diff --git a/nw/GNUmakefile b/nw/GNUmakefile
index 3ef14c2..0279229 100644
--- a/nw/GNUmakefile
+++ b/nw/GNUmakefile
@@ -76,10 +76,7 @@ ifdef METROWERKS
 else
 	CC = $(CROSSPREFIX)gcc
 endif
-CP	= cp -afv
-MD	= mkdir
-RD	= rm -fr
-# RM	= rm -f
+
 # Here you can find a native Win32 binary of the original awk:
 # http://www.gknw.net/development/prgtools/awk-20100523.zip
 AWK	= awk
@@ -89,6 +86,34 @@ AWK	= awk
 MPKXDC	= mkxdc
 ZIP	= zip -qzr9
 
+# Platform-dependent helper tool macros
+ifeq ($(findstring /sh,$(SHELL)),/sh)
+DEL	= rm -f $1
+RMDIR	= rm -fr $1
+MKDIR	= mkdir -p $1
+COPY	= -cp -afv $1 $2
+#COPYR	= -cp -afr $1/* $2
+COPYR	= -rsync -aC $1/* $2
+TOUCH	= touch $1
+CAT	= cat
+ECHONL	= echo ""
+DL	= '
+else
+ifeq "$(OS)" "Windows_NT"
+DEL	= -del 2>NUL /q /f $(subst /,\,$1)
+RMDIR	= -rd 2>NUL /q /s $(subst /,\,$1)
+else
+DEL	= -del 2>NUL $(subst /,\,$1)
+RMDIR	= -deltree 2>NUL /y $(subst /,\,$1)
+endif     
+MKDIR	= -md 2>NUL $(subst /,\,$1)
+COPY	= -copy 2>NUL /y $(subst /,\,$1) $(subst /,\,$2)
+COPYR	= -xcopy 2>NUL /q /y /e $(subst /,\,$1) $(subst /,\,$2)
+TOUCH	= copy 2>&1>NUL /b $(subst /,\,$1) +,,
+CAT	= type
+ECHONL	= $(ComSpec) /c echo.
+endif
+
 # LIBARCH_U = $(shell $(AWK) 'BEGIN {print toupper(ARGV[1])}' $(LIBARCH))
 LIBARCH_L = $(shell $(AWK) 'BEGIN {print tolower(ARGV[1])}' $(LIBARCH))
 
@@ -120,13 +145,14 @@ else
 endif
 else
 LD	= $(CROSSPREFIX)nlmconv
-LDFLAGS	= -T
+LDFLAGS	= -UT
 AR	= $(CROSSPREFIX)ar
 ARFLAGS	= -cq
 LIBEXT	= a
 RANLIB	= $(CROSSPREFIX)ranlib
 CFLAGS  += -m32
-CFLAGS	+= -fno-builtin -fpcc-struct-return -fno-strict-aliasing
+CFLAGS	+= -fno-builtin -fpcc-struct-return
+CFLAGS	+= -fno-strict-aliasing
 CFLAGS	+= -Wall # -pedantic
 #CFLAGS	+= -Wno-pointer-sign
 ifeq ($(LIBARCH),LIBC)
@@ -185,13 +211,6 @@ ifdef XDCOPT
 	XDCDATA = $(OBJDIR)/$(TARGET).xdc
 endif
 
-ifeq ($(findstring /sh,$(SHELL)),/sh)
-DL	= '
-DS	= /
-else
-DS	= \\
-endif
-
 vpath %.c . ../src
 
 # include Makefile.inc to get CSOURCES define
@@ -223,67 +242,68 @@ $(OBJDIR)/%.o: %.c
 #	@echo Compiling $<
 	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -c $< -o $@
 
-$(OBJDIR)/version.inc: ../include/libssh2.h $(OBJDIR)
+$(OBJDIR)/version.inc: ../get_ver.awk ../include/libssh2.h $(OBJDIR)
 	@echo Creating $@
-	@$(AWK) -f ../get_ver.awk $< > $@
+	@$(AWK) -f $^ > $@
 
 dist: all $(DISTDIR) $(DISTDIR)/readme.txt
-	@-$(MD) $(DISTDIR)$(DS)bin
-	@-$(CP) ../AUTHORS $(DISTDIR)
-	@-$(CP) ../COPYING $(DISTDIR)
-	@-$(CP) ../INSTALL $(DISTDIR)
-	@-$(CP) ../README $(DISTDIR)
-	@-$(CP) ../RELEASE-NOTES $(DEVLDIR)
-	@$(CP) $(TARGET).nlm $(DISTDIR)/bin
+	@$(call MD, $(DISTDIR)/bin)
+	@$(call CP, ../AUTHORS, $(DISTDIR))
+	@$(call CP, ../COPYING, $(DISTDIR))
+	@$(call CP, ../INSTALL, $(DISTDIR))
+	@$(call CP, ../README, $(DISTDIR))
+	@$(call CP, ../RELEASE-NOTES, $(DISTDIR))
+	@$(call CP, $(TARGET).nlm, $(DISTDIR)/bin)
 	@echo Creating $(DISTARC)
 	@$(ZIP) $(DISTARC) $(DISTDIR)/* < $(DISTDIR)/readme.txt
 
 dev: all $(DEVLDIR) $(DEVLDIR)/readme.txt
-	@-$(MD) $(DEVLDIR)$(DS)bin
-	@-$(MD) $(DEVLDIR)$(DS)include
-	@-$(MD) $(DEVLDIR)$(DS)nw
-	@-$(CP) ../AUTHORS $(DISTDIR)
-	@-$(CP) ../COPYING $(DISTDIR)
-	@-$(CP) ../INSTALL $(DEVLDIR)
-	@-$(CP) ../README $(DEVLDIR)
-	@-$(CP) ../RELEASE-NOTES $(DEVLDIR)
-	@$(CP) $(TARGET).nlm $(DEVLDIR)/bin
-	@$(CP) ../include/*.h $(DEVLDIR)/include
-	@$(CP) libssh2_config.h $(DEVLDIR)/include
-	@$(CP) $(TARGET).$(LIBEXT) $(DEVLDIR)/nw
+	@$(call MD, $(DEVLDIR)/bin)
+	@$(call MD, $(DEVLDIR)/include)
+	@$(call MD, $(DEVLDIR)/nw)
+	@$(call CP, ../AUTHORS, $(DEVLDIR))
+	@$(call CP, ../COPYING, $(DEVLDIR))
+	@$(call CP, ../INSTALL, $(DEVLDIR))
+	@$(call CP, ../README, $(DEVLDIR))
+	@$(call CP, ../RELEASE-NOTES, $(DEVLDIR))
+	@$(call CP, ../include/*.h, $(DEVLDIR)/include)
+	@$(call CP, libssh2_config.h, $(DEVLDIR)/include)
+	@$(call CP, $(TARGET).nlm, $(DEVLDIR)/bin)
+	@$(call CP, $(TARGET).imp, $(DEVLDIR)/nw)
+	@$(call CP, $(TARGET).$(LIBEXT), $(DEVLDIR)/nw)
 	@echo Creating $(DEVLARC)
 	@$(ZIP) $(DEVLARC) $(DEVLDIR)/* < $(DEVLDIR)/readme.txt
 
 distclean: clean
-	-$(RD) $(DISTDIR)
-	-$(RM) $(DISTARC)
+	$(call RMDIR, $(DISTDIR))
+	$(call DEL, $(DISTARC))
 
 devclean: clean
-	-$(RD) $(DEVLDIR)
-	-$(RM) $(DEVLARC)
+	$(call RMDIR, $(DEVLDIR))
+	$(call DEL, $(DEVLARC))
 
 objclean:
-	-$(RD) $(OBJDIR)
+	$(call RMDIR, $(OBJDIR))
 
 testclean: clean
 	$(MAKE) -C test clean
 
 clean: objclean
-	-$(RM) libssh2_config.h
-	-$(RM) $(TARGET).nlm $(TARGET).$(LIBEXT) $(TARGET).imp
+	$(call DEL, libssh2_config.h)
+	$(call DEL, $(TARGET).*)
 
 $(OBJDIR):
-	@$(MD) $@
+	@$(call MKDIR, $@)
 
 $(DISTDIR):
-	@$(MD) $@
+	@$(call MKDIR, $@)
 
 $(DEVLDIR):
-	@$(MD) $@
+	@$(call MKDIR, $@)
 
 $(TARGET).$(LIBEXT): $(OBJS)
 	@echo Creating $@
-	@-$(RM) $@
+	@$(call DEL, $@)
 	@$(AR) $(ARFLAGS) $@ $^
 ifdef RANLIB
 	@$(RANLIB) $@
@@ -291,7 +311,7 @@ endif
 
 $(TARGET).nlm: $(OBJDIR)/$(TARGET).def $(TARGET).imp $(OBJL) $(XDCDATA)
 	@echo Linking $@
-	@-$(RM) $@
+	@$(call DEL, $@)
 	@$(LD) $(LDFLAGS) $<
 
 $(OBJDIR)/%.xdc: GNUmakefile
diff --git a/nw/test/GNUmakefile b/nw/test/GNUmakefile
index a398272..6abc689 100644
--- a/nw/test/GNUmakefile
+++ b/nw/test/GNUmakefile
@@ -69,10 +69,7 @@ ifdef METROWERKS
 else
 	CC = $(CROSSPREFIX)gcc
 endif
-CP	= cp -afv
-MD	= mkdir
-RD	= rm -fr
-# RM	= rm -f
+
 # Here you can find a native Win32 binary of the original awk:
 # http://www.gknw.net/development/prgtools/awk-20100523.zip
 AWK	= awk
@@ -81,6 +78,34 @@ AWK	= awk
 # http://www.gknw.net/development/prgtools/mkxdc.zip
 MPKXDC	= mkxdc
 
+# Platform-dependent helper tool macros
+ifeq ($(findstring /sh,$(SHELL)),/sh)
+DEL	= rm -f $1
+RMDIR	= rm -fr $1
+MKDIR	= mkdir -p $1
+COPY	= -cp -afv $1 $2
+#COPYR	= -cp -afr $1/* $2
+COPYR	= -rsync -aC $1/* $2
+TOUCH	= touch $1
+CAT	= cat
+ECHONL	= echo ""
+DL	= '
+else
+ifeq "$(OS)" "Windows_NT"
+DEL	= -del 2>NUL /q /f $(subst /,\,$1)
+RMDIR	= -rd 2>NUL /q /s $(subst /,\,$1)
+else
+DEL	= -del 2>NUL $(subst /,\,$1)
+RMDIR	= -deltree 2>NUL /y $(subst /,\,$1)
+endif     
+MKDIR	= -md 2>NUL $(subst /,\,$1)
+COPY	= -copy 2>NUL /y $(subst /,\,$1) $(subst /,\,$2)
+COPYR	= -xcopy 2>NUL /q /y /e $(subst /,\,$1) $(subst /,\,$2)
+TOUCH	= copy 2>&1>NUL /b $(subst /,\,$1) +,,
+CAT	= type
+ECHONL	= $(ComSpec) /c echo.
+endif
+
 # LIBARCH_U = $(shell $(AWK) 'BEGIN {print toupper(ARGV[1])}' $(LIBARCH))
 LIBARCH_L = $(shell $(AWK) 'BEGIN {print tolower(ARGV[1])}' $(LIBARCH))
 
@@ -111,12 +136,13 @@ else
 endif
 else
 LD	= nlmconv
-LDFLAGS	= -T
+LDFLAGS	= -UT
 AR	= ar
 ARFLAGS	= -cq
 LIBEXT	= a
 CFLAGS	+= -m32
-CFLAGS	+= -fno-builtin -fpcc-struct-return -fno-strict-aliasing
+CFLAGS	+= -fno-builtin -fpcc-struct-return
+CFLAGS	+= -fno-strict-aliasing
 CFLAGS	+= -Wall # -pedantic
 ifeq ($(LIBARCH),LIBC)
 	PRELUDE = $(SDK_LIBC)/imports/libcpre.gcc.o
@@ -180,13 +206,6 @@ ifeq ($(MTSAFE),NO)
 	XDCOPT = -u
 endif
 
-ifeq ($(findstring /sh,$(SHELL)),/sh)
-DL      = '
-DS      = /
-else
-DS      = \\
-endif
-
 vpath %.c $(SAMPLES)
 
 .PRECIOUS: $(OBJDIR)/%.o $(OBJDIR)/%.def $(OBJDIR)/%.xdc
@@ -200,22 +219,22 @@ $(OBJDIR)/%.o: %.c
 #	@echo Compiling $<
 	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -c $< -o $@
 
-$(OBJDIR)/version.inc: ../../include/libssh2.h $(OBJDIR)
+$(OBJDIR)/version.inc: ../../get_ver.awk ../../include/libssh2.h $(OBJDIR)
 	@echo Creating $@
-	@$(AWK) -f ../../get_ver.awk $< > $@
+	@$(AWK) -f $^ > $@
 
 objclean:
-	-$(RD) $(OBJDIR)
+	$(call RMDIR, $(OBJDIR))
 
 clean: objclean
-	-$(RM) $(TARGETS)
+	$(foreach f, $(TARGETS), $(call DEL, $(f)))
 
 $(OBJDIR):
-	@$(MD) $@
+	@$(call MKDIR, $@)
 
 %.nlm: $(OBJDIR)/%.def $(OBJDIR)/%.o $(OBJDIR)/%.xdc
 	@echo Linking $@
-	@-$(RM) $@
+	@$(call DEL, $@)
 	@$(LD) $(LDFLAGS) $<
 
 $(OBJDIR)/%.xdc: GNUmakefile