diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 1fdb6e897..7bbfbddbe 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,8 +1,12 @@
+# External build directory support
+
 include mk/build-dir.mk
 
 -include $(buildprefix)Makefile.config
 clean-files += $(buildprefix)Makefile.config
 
+# List makefiles
+
 ifeq ($(ENABLE_BUILD), yes)
 makefiles = \
   mk/precompiled-headers.mk \
@@ -43,6 +47,8 @@ makefiles += \
   tests/functional/plugins/local.mk
 endif
 
+# Miscellaneous global Flags
+
 OPTIMIZE = 1
 
 ifeq ($(OPTIMIZE), 1)
@@ -52,9 +58,29 @@ else
   GLOBAL_CXXFLAGS += -O0 -U_FORTIFY_SOURCE
 endif
 
+include mk/platform.mk
+
+ifdef HOST_WINDOWS
+  # Windows DLLs are stricter about symbol visibility than Unix shared
+  # objects --- see https://gcc.gnu.org/wiki/Visibility for details.
+  # This is a temporary sledgehammer to export everything like on Unix,
+  # and not detail with this yet.
+  #
+  # TODO do not do this, and instead do fine-grained export annotations.
+  GLOBAL_LDFLAGS += -Wl,--export-all-symbols
+endif
+
+GLOBAL_CXXFLAGS += -g -Wall -include $(buildprefix)config.h -std=c++2a -I src
+
+# Include the main lib, causing rules to be defined
+
 include mk/lib.mk
 
-# Must be included after `mk/lib.mk` so isn't the default target.
+# Fallback stub rules for better UX when things are disabled
+#
+# These must be defined after `mk/lib.mk`. Otherwise the first rule
+# incorrectly becomes the default target.
+
 ifneq ($(ENABLE_UNIT_TESTS), yes)
 .PHONY: check
 check:
@@ -69,8 +95,11 @@ installcheck:
 	@exit 1
 endif
 
-# Must be included after `mk/lib.mk` so rules refer to variables defined
-# by the library. Rules are not "lazy" like variables, unfortunately.
+# Documentation or else fallback stub rules.
+#
+# The documentation makefiles be included after `mk/lib.mk` so rules
+# refer to variables defined by `mk/lib.mk`. Rules are not "lazy" like
+# variables, unfortunately.
 
 ifeq ($(ENABLE_DOC_GEN), yes)
 $(eval $(call include-sub-makefile, doc/manual/local.mk))
@@ -89,5 +118,3 @@ internal-api-html:
 	@echo "Internal API docs are disabled. Configure with '--enable-internal-api-docs', or avoid calling 'make internal-api-html'."
 	@exit 1
 endif
-
-GLOBAL_CXXFLAGS += -g -Wall -include $(buildprefix)config.h -std=c++2a -I src
diff --git a/mk/lib.mk b/mk/lib.mk
index a5a067e48..10ce8d436 100644
--- a/mk/lib.mk
+++ b/mk/lib.mk
@@ -12,38 +12,7 @@ man-pages :=
 install-tests :=
 install-tests-groups :=
 
-ifdef HOST_OS
-  HOST_KERNEL = $(firstword $(subst -, ,$(HOST_OS)))
-  ifeq ($(patsubst mingw%,,$(HOST_KERNEL)),)
-    HOST_MINGW = 1
-    HOST_WINDOWS = 1
-  endif
-  ifeq ($(HOST_KERNEL), cygwin)
-    HOST_CYGWIN = 1
-    HOST_WINDOWS = 1
-    HOST_UNIX = 1
-  endif
-  ifeq ($(patsubst darwin%,,$(HOST_KERNEL)),)
-    HOST_DARWIN = 1
-    HOST_UNIX = 1
-  endif
-  ifeq ($(patsubst freebsd%,,$(HOST_KERNEL)),)
-    HOST_FREEBSD = 1
-    HOST_UNIX = 1
-  endif
-  ifeq ($(patsubst netbsd%,,$(HOST_KERNEL)),)
-    HOST_NETBSD = 1
-    HOST_UNIX = 1
-  endif
-  ifeq ($(HOST_KERNEL), linux)
-    HOST_LINUX = 1
-    HOST_UNIX = 1
-  endif
-  ifeq ($(patsubst solaris%,,$(HOST_KERNEL)),)
-    HOST_SOLARIS = 1
-    HOST_UNIX = 1
-  endif
-endif
+include mk/platform.mk
 
 # Hack to define a literal space.
 space :=
diff --git a/mk/libraries.mk b/mk/libraries.mk
index 515a481f6..b99ba2782 100644
--- a/mk/libraries.mk
+++ b/mk/libraries.mk
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ libs-list :=
 ifdef HOST_DARWIN
   SO_EXT = dylib
 else
-  ifdef HOST_CYGWIN
+  ifdef HOST_WINDOWS
     SO_EXT = dll
   else
     SO_EXT = so
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ define build-library
   $(1)_OBJS := $$(addprefix $(buildprefix), $$(addsuffix .o, $$(basename $$(_srcs))))
   _libs := $$(foreach lib, $$($(1)_LIBS), $$($$(lib)_PATH))
 
-  ifdef HOST_CYGWIN
+  ifdef HOST_WINDOWS
     $(1)_INSTALL_DIR ?= $$(bindir)
   else
     $(1)_INSTALL_DIR ?= $$(libdir)
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ define build-library
       endif
     else
       ifndef HOST_DARWIN
-        ifndef HOST_CYGWIN
+        ifndef HOST_WINDOWS
           $(1)_LDFLAGS += -Wl,-z,defs
         endif
       endif
diff --git a/mk/platform.mk b/mk/platform.mk
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fe960dedf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mk/platform.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+ifdef HOST_OS
+  HOST_KERNEL = $(firstword $(subst -, ,$(HOST_OS)))
+  ifeq ($(patsubst mingw%,,$(HOST_KERNEL)),)
+    HOST_MINGW = 1
+    HOST_WINDOWS = 1
+  endif
+  ifeq ($(HOST_KERNEL), cygwin)
+    HOST_CYGWIN = 1
+    HOST_WINDOWS = 1
+    HOST_UNIX = 1
+  endif
+  ifeq ($(patsubst darwin%,,$(HOST_KERNEL)),)
+    HOST_DARWIN = 1
+    HOST_UNIX = 1
+  endif
+  ifeq ($(patsubst freebsd%,,$(HOST_KERNEL)),)
+    HOST_FREEBSD = 1
+    HOST_UNIX = 1
+  endif
+  ifeq ($(patsubst netbsd%,,$(HOST_KERNEL)),)
+    HOST_NETBSD = 1
+    HOST_UNIX = 1
+  endif
+  ifeq ($(HOST_KERNEL), linux)
+    HOST_LINUX = 1
+    HOST_UNIX = 1
+  endif
+  ifeq ($(patsubst solaris%,,$(HOST_KERNEL)),)
+    HOST_SOLARIS = 1
+    HOST_UNIX = 1
+  endif
+endif
diff --git a/mk/programs.mk b/mk/programs.mk
index 6235311e9..623caaf55 100644
--- a/mk/programs.mk
+++ b/mk/programs.mk
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 programs-list :=
 
+ifdef HOST_WINDOWS
+  EXE_EXT = .exe
+else
+  EXE_EXT =
+endif
+
 # Build a program with symbolic name $(1).  The program is defined by
 # various variables prefixed by ‘$(1)_’:
 #
@@ -31,7 +37,7 @@ define build-program
   _srcs := $$(sort $$(foreach src, $$($(1)_SOURCES), $$(src)))
   $(1)_OBJS := $$(addprefix $(buildprefix), $$(addsuffix .o, $$(basename $$(_srcs))))
   _libs := $$(foreach lib, $$($(1)_LIBS), $$(foreach lib2, $$($$(lib)_LIB_CLOSURE), $$($$(lib2)_PATH)))
-  $(1)_PATH := $$(_d)/$$($(1)_NAME)
+  $(1)_PATH := $$(_d)/$$($(1)_NAME)$(EXE_EXT)
 
   $$(eval $$(call create-dir, $$(_d)))
 
@@ -42,7 +48,7 @@ define build-program
 
   ifdef $(1)_INSTALL_DIR
 
-    $(1)_INSTALL_PATH := $$($(1)_INSTALL_DIR)/$$($(1)_NAME)
+    $(1)_INSTALL_PATH := $$($(1)_INSTALL_DIR)/$$($(1)_NAME)$(EXE_EXT)
 
     $$(eval $$(call create-dir, $$($(1)_INSTALL_DIR)))