diff --git a/help.c b/help.c
index 98d00cc4d9..a5ada18c76 100644
--- a/help.c
+++ b/help.c
@@ -165,6 +165,32 @@ static void list_common_cmds_help(void)
 	puts("(use 'git help -a' to get a list of all installed git commands)");
 }
 
+#ifdef __MINGW32__
+char* get_install_dir()
+{
+	static char* pgm = 0;
+	if (pgm) {
+		return pgm;
+	} else {
+		char* p;
+		int pgm_len = strlen(_pgmptr);
+		pgm = xmalloc(pgm_len + 1);
+		strcpy(pgm, _pgmptr);
+		p = strrchr(pgm, '\\'); /* <gitroot>\bin\ <- p */
+		if (p) {
+			*p = '\0';
+			p = strrchr(pgm, '\\'); /* <gitroot>\ <- p */
+			if (p) {
+				*p = '\0';
+				return pgm;
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	fprintf(stderr, "Fatal Error: failed to locate installation root.\n");
+	exit(1);
+}
+#endif
+
 static void show_man_page(const char *git_cmd)
 {
 	const char *page;
@@ -181,22 +207,24 @@ static void show_man_page(const char *git_cmd)
 	}
 
 #ifdef __MINGW32__
-       {
-           char* prefix = "/doc/git/html/";
-	   int prefix_len = strlen (prefix);
-	   char* suffix = ".html";
-	   int suffix_len = strlen (suffix);
-	   int page_len = strlen (page);
-	   int htmlpath_len = prefix_len + page_len + suffix_len;
-	   char* htmlpath = xmalloc (htmlpath_len + 1);
-	   strcpy (htmlpath, prefix);
-	   strcpy (htmlpath + prefix_len, page);
-	   strcpy (htmlpath + prefix_len + page_len, suffix);
-	   htmlpath[htmlpath_len] = 0;
-	   printf("Launching default browser to display html help...\n");
-	   /* We need sh here to run shell script /bin/start. */
-	   execlp("sh", "start", "/bin/start", htmlpath, NULL );
-       }
+	{
+		char* install_dir = get_install_dir();
+		int install_dir_len = strlen(install_dir);
+		char* html_dir = "\\doc\\git\\html\\";
+		int html_dir_len = strlen(html_dir);
+		char* suffix = ".html";
+		int suffix_len = strlen(suffix);
+		int page_len = strlen(page);
+		int htmlpath_len = install_dir_len + html_dir_len + page_len + suffix_len;
+		char* htmlpath = xmalloc(htmlpath_len + 1);
+		strcpy (htmlpath, install_dir);
+		strcpy (htmlpath + install_dir_len, html_dir);
+		strcpy (htmlpath + install_dir_len + html_dir_len, page);
+		strcpy (htmlpath + install_dir_len + html_dir_len + page_len, suffix);
+		htmlpath[htmlpath_len] = 0;
+		printf("Launching default browser to display html help...\n");
+		ShellExecute(NULL, "open", htmlpath, NULL, NULL, 0);
+	}
 #else
 	execlp("man", "man", page, NULL);
 #endif