diff --git a/make_helpers/build_macros.mk b/make_helpers/build_macros.mk
index f82ba53..5171ff0 100644
--- a/make_helpers/build_macros.mk
+++ b/make_helpers/build_macros.mk
@@ -346,9 +346,13 @@
 
 $(ELF): $(OBJS) $(LINKERFILE) | bl$(1)_dirs
 	@echo "  LD      $$@"
+ifdef MAKE_BUILD_STRINGS
+	$(call MAKE_BUILD_STRINGS, $(BUILD_DIR)/build_message.o)
+else
 	@echo 'const char build_message[] = "Built : "$(BUILD_MESSAGE_TIMESTAMP); \
 	       const char version_string[] = "${VERSION_STRING}";' | \
 		$$(CC) $$(CFLAGS) -xc - -o $(BUILD_DIR)/build_message.o
+endif
 	$$(Q)$$(LD) -o $$@ $$(LDFLAGS) -Map=$(MAPFILE) --script $(LINKERFILE) \
 					$(BUILD_DIR)/build_message.o $(OBJS)
 
diff --git a/make_helpers/windows.mk b/make_helpers/windows.mk
index 394df3a..8ac8246 100644
--- a/make_helpers/windows.mk
+++ b/make_helpers/windows.mk
@@ -91,3 +91,19 @@
 
 endif
 
+# Because git is not available from CMD.EXE, we need to avoid
+# the BUILD_STRING generation which uses git.
+# For now we use "development build".
+# This can be overridden from the command line or environment.
+BUILD_STRING ?= development build
+
+# The DOS echo shell command does not strip ' characters from the command
+# parameters before printing. We therefore use an alternative method invoked
+# by defining the MAKE_BUILD_STRINGS macro.
+BUILT_TIME_DATE_STRING = const char build_message[] = "Built : "${BUILD_MESSAGE_TIMESTAMP};
+VERSION_STRING_MESSAGE = const char version_string[] = "${VERSION_STRING}";
+define MAKE_BUILD_STRINGS
+	@echo $$(BUILT_TIME_DATE_STRING) $$(VERSION_STRING_MESSAGE) | \
+		$$(CC) $$(CFLAGS) -x c - -o $1
+endef
+