diff --git a/makefile b/makefile
index 250fc58e5a..f06074bdcb 100644
--- a/makefile
+++ b/makefile
@@ -6,10 +6,12 @@ version = 0.1.1
 build-arch = $(shell uname -m | sed 's/^i.86$$/i386/')
 
 build-platform = \
-	$(shell uname -s | tr [:upper:] [:lower:] | sed 's/^mingw32.*$$/windows/')
+	$(shell uname -s | tr [:upper:] [:lower:] \
+		| sed 's/^mingw32.*$$/mingw32/' \
+		| sed 's/^cygwin.*$$/cygwin/')
 
 arch = $(build-arch)
-platform = $(build-platform)
+platform = $(subst cygwin,windows,$(subst mingw32,windows,$(build-platform)))
 
 ifeq ($(platform),windows)
 	arch = i386
@@ -62,6 +64,8 @@ cflags = $(build-cflags)
 
 common-lflags = -lm -lz
 
+build-lflags =
+
 lflags = $(common-lflags) -lpthread -ldl
 
 system = posix
@@ -76,6 +80,8 @@ so-suffix = .so
 
 shared = -shared
 
+native-path = echo
+
 ifeq ($(arch),i386)
 	object-arch = i386
 	object-format = elf32-i386
@@ -103,20 +109,27 @@ ifeq ($(platform),windows)
 	so-suffix = .dll
 	exe-suffix = .exe
 
-	ifeq ($(build-platform),windows)
-		build-cflags = $(common-cflags) \
-			"-I$(JAVA_HOME)/include/win32" -I$(src) -mthreads
-	else
+	lflags = -L$(lib) $(common-lflags) -lws2_32 -mwindows -mconsole
+	cflags = $(common-cflags) -I$(inc)
+
+	ifeq (,$(filter mingw32 cygwin,$(build-platform)))
 		cxx = i586-mingw32msvc-g++
 		cc = i586-mingw32msvc-gcc
 		dlltool = i586-mingw32msvc-dlltool
 		ar = i586-mingw32msvc-ar
 		ranlib = i586-mingw32msvc-ranlib
 		objcopy = i586-mingw32msvc-objcopy
+	else
+		build-cflags = $(common-cflags) \
+			"-I$(JAVA_HOME)/include/win32" -I$(src) -mthreads
+		ifeq ($(build-platform),cygwin)
+			build-lflags += -mno-cygwin
+			build-cflags += -mno-cygwin
+			lflags += -mno-cygwin
+			cflags += -mno-cygwin
+			native-path = cygpath -m
+		endif
 	endif
-
-	lflags = -L$(lib) $(common-lflags) -lws2_32 -mwindows -mconsole
-	cflags = $(common-cflags) -I$(inc)
 endif
 
 ifeq ($(mode),debug)
@@ -333,7 +346,7 @@ $(boot-object): $(boot-source)
 $(build)/classpath.jar: $(classpath-dep)
 	(wd=$$(pwd); \
 	 cd $(classpath-build); \
-	 $(jar) c0f "$${wd}/$(@)" $$(find . -name '*.class'))
+	 $(jar) c0f "$$($(native-path) "$${wd}/$(@)")" $$(find . -name '*.class'))
 
 $(binaryToMacho): $(src)/binaryToMacho.cpp
 	$(cxx) $(^) -o $(@)
@@ -392,5 +405,5 @@ $(executable-dynamic): $(driver-dynamic-object) $(dynamic-library)
 
 $(generator): $(generator-objects)
 	@echo "linking $(@)"
-	$(build-cc) $(^) -o $(@)
+	$(build-cc) $(^) $(build-lflags) -o $(@)
 
diff --git a/readme.txt b/readme.txt
index d31022e1f0..c4e80a3cfd 100644
--- a/readme.txt
+++ b/readme.txt
@@ -11,19 +11,18 @@ on Mac OS X:
  $ make
  $ build/darwin-i386-compile-fast/avian -cp build/test Hello
  
-on Windows:
-
-Install the current MSYS from the MinGW page (selecting the C and C++
-compilers).  Follow the post-install options to create the file system
-link to the compiler.  Upgrade to GNU make 3.81 by downloading the
-current release of GNU make from the same download page as the MSYS
-download page.  Extract the tarball into your MSYS installation
-directory.  Open the MSYS shell and:
+on Windows (MSYS):
 
  $ export JAVA_HOME="C:/Program Files/Java/jdk1.6.0_07"
  $ make
  $ build/windows-i386-compile-fast/avian -cp build/test Hello
 
+on Windows (Cygwin):
+
+ $ export JAVA_HOME="/cygdrive/c/Program Files/Java/jdk1.6.0_07"
+ $ make
+ $ build/windows-i386-compile-fast/avian -cp build/test Hello
+
 Adjust JAVA_HOME according to your system, but be sure to use forward
 slashes in the path.
 
@@ -72,15 +71,6 @@ Build requirements include:
 Earlier versions of some of these packages may also work but have not
 been tested.
 
-If you are cross-compiling for Windows, you may find it useful to use
-our win32 repository: (run this from the directory containing the
-avian directory)
-
-  $ git clone git://oss.readytalk.com/win32.git
-
-This gives you the Windows JNI headers, zlib headers and library, and
-a few other useful libraries like OpenSSL and libjpeg.
-
 The build is directed by a single makefile and may be influenced via
 certain flags described below.
 
@@ -101,6 +91,33 @@ certain flags described below.
   * process - choice between pure interpreter or JIT compiler
       default: compile
 
+If you are compiling for Windows, you may either cross-compile using
+MinGW or build natively on Windows under MSYS or Cygwin.
+
+Installing MSYS:
+
+  1. Download and install the current MinGW and MSYS packages from
+  mingw.org, selecting the C and C++ compilers when prompted.  Use the
+  post-install script to create the filesystem link to the compiler.
+
+  2. Download GNU Make 3.81 from the MSYS download page
+  (make-3.81-MSYS-1.0.11-2.tar.bz2) and extract the tar file into
+  e.g. c:/msys/1.0.
+
+Installing Cygwin:
+
+  1. Download and run setup.exe from cygwin.com, installing the base
+  system and these packages: make, gcc-mingw-g++, and (optionally)
+  git.
+
+You may also find our win32 repository useful: (run this from the
+directory containing the avian directory)
+
+  $ git clone git://oss.readytalk.com/win32.git
+
+This gives you the Windows JNI headers, zlib headers and library, and
+a few other useful libraries like OpenSSL and libjpeg.
+
 
 Installing
 ----------
@@ -114,6 +131,9 @@ Embedding
 The following series of commands illustrates how to produce a
 stand-alone executable out of a Java application using Avian.
 
+Note: if you are building on Cygwin, add -mno-cygwin to each of the
+compile and link commands below.
+
 Step 1: Build Avian, create a new directory, and populate it with the
 VM object files and bootstrap classpath jar.