diff --git a/README b/README
index 3fcdfb4c3..69a1bdd9f 100644
--- a/README
+++ b/README
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 [![Build Status](https://travis-ci.org/behdad/harfbuzz.svg)](https://travis-ci.org/behdad/harfbuzz)
+[![Build Status](https://ci.appveyor.com/api/projects/status/4oaq58ns2h0m2soa?svg=true)](https://ci.appveyor.com/project/behdad/harfbuzz)
 [![Coverage Status](https://img.shields.io/coveralls/behdad/harfbuzz.svg)](https://coveralls.io/r/behdad/harfbuzz)
 [ABI Tracker](http://abi-laboratory.pro/tracker/timeline/harfbuzz/)
 
diff --git a/appveyor.yml b/appveyor.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..391fdc2d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/appveyor.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+platform: x64
+
+environment:
+  matrix:
+    - compiler: msvc
+      ARCH: amd64
+      CFG: release
+    - compiler: msvc
+      ARCH: x86
+      CFG: release
+    - compiler: msvc
+      ARCH: amd64
+      CFG: debug
+    - compiler: msvc
+      ARCH: x86
+      CFG: debug
+
+install:
+  - C:\msys64\usr\bin\bash -lc "pacman --noconfirm -S mingw-w64-x86_64-ragel"
+
+build_script:
+  - '"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 14.0\VC\vcvarsall.bat" %ARCH%'
+  - C:\msys64\usr\bin\bash -lc "cd $APPVEYOR_BUILD_FOLDER; PATH=$PATH:/mingw64/bin:/mingw32/bin; ./autogen.sh; make distdir"
+  - cd harfbuzz-*\win32
+  - nmake /f Makefile.vc CFG=%CFG% DIRECTWRITE=1
+
+# disable automatic tests
+test: off
diff --git a/win32/generate-msvc.mak b/win32/generate-msvc.mak
index 48bd9f0fc..7c17a9465 100644
--- a/win32/generate-msvc.mak
+++ b/win32/generate-msvc.mak
@@ -23,4 +23,4 @@ $(HB_GOBJECT_ENUM_GENERATED_SOURCES): ..\src\hb-gobject-enums.h.tmpl ..\src\hb-g
 
 # Create the build directories
 $(CFG)\$(PLAT)\harfbuzz $(CFG)\$(PLAT)\harfbuzz-icu $(CFG)\$(PLAT)\harfbuzz-gobject $(CFG)\$(PLAT)\util:
-	@-mkdir $@
+	@-mkdir -p $@