diff --git a/win32/README.txt b/win32/README.txt
index 1cb965c3d..e2ead01d0 100644
--- a/win32/README.txt
+++ b/win32/README.txt
@@ -68,6 +68,10 @@ ICU: Enables the build HarfBuzz-ICU, which is now the recommended layout engine
      for ICU (International Components for Unicode), which deprecated ICU LE.
      Requires the ICU libraries.
 
+DIRECTWRITE: Enable (experimental) DirectWrite platform shaper support,
+             requires a rather recent Windows SDK, and at least Windows Vista/
+             Server 2008 with SP2 and platform update.
+
 PYTHON: Full path to the Python interpretor to be used, if it is not in %PATH%.
 
 PERL: Full path to the PERL interpretor to be used, if it is not in %PATH%.
diff --git a/win32/config-msvc.mak b/win32/config-msvc.mak
index 70f4c1b4e..e0c6468e3 100644
--- a/win32/config-msvc.mak
+++ b/win32/config-msvc.mak
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@ CAIRO_LIB = cairo.lib
 # Graphite2 is needed for building SIL Graphite2 support
 GRAPHITE2_LIB = graphite2.lib
 
+# Directwrite is needed for DirectWrite shaping support
+DIRECTWRITE_LIB = dwrite.lib
+
 # Please do not change anything beneath this line unless maintaining the NMake Makefiles
 # Bare minimum features and sources built into HarfBuzz on Windows
 HB_DEFINES =
@@ -185,4 +188,11 @@ HB_CFLAGS =	\
 HB_SOURCES = $(HB_SOURCES) $(LIBHB_UCDN_sources) $(HB_UCDN_sources)
 !endif
 
+!if "$(DIRECTWRITE)" == "1"
+HB_CFLAGS = $(HB_CFLAGS) /DHAVE_DIRECTWRITE
+HB_SOURCES = $(HB_SOURCES) $(HB_DIRECTWRITE_sources)
+HB_HEADERS = $(HB_HEADERS) $(HB_DIRECTWRITE_headers)
+HB_DEP_LIBS = $(HB_DEP_LIBS) $(DIRECTWRITE_LIB)
+!endif
+
 HB_LIB_CFLAGS = $(HB_CFLAGS) /DHB_EXTERN="__declspec (dllexport) extern"
diff --git a/win32/config.h.win32.in b/win32/config.h.win32.in
index 4f42b83ea..73ad205d5 100644
--- a/win32/config.h.win32.in
+++ b/win32/config.h.win32.in
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@
 /* Define to 1 if you have the <dlfcn.h> header file. */
 /* #undef HAVE_DLFCN_H */
 
+/* Have DirectWrite Library */
+/* #undef HAVE_DIRECTWRITE */
+
 /* Have simple TrueType Layout backend */
 #define HAVE_FALLBACK 1
 
diff --git a/win32/info-msvc.mak b/win32/info-msvc.mak
index c009639b7..bc85dc9c9 100644
--- a/win32/info-msvc.mak
+++ b/win32/info-msvc.mak
@@ -23,6 +23,10 @@ INC_FEATURES = $(INC_FEATURES) FreeType
 INC_FEATURES = $(INC_FEATURES) Graphite2
 !endif
 
+!if "$(DIRECTWRITE)" == "1"
+INC_FEATURES = $(INC_FEATURES) DirectWrite
+!endif
+
 !if "$(ICU)" == "1"
 BUILT_LIBRARIES = $(BUILT_LIBRARIES) HarfBuzz-ICU
 !endif
@@ -76,6 +80,9 @@ help:
 	@echo HarfBuzz DLL is built with OpenType, fallback and Uniscribe support
 	@echo with a bundled Unicode implementation (UCDN).
 	@echo ======
+	@echo DIRECTWRITE:
+	@echo Enable DirectWrite support, requires a recent enough Windows SDK.
+	@echo.
 	@echo GRAPHITE2:
 	@echo Enable graphite2 support, requires the SIL Graphite2 library
 	@echo.