diff --git a/compat/win32/git-wrapper.c b/compat/win32/git-wrapper.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a7495c095f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compat/win32/git-wrapper.c
@@ -0,0 +1,194 @@
+/*
+ * git-wrapper - replace cmd\git.cmd with an executable
+ *
+ * Copyright (C) 2012 Pat Thoyts <patthoyts@users.sourceforge.net>
+ */
+
+#define STRICT
+#define WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN
+#define UNICODE
+#define _UNICODE
+#include <windows.h>
+#include <shlwapi.h>
+#include <shellapi.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+
+static void print_error(LPCWSTR prefix, DWORD error_number)
+{
+	LPWSTR buffer = NULL;
+	DWORD count = 0;
+
+	count = FormatMessageW(FORMAT_MESSAGE_ALLOCATE_BUFFER
+			| FORMAT_MESSAGE_FROM_SYSTEM
+			| FORMAT_MESSAGE_IGNORE_INSERTS,
+			NULL, error_number, LANG_NEUTRAL,
+			(LPTSTR)&buffer, 0, NULL);
+	if (count < 1)
+		count = FormatMessageW(FORMAT_MESSAGE_ALLOCATE_BUFFER
+				| FORMAT_MESSAGE_FROM_STRING
+				| FORMAT_MESSAGE_ARGUMENT_ARRAY,
+				L"Code 0x%1!08x!",
+				0, LANG_NEUTRAL, (LPTSTR)&buffer, 0,
+				(va_list*)&error_number);
+	fwprintf(stderr, L"%s: %s", prefix, buffer);
+	LocalFree((HLOCAL)buffer);
+}
+
+int main(void)
+{
+	int r = 1, wait = 1;
+	WCHAR exepath[MAX_PATH], exe[MAX_PATH];
+	LPWSTR cmd = NULL, path2 = NULL, exep = exe;
+	UINT codepage = 0;
+	int len;
+
+	/* get the installation location */
+	GetModuleFileName(NULL, exepath, MAX_PATH);
+	PathRemoveFileSpec(exepath);
+	PathRemoveFileSpec(exepath);
+
+	/* set the default exe module */
+	wcscpy(exe, exepath);
+	PathAppend(exe, L"bin\\git.exe");
+
+	/* if not set, set TERM to msys */
+	if (!GetEnvironmentVariable(L"TERM", NULL, 0))
+		SetEnvironmentVariable(L"TERM", L"msys");
+
+	/* if not set, set PLINK_PROTOCOL to ssh */
+	if (!GetEnvironmentVariable(L"PLINK_PROTOCOL", NULL, 0))
+		SetEnvironmentVariable(L"PLINK_PROTOCOL", L"ssh");
+
+	/* set HOME to %HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH% or %USERPROFILE%
+	 * With roaming profiles: HOMEPATH is the roaming location and
+	 * USERPROFILE is the local location
+	 */
+	if (!GetEnvironmentVariable(L"HOME", NULL, 0)) {
+		LPWSTR e = NULL;
+		len = GetEnvironmentVariable(L"HOMEPATH", NULL, 0);
+		if (len == 0) {
+			len = GetEnvironmentVariable(L"USERPROFILE", NULL, 0);
+			if (len != 0) {
+				e = (LPWSTR)malloc(len * sizeof(WCHAR));
+				GetEnvironmentVariable(L"USERPROFILE", e, len);
+				SetEnvironmentVariable(L"HOME", e);
+				free(e);
+			}
+		}
+		else {
+			int n;
+			len += GetEnvironmentVariable(L"HOMEDRIVE", NULL, 0);
+			e = (LPWSTR)malloc(sizeof(WCHAR) * (len + 2));
+			n = GetEnvironmentVariable(L"HOMEDRIVE", e, len);
+			GetEnvironmentVariable(L"HOMEPATH", &e[n], len-n);
+			SetEnvironmentVariable(L"HOME", e);
+			free(e);
+		}
+	}
+
+	/* extend the PATH */
+	len = GetEnvironmentVariable(L"PATH", NULL, 0);
+	len = sizeof(WCHAR) * (len + 2 * MAX_PATH);
+	path2 = (LPWSTR)malloc(len);
+	wcscpy(path2, exepath);
+	PathAppend(path2, L"bin;");
+	/* should do this only if it exists */
+	wcscat(path2, exepath);
+	PathAppend(path2, L"mingw\\bin;");
+	GetEnvironmentVariable(L"PATH", &path2[wcslen(path2)],
+			(len/sizeof(WCHAR))-wcslen(path2));
+	SetEnvironmentVariable(L"PATH", path2);
+	free(path2);
+
+
+	/* fix up the command line to call git.exe
+	 * We have to be very careful about quoting here so we just
+	 * trim off the first argument and replace it leaving the rest
+	 * untouched.
+	 */
+	{
+		int wargc = 0, gui = 0;
+		LPWSTR cmdline = NULL;
+		LPWSTR *wargv = NULL, p = NULL;
+		cmdline = GetCommandLine();
+		wargv = CommandLineToArgvW(cmdline, &wargc);
+		cmd = (LPWSTR)malloc(sizeof(WCHAR) *
+			(wcslen(cmdline) + MAX_PATH));
+		if (wargc > 1 && wcsicmp(L"gui", wargv[1]) == 0) {
+			wait = 0;
+			if (wargc > 2 && wcsicmp(L"citool", wargv[2]) == 0) {
+				wait = 1;
+				wcscpy(cmd, L"git.exe");
+			}
+			else {
+				WCHAR script[MAX_PATH];
+				gui = 1;
+				wcscpy(script, exepath);
+				PathAppend(script,
+					L"libexec\\git-core\\git-gui");
+				PathQuoteSpaces(script);
+				wcscpy(cmd, L"wish.exe ");
+				wcscat(cmd, script);
+				wcscat(cmd, L" --");
+				/* find the module from the commandline */
+				exep = NULL;
+			}
+		}
+		else
+			wcscpy(cmd, L"git.exe");
+
+		/* append all after first space after the initial parameter */
+		p = wcschr(&cmdline[wcslen(wargv[0])], L' ');
+		if (p && *p) {
+			/* for git gui subcommands, remove the 'gui' word */
+			if (gui) {
+				while (*p == L' ') ++p;
+				p = wcschr(p, L' ');
+			}
+			if (p && *p)
+				wcscat(cmd, p);
+		}
+		LocalFree(wargv);
+	}
+
+	/* set the console to ANSI/GUI codepage */
+	codepage = GetConsoleCP();
+	SetConsoleCP(GetACP());
+
+	{
+		STARTUPINFO si;
+		PROCESS_INFORMATION pi;
+		BOOL br = FALSE;
+		ZeroMemory(&pi, sizeof(PROCESS_INFORMATION));
+		ZeroMemory(&si, sizeof(STARTUPINFO));
+		si.cb = sizeof(STARTUPINFO);
+		br = CreateProcess(/* module: null means use command line */
+				exep,
+				cmd,  /* modified command line */
+				NULL, /* process handle inheritance */
+				NULL, /* thread handle inheritance */
+				TRUE, /* handles inheritable? */
+				CREATE_UNICODE_ENVIRONMENT,
+				NULL, /* environment: use parent */
+				NULL, /* starting directory: use parent */
+				&si, &pi);
+		if (br) {
+			if (wait)
+				WaitForSingleObject(pi.hProcess, INFINITE);
+			if (!GetExitCodeProcess(pi.hProcess, (DWORD *)&r))
+				print_error(L"error reading exit code",
+					GetLastError());
+			CloseHandle(pi.hProcess);
+		}
+		else {
+			print_error(L"error launching git", GetLastError());
+			r = 1;
+		}
+	}
+
+	free(cmd);
+
+	/* reset the console codepage */
+	SetConsoleCP(codepage);
+	ExitProcess(r);
+}