diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index a10211f17a..559feb0fa4 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -18,9 +18,13 @@ BUILD_SYSTEM_DIR := vendor/nimbus-build-system
 	bottles \
 	bottles-dummy \
 	bottles-macos \
+	check-pkg-target-linux \
+	check-pkg-target-macos \
+	check-pkg-target-windows \
 	clean \
 	deps \
 	nim_status_client \
+	nim_windows_launcher \
 	pkg \
 	pkg-linux \
 	pkg-macos \
@@ -70,13 +74,31 @@ ifeq ($(detected_OS),Darwin)
 else ifeq ($(detected_OS),Windows)
  BOTTLES_TARGET := bottles-dummy
  PKG_TARGET := pkg-windows
+ QRCODEGEN_MAKE_PARAMS := CC=gcc
  RUN_TARGET := run-windows
+ VCINSTALLDIR ?= C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Microsoft Visual Studio\\2017\\BuildTools\\VC\\
+ export VCINSTALLDIR
 else
  BOTTLES_TARGET := bottles-dummy
  PKG_TARGET := pkg-linux
  RUN_TARGET := run-linux-or-macos
 endif
 
+check-pkg-target-linux:
+ifneq ($(detected_OS),Linux)
+	$(error The pkg-linux target must be run on Linux)
+endif
+
+check-pkg-target-macos:
+ifneq ($(detected_OS),Darwin)
+	$(error The pkg-macos target must be run on macOS)
+endif
+
+check-pkg-target-windows:
+ifneq ($(detected_OS),Windows)
+	$(error The pkg-windows target must be run on Windows)
+endif
+
 bottles: $(BOTTLES_TARGET)
 
 bottles-dummy: ;
@@ -142,7 +164,6 @@ else
  DOTHERSIDE_BUILD_CMD := cmake --build . --config Release $(HANDLE_OUTPUT)
  NIM_PARAMS += -L:$(DOTHERSIDE)
  NIM_EXTRA_PARAMS := --passL:"-lsetupapi -lhid"
- QRCODEGEN_MAKE_PARAMS := CC=gcc
 endif
 
 # TODO: control debug/release builds with a Make var
@@ -206,6 +227,7 @@ STATUS_CLIENT_APPIMAGE ?= pkg/NimStatusClient-x86_64.AppImage
 
 $(STATUS_CLIENT_APPIMAGE): nim_status_client $(APPIMAGE_TOOL) nim-status.desktop
 	rm -rf pkg/*.AppImage
+	rm -rf tmp/linux/dist
 	mkdir -p tmp/linux/dist/usr/bin
 	mkdir -p tmp/linux/dist/usr/lib
 	mkdir -p tmp/linux/dist/usr/qml
@@ -285,18 +307,69 @@ ifdef MACOS_CODESIGN_IDENT
 	scripts/sign-macos-pkg.sh $(STATUS_CLIENT_DMG) $(MACOS_CODESIGN_IDENT)
 endif
 
-STATUS_CLIENT_EXE ?= pkg/Status.exe
+NIM_WINDOWS_PREBUILT_DLLS ?= tmp/windows/tools/pcre.dll
 
-# not implemented yet
-# $(STATUS_CLIENT_EXE): nim_status_client
+$(NIM_WINDOWS_PREBUILT_DLLS):
+	echo -e "\e[92mFetching:\e[39m prebuilt DLLs from nim-lang.org"
+	rm -rf tmp/windows
+	mkdir -p tmp/windows/tools
+	cd tmp/windows/tools && \
+	wget https://nim-lang.org/download/dlls.zip && \
+	unzip dlls.zip
+
+nim_windows_launcher: | deps
+	$(ENV_SCRIPT) nim c -d:debug --outdir:./bin --passL:"-static-libgcc -Wl,-Bstatic,--whole-archive -lwinpthread -Wl,--no-whole-archive" src/nim_windows_launcher.nim
+
+STATUS_CLIENT_ZIP ?= pkg/Status.zip
+
+$(STATUS_CLIENT_ZIP): nim_status_client nim_windows_launcher $(NIM_WINDOWS_PREBUILT_DLLS)
+	rm -rf pkg/*.zip
+	rm -rf tmp/windows/dist
+	mkdir -p tmp/windows/dist/Status/bin
+	mkdir -p tmp/windows/dist/Status/resources
+	mkdir -p tmp/windows/dist/Status/vendor
+	cp windows-install.txt tmp/windows/dist/Status/INSTALL.txt
+	unix2dos -k tmp/windows/dist/Status/INSTALL.txt
+	# cp LICENSE tmp/windows/dist/Status/LICENSE.txt
+	# unix2dos -k tmp/windows/dist/Status/LICENSE.txt
+	cp status.ico tmp/windows/dist/Status/resources/
+	cp status.svg tmp/windows/dist/Status/resources/
+	cp resources.rcc tmp/windows/dist/Status/resources/
+	cp bin/nim_status_client.exe tmp/windows/dist/Status/bin/Status.exe
+	mv bin/nim_windows_launcher.exe tmp/windows/dist/Status/Status.exe
+	rcedit \
+		tmp/windows/dist/Status/bin/Status.exe \
+		--set-icon tmp/windows/dist/Status/resources/status.ico
+	rcedit \
+		tmp/windows/dist/Status/Status.exe \
+		--set-icon tmp/windows/dist/Status/resources/status.ico
+	cp $(DOTHERSIDE) tmp/windows/dist/Status/bin/
+	cp tmp/windows/tools/*.dll tmp/windows/dist/Status/bin/
+	cp "$(shell which libgcc_s_seh-1.dll)" tmp/windows/dist/Status/bin/
+	cp "$(shell which libwinpthread-1.dll)" tmp/windows/dist/Status/bin/
+
+	echo -e $(BUILD_MSG) "deployable folder"
+	windeployqt \
+		--compiler-runtime \
+		--qmldir ui \
+		--release \
+		tmp/windows/dist/Status/bin/DOtherSide.dll
+	mv tmp/windows/dist/Status/bin/vc_redist.x64.exe tmp/windows/dist/Status/vendor/
+	# implement code signing of applicable files in deployable folder
+
+	echo -e $(BUILD_MSG) "zip"
+	mkdir -p pkg
+	cd tmp/windows/dist/Status && \
+	7z a ../../../../pkg/Status.zip *
+	# can the final .zip file be code signed as well?
 
 pkg: $(PKG_TARGET)
 
-pkg-linux: $(STATUS_CLIENT_APPIMAGE)
+pkg-linux: check-pkg-target-linux $(STATUS_CLIENT_APPIMAGE)
 
-pkg-macos: $(STATUS_CLIENT_DMG)
+pkg-macos: check-pkg-target-macos $(STATUS_CLIENT_DMG)
 
-pkg-windows: $(STATUS_CLIENT_EXE)
+pkg-windows: check-pkg-target-windows $(STATUS_CLIENT_ZIP)
 
 clean: | clean-common
 	rm -rf bin/* node_modules pkg/* tmp/* $(STATUSGO)
@@ -312,10 +385,10 @@ run-linux-or-macos:
 	LD_LIBRARY_PATH="$(QT5_LIBDIR)" \
 	./bin/nim_status_client
 
-run-windows:
+run-windows: $(NIM_WINDOWS_PREBUILT_DLLS)
 	echo -e "\e[92mRunning:\e[39m bin/nim_status_client.exe"
 	NIM_STATUS_CLIENT_DEV="$(NIM_STATUS_CLIENT_DEV)" \
-	PATH="$(shell pwd)"/"$(shell dirname "$(DOTHERSIDE)")":"$(PATH)" \
+	PATH="$(shell pwd)"/"$(shell dirname "$(DOTHERSIDE)")":"$(shell pwd)"/"$(shell dirname "$(NIM_WINDOWS_PREBUILT_DLLS)")":"$(PATH)" \
 	./bin/nim_status_client.exe
 
 endif # "variables.mk" was not included
diff --git a/config.nims b/config.nims
index 9621d8f7a3..250e48e43f 100644
--- a/config.nims
+++ b/config.nims
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ if defined(macosx):
   # set the minimum supported macOS version to 10.13
   switch("passC", "-mmacosx-version-min=10.13")
 elif defined(windows):
+  --app:gui
   --tlsEmulation:off
   switch("passL", "-Wl,-as-needed")
 else:
diff --git a/src/nim_status_client.nim b/src/nim_status_client.nim
index 6024d4fca0..4b50954023 100644
--- a/src/nim_status_client.nim
+++ b/src/nim_status_client.nim
@@ -25,9 +25,19 @@ proc mainProc() =
   initializeOpenGL()
 
   let app = newQApplication("Nim Status Client")
-  QResource.registerResource(app.applicationDirPath & "/../resources.rcc")
+  let resources =
+    if defined(windows) and getEnv("NIM_STATUS_CLIENT_DEV").string == "":
+      "/../resources/resources.rcc"
+    else:
+      "/../resources.rcc"
+  QResource.registerResource(app.applicationDirPath & resources)
 
-  app.icon(app.applicationDirPath & "/../status.svg")
+  let statusSvg =
+    if defined(windows) and getEnv("NIM_STATUS_CLIENT_DEV").string == "":
+        "/../resources/status.svg"
+      else:
+        "/../status.svg"
+  app.icon(app.applicationDirPath & statusSvg)
 
   let engine = newQQmlApplicationEngine()
   let signalController = signals.newController(app)
@@ -54,7 +64,7 @@ proc mainProc() =
     profile.init(args.account)
     wallet.init()
     chat.init()
-    
+
 
   var login = login.newController(status)
   var onboarding = onboarding.newController(status)
@@ -84,7 +94,7 @@ proc mainProc() =
     node.init()
     login.init()
     onboarding.init()
-  
+
   initControllers()
 
   # Handle node.stopped signal when user has logged out
@@ -100,7 +110,7 @@ proc mainProc() =
     # node.reset()
     # wallet.reset()
     # profile.reset()
-    
+
     # 2. Re-init controllers that don't require a running node
     initControllers()
 
diff --git a/src/nim_windows_launcher.nim b/src/nim_windows_launcher.nim
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f17642c08f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/nim_windows_launcher.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+from os import getCurrentDir, joinPath
+from winlean import Handle, shellExecuteW
+
+const NULL: Handle = 0
+let cwd = getCurrentDir()
+let workDir_str = joinPath(cwd, "bin")
+let exePath_str = joinPath(workDir_str, "Status.exe")
+let open_str = "open"
+let params_str = ""
+let workDir = newWideCString(workDir_str)
+let exePath = newWideCString(exePath_str)
+let open = newWideCString(open_str)
+let params = newWideCString(params_str)
+# SW_SHOW (5): activates window and displays it in its current size and position
+const showCmd: int32 = 5
+
+discard shellExecuteW(NULL, open, exePath, params, workDir, showCmd)
diff --git a/windows-install.txt b/windows-install.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..719dd22708
--- /dev/null
+++ b/windows-install.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+REQUIREMENTS
+============
+
+This application requires 64-bit Windows 7 or newer.
+
+INSTALLING
+==========
+
+After unzipping Status.zip, the Status folder can be placed wherever you prefer
+(and have permissions) on your computer.
+
+RUNNING
+=======
+
+Double-click Status.exe in the Status folder to launch the application.
+
+If you see an error complaining about a DLL file, you should open
+vc_redist.x64.exe in the Status\vendor folder to install the Microsoft Visual
+C++ Redistributable. This is usually necessary only on versions of Windows
+older than Windows 10. Then retry launching the application.
+
+You may wish to right-click Status.exe and "Send to > Desktop (create shortcut)".
+The application can then be launched by double-clicking the shortcut on your
+desktop.
+
+Status.exe persists settings and encrypted data in your %LOCALAPPDATA%\Status
+folder.
+
+UPGRADING
+=========
+
+To upgrade this application download the latest Status.zip, delete this Status
+folder and the older Status.zip, unzip the newer one, and then place the new
+Status folder in your preferred location.
+
+If you place the new Status folder in a different location than the old one
+then you should recreate any shortcuts you created for Status.exe.
+
+UNINSTALLING
+============
+
+Delete this Status folder and delete your %LOCALAPPDATA%\Status folder.