diff --git a/.appveyor.yml b/.appveyor.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f10096654
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.appveyor.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+#---------------------------------#
+#      general configuration      #
+#---------------------------------#
+
+version: 2.11.0-{build}-{branch}
+
+branches:
+  only:
+    - develop
+    - master
+
+image: Visual Studio 2015
+
+environment:
+    CONDA: c:\Miniconda37-x64
+    ECMWF: c:\ecmwf
+    GIT_CLONE_DIR: $(ECMWF)\git
+    INSTALL_DIR: $(ECMWF)\install
+    ECCODES_SRC: $(GIT_CLONE_DIR)\eccodes
+    ECBUILD_SRC: $(GIT_CLONE_DIR)\ecbuild
+
+# scripts that are called at very beginning, before repo cloning
+init:
+    # make sure git clones symlinks as symlinks
+    - cmd: git config --global core.symlinks true
+    # activate conda environment so the tests can find linux utils
+    - cmd: call %CONDA%\Scripts\activate.bat
+    # add eccodes\build\bin to path so tests can find eccodes.dll
+    - cmd: set PATH=%PATH%;%ECCODES_SRC%\build\bin
+    # auto-yes for conda
+    - cmd: conda config --set always_yes yes
+
+clone_folder: $(ECCODES_SRC)
+
+clone_depth: 1
+
+# scripts that run after cloning repository
+install:
+    # install ecbuild
+    - cmd: git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/ecmwf/ecbuild.git %ECBUILD_SRC%
+
+    # install linux utils
+    - cmd: conda install -c msys2 m2-bash ^
+                                  m2-findutils ^
+                                  m2-coreutils ^
+                                  m2-grep ^
+                                  m2-sed ^
+                                  m2-gawk ^
+                                  m2-diffutils ^
+                                  m2-perl
+
+    # get the latest version of cmake
+    - cmd: conda install -c conda-forge cmake
+
+    # other deps
+    - cmd: conda install netcdf4
+
+#---------------------------------#
+#       build configuration       #
+#---------------------------------#
+
+platform:
+    - x64
+
+before_build:
+    - cmd: call "C:\Program Files\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v7.1\Bin\SetEnv.cmd" /x64
+    - cmd: call "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 14.0\VC\vcvarsall.bat" x86_amd64
+
+build_script:
+    - cmd: cd %ECCODES_SRC%
+    - cmd: mkdir build && cd build
+    - cmd: cmake -G "NMake Makefiles" ^
+                 -D CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=%INSTALL_DIR% ^
+                 -D CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release ^
+                 -D ENABLE_FORTRAN=0 ^
+                 -D ENABLE_PYTHON=0 ^
+                 -D ENABLE_NETCDF=1 ^
+                 -D ENABLE_JPG=1 ^
+                 -D IEEE_LE=1 ^
+                 -D ENABLE_MEMFS=0 ^
+                 -D ENABLE_EXTRA_TESTS=OFF ^
+                 ..
+    - cmd: nmake
+    - cmd: ctest
+    - cmd: nmake install
+
+#---------------------------------#
+#       tests configuration       #
+#---------------------------------#
+
+test_script:
+    - cmd: codes_info
+    - cmd: for /F "tokens=* USEBACKQ" %%F IN (`codes_info -s`) DO (ls %%F)
+    - cmd: for /F "tokens=* USEBACKQ" %%F IN (`codes_info -d`) DO (ls %%F)
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index e511865d2..2b08f1a81 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -58,6 +58,9 @@ check_c_source_compiles(
       " ECCODES_HAVE_C_INLINE )
 
 include(eccodes_test_endiness)
+if( EC_OS_NAME MATCHES "windows" )
+    include(eccodes_find_linux_utils)
+endif()
 
 ecbuild_debug("ECCODES_BIG_ENDIAN=${ECCODES_BIG_ENDIAN}")
 ecbuild_debug("ECCODES_LITTLE_ENDIAN=${ECCODES_LITTLE_ENDIAN}")
diff --git a/README b/README.md
similarity index 84%
rename from README
rename to README.md
index 23d6e598e..3f0172ab2 100644
--- a/README
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+ecCodes
+=======
+
+[![Windows: master](https://img.shields.io/appveyor/ci/ecmwf/eccodes/master.svg?label=windows-master)](https://ci.appveyor.com/project/ecmwf/eccodes/branch/master)
+[![Windows: develop](https://img.shields.io/appveyor/ci/ecmwf/eccodes/develop.svg?label=windows-dev)](https://ci.appveyor.com/project/ecmwf/eccodes/branch/develop)
+
 ecCodes is a package developed by ECMWF which provides an application programming interface
 and a set of tools for decoding and encoding messages in the following formats:
 
diff --git a/cmake/eccodes_find_linux_utils.cmake b/cmake/eccodes_find_linux_utils.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f17abcab0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmake/eccodes_find_linux_utils.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+# (C) Copyright 2011- ECMWF.
+#
+# This software is licensed under the terms of the Apache Licence Version 2.0
+# which can be obtained at http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.
+# In applying this licence, ECMWF does not waive the privileges and immunities
+# granted to it by virtue of its status as an intergovernmental organisation nor
+# does it submit to any jurisdiction.
+
+function( eccodes_find_linux_util _p_UTIL )
+    find_program( FOUND_PROGRAM ${_p_UTIL} )
+    if( NOT FOUND_PROGRAM )
+        ecbuild_critical( "Failed to find linux util: ${_p_UTIL}" )
+    endif()
+endfunction( eccodes_find_linux_util )
+
+if( ENABLE_TESTS )
+    # These utils are required for the tests to run.
+    # To install them on Windows, install the appropriate m2-* conda package.
+    # e.g. for bash: `conda install -msys2 m2-bash`
+    # Make sure to activate the conda environment so the utils are in the system path.
+    set( REQUIRED_UTILS bash find grep sed gawk diff )
+
+    foreach( UTIL ${REQUIRED_UTILS} )
+        eccodes_find_linux_util( ${UTIL} )
+    endforeach()
+endif()
diff --git a/tigge/tigge_name.c b/tigge/tigge_name.c
index e2878a915..7474c3772 100755
--- a/tigge/tigge_name.c
+++ b/tigge/tigge_name.c
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@
   #include <io.h>
 #endif
 
-/* #define CHECK(a) check(#a,a) */
 #define NUMBER(a) (sizeof(a)/sizeof(a[0]))
 
 int error = 0;
@@ -44,48 +43,6 @@ const char* param = "unknown";
 int list_mode = 0;
 int compare_mode = 0;
 
-#if 0
-static void check(const char* name,int a)
-{
-    if(!a) {
-        printf("%s, field %d [%s]: %s failed\n",file,field,param,name);
-        error++;
-    }
-}
-
-static double dget(grib_handle *h,const char* what)
-{
-    int e; double val;
-    if((e = grib_get_double(h,what,&val)) != GRIB_SUCCESS)
-    {
-        printf("%s, field %d [%s]: cannot get %s: %s\n",file,field,param,what,grib_get_error_message(e));
-        error++;
-        val = -1;
-    }
-    return val;
-}
-
-static int missing(grib_handle *h,const char* what)
-{
-    int err=0;
-    return grib_is_missing(h,what,&err);
-}
-
-static int eq(grib_handle *h,const char* what,long value)
-{
-    return get(h,what) == value;
-}
-
-static int ne(grib_handle *h,const char* what,long value)
-{
-    return get(h,what) != value;
-}
-
-static int ge(grib_handle *h,const char* what,long value)
-{
-    return get(h,what) >= value;
-}
-#endif
 static long get(grib_handle *h,const char* what)
 {
     int e; long val;