/test/dependencies/iptb/main.go
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ import (
 	manet "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/Godeps/_workspace/src/github.com/jbenet/go-multiaddr-net"
 )
 
+var setupOpt = func(cmd *exec.Cmd) {}
+
 // GetNumNodes returns the number of testbed nodes configured in the testbed directory
 func GetNumNodes() int {
 	for i := 0; i < 2000; i++ {
@@ -279,7 +281,7 @@ func IpfsStart(waitall bool) error {
 		cmd.Dir = dir
 		cmd.Env = envForDaemon(i)
 
-		cmd.SysProcAttr = &syscall.SysProcAttr{Setsid: true}
+		setupOpt(cmd)
 
 		stdout, err := os.Create(path.Join(dir, "daemon.stdout"))
 		if err != nil {
@@ -602,6 +604,11 @@ func main() {
 	kingpin.Arg("args", "arguments").StringsVar(&args)
 	kingpin.Parse()
 
+	if len(args) == 0 {
+		kingpin.Usage()
+		return
+	}
+
 	switch args[0] {
 	case "init":
 		if cfg.Count == 0 {
diff --git a/test/dependencies/iptb/proc_unix.go b/test/dependencies/iptb/proc_unix.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..dc1ca1cdab0d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/dependencies/iptb/proc_unix.go
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+// +build !windows
+
+package main
+
+import (
+	"os/exec"
+	"syscall"
+)
+
+func init() {
+	setupOpt = func(cmd *exec.Cmd) {
+		cmd.SysProcAttr = &syscall.SysProcAttr{Setsid: true}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/test/sharness/lib/test-lib.sh b/test/sharness/lib/test-lib.sh
index 21f566ee2bd7..99ce414becd8 100644
--- a/test/sharness/lib/test-lib.sh
+++ b/test/sharness/lib/test-lib.sh
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@
 # use the ipfs tool to test against
 
 # add current directory to path, for ipfs tool.
-PATH=$(pwd)/bin:${PATH}
+BIN=$(cd .. && echo `pwd`/bin)
+PATH=${BIN}:${PATH}
 
 # set sharness verbosity. we set the env var directly as
 # it's too late to pass in --verbose, and --verbose is harder
@@ -17,7 +18,7 @@ PATH=$(pwd)/bin:${PATH}
 test "$TEST_VERBOSE" = 1 && verbose=t
 
 # assert the `ipfs` we're using is the right one.
-if test `which ipfs` != $(pwd)/bin/ipfs; then
+if test `which ipfs` != ${BIN}/ipfs; then
 	echo >&2 "Cannot find the tests' local ipfs tool."
 	echo >&2 "Please check test and ipfs tool installation."
 	exit 1
@@ -352,4 +353,3 @@ test_check_peerid() {
 		return 1
 	}
 }
-