diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 18dd2576db..80434004dc 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -21,12 +21,6 @@ to use forward slashes in the path.
     $ make
     $ build/macosx-x86_64/avian -cp build/macosx-x86_64/test Hello
 
-#### on Windows (MSYS):
-    $ git clone git@github.com:ReadyTalk/win64.git ../win64
-    $ export JAVA_HOME="C:/Program Files/Java/jdk1.7.0_45"
-    $ make
-    $ build/windows-x86_64/avian -cp build/windows-x86_64/test Hello
-
 #### on Windows (Cygwin):
     $ git clone git@github.com:ReadyTalk/win64.git ../win64
     $ export JAVA_HOME="/cygdrive/c/Program Files/Java/jdk1.7.0_45"
@@ -180,17 +174,7 @@ devices.  See [here](https://github.com/ReadyTalk/hello-ios) for an
 example of an Xcode project for iOS which uses Avian.
 
 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_.
+MinGW or build natively on Windows under Cygwin.
 
 #### Installing Cygwin:
 
diff --git a/makefile b/makefile
index 24592fdc27..b1f0c1ed05 100755
--- a/makefile
+++ b/makefile
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ build-arch := $(shell uname -m \
 build-platform := \
 	$(shell uname -s | tr [:upper:] [:lower:] \
 		| sed \
-			-e 's/^mingw32.*$$/mingw32/' \
 			-e 's/^cygwin.*$$/cygwin/' \
 			-e 's/^darwin.*$$/macosx/')
 
@@ -25,7 +24,7 @@ arch = $(build-arch)
 target-arch = $(arch)
 
 bootimage-platform = \
-	$(subst cygwin,windows,$(subst mingw32,windows,$(build-platform)))
+	$(subst cygwin,windows,$(build-platform))
 
 platform = $(bootimage-platform)
 
@@ -149,7 +148,7 @@ windows-path = echo
 
 path-separator = :
 
-ifneq (,$(filter mingw32 cygwin,$(build-platform)))
+ifneq (,$(filter cygwin,$(build-platform)))
 	path-separator = ;
 endif
 
@@ -416,14 +415,6 @@ endif
 
 input = List
 
-ifeq ($(use-clang),true)
-	build-cxx = clang++ -std=c++11
-	build-cc = clang
-else
-	build-cxx = g++
-	build-cc = gcc
-endif
-
 mflag =
 ifneq ($(kernel),darwin)
 	ifeq ($(arch),i386)
@@ -434,10 +425,18 @@ ifneq ($(kernel),darwin)
 	endif
 endif
 
+ifeq ($(use-clang),true)
+	build-cxx = clang++ -std=c++11
+	build-cc = clang
+else
+	build-cxx = g++ $(mflag)
+	build-cc = gcc $(mflag)
+endif
+
 target-format = elf
 
-cxx = $(build-cxx) $(mflag)
-cc = $(build-cc) $(mflag)
+cxx = $(build-cxx)
+cc = $(build-cc)
 
 ar = ar
 ranlib = ranlib
@@ -683,15 +682,15 @@ ifeq ($(platform),android)
 
 	build-cflags = $(common-cflags) -I$(src)
 	build-lflags = -lz -lpthread
-	ifeq ($(subst cygwin,windows,$(subst mingw32,windows,$(build-platform))),windows)
-		toolchain-host-platform = $(subst cygwin,windows,$(subst mingw32,windows,$(build-platform)))
+	ifeq ($(subst cygwin,windows,$(build-platform)),windows)
+		toolchain-host-platform = $(subst cygwin,windows,$(build-platform))
 		build-system = windows
 		build-cxx = i686-w64-mingw32-g++
 		build-cc = i686-w64-mingw32-gcc
 		sysroot = "$$(cygpath -w "$(ndk)/platforms/android-$(android-version)/arch-arm")"
 		build-cflags += "-I$(JAVA_HOME)/include/win32"
 	else
-		toolchain-host-platform = $(subst cygwin,windows,$(subst mingw32,windows,$(build-platform)))-*
+		toolchain-host-platform = $(subst cygwin,windows,$(build-platform))-*
 		sysroot = $(ndk)/platforms/android-$(android-version)/arch-arm
 		build-cflags += "-I$(JAVA_HOME)/include/linux"
 		build-lflags += -ldl
@@ -919,7 +918,7 @@ ifeq ($(platform),windows)
 
 	cflags = -I$(inc) $(common-cflags) -DWINVER=0x0500 -U__STRICT_ANSI__
 
-	ifeq (,$(filter mingw32 cygwin,$(build-platform)))
+	ifeq (,$(filter cygwin,$(build-platform)))
 		openjdk-extra-cflags += -I$(src)/openjdk/caseSensitive
 		prefix := $(shell i686-w64-mingw32-gcc --version >/dev/null 2>&1 \
 			&& echo i686-w64-mingw32- || echo x86_64-w64-mingw32-)