diff --git a/dive.h b/dive.h
index dd321a7b9..701767b3a 100644
--- a/dive.h
+++ b/dive.h
@@ -720,6 +720,8 @@ extern FILE *subsurface_fopen(const char *path, const char *mode);
 extern void *subsurface_opendir(const char *path);
 extern struct zip *subsurface_zip_open_readonly(const char *path, int flags, int *errorp);
 extern int subsurface_zip_close(struct zip *zip);
+extern void subsurface_console_init(bool dedicated);
+extern void subsurface_console_exit(void);
 
 extern void shift_times(const timestamp_t amount);
 extern timestamp_t get_times();
diff --git a/linux.c b/linux.c
index 6bfb38126..ea0170dc8 100644
--- a/linux.c
+++ b/linux.c
@@ -131,3 +131,14 @@ int subsurface_zip_close(struct zip *zip)
 {
 	return zip_close(zip);
 }
+
+/* win32 console */
+void subsurface_console_init(bool dedicated)
+{
+	/* NOP */
+}
+
+void subsurface_console_exit(void)
+{
+	/* NOP */
+}
diff --git a/macos.c b/macos.c
index 01c3fbfb5..19ce9e89d 100644
--- a/macos.c
+++ b/macos.c
@@ -112,3 +112,14 @@ int subsurface_zip_close(struct zip *zip)
 {
 	return zip_close(zip);
 }
+
+/* win32 console */
+void subsurface_console_init(bool dedicated)
+{
+	/* NOP */
+}
+
+void subsurface_console_exit(void)
+{
+	/* NOP */
+}
diff --git a/main.cpp b/main.cpp
index c93121400..a011b4caf 100644
--- a/main.cpp
+++ b/main.cpp
@@ -23,6 +23,11 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	QStringList files;
 	QStringList importedFiles;
 	QStringList arguments = QCoreApplication::arguments();
+
+	bool dedicated_console = arguments.length() > 1 &&
+		(arguments.at(1) == QString("--win32console"));
+	subsurface_console_init(dedicated_console);
+
 	for (i = 1; i < arguments.length(); i++) {
 		QString a = arguments.at(i);
 		if (a.at(0) == '-') {
@@ -56,5 +61,6 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		run_ui();
 	exit_ui();
 	parse_xml_exit();
+	subsurface_console_exit();
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/subsurfacestartup.c b/subsurfacestartup.c
index 6d3714b91..b16c1fb9c 100644
--- a/subsurfacestartup.c
+++ b/subsurfacestartup.c
@@ -94,7 +94,8 @@ static void print_help()
 	printf("\n --help|-h             This help text");
 	printf("\n --import logfile ...  Logs before this option is treated as base, everything after is imported");
 	printf("\n --verbose|-v          Verbose debug (repeat to increase verbosity)");
-	printf("\n --version             Prints current version\n\n");
+	printf("\n --version             Prints current version");
+	printf("\n --win32console        Create a dedicated console if needed (Windows only). Add option before everything else\n\n");
 }
 
 void parse_argument(const char *arg)
@@ -130,6 +131,8 @@ void parse_argument(const char *arg)
 				print_version();
 				exit(0);
 			}
+			if (strcmp(arg, "--win32console") == 0)
+				return;
 		/* fallthrough */
 		case 'p':
 			/* ignore process serial number argument when run as native macosx app */
diff --git a/windows.c b/windows.c
index c76a73048..99720cf9d 100644
--- a/windows.c
+++ b/windows.c
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 /* implements Windows specific functions */
 #include "dive.h"
 #include "display.h"
+#define _WIN32_WINNT 0x500
 #include <windows.h>
 #include <shlobj.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
@@ -199,3 +200,79 @@ int subsurface_zip_close(struct zip *zip)
 {
 	return zip_close(zip);
 }
+
+/* win32 console */
+static struct {
+	bool allocated;
+	UINT cp;
+	FILE *out, *err;
+} console_desc;
+
+void subsurface_console_init(bool dedicated)
+{
+	/* if this is a console app already, do nothing */
+#ifndef WIN32_CONSOLE_APP
+	/* just in case of multiple calls */
+	memset((void *)&console_desc, 0, sizeof(console_desc));
+	/* the AttachConsole(..) call can be used to determine if the parent process
+	 * is a terminal. if it succeeds, there is no need for a dedicated console
+	 * window and we don't need to call the AllocConsole() function. on the other
+	 * hand if the user has set the 'dedicated' flag to 'true' and if AttachConsole()
+	 * has failed, we create a dedicated console window.
+	 */
+	console_desc.allocated = AttachConsole(ATTACH_PARENT_PROCESS);
+	if (console_desc.allocated)
+		dedicated = false;
+	if (!console_desc.allocated && dedicated)
+		console_desc.allocated = AllocConsole();
+	if (!console_desc.allocated)
+		return;
+
+	console_desc.cp = GetConsoleCP();
+	SetConsoleOutputCP(CP_UTF8); /* make the ouput utf8 */
+
+	/* set some console modes; we don't need to reset these back.
+	 * ENABLE_EXTENDED_FLAGS = 0x0080, ENABLE_QUICK_EDIT_MODE = 0x0040 */
+	HANDLE h_in = GetStdHandle(STD_INPUT_HANDLE);
+	if (h_in) {
+		SetConsoleMode(h_in, 0x0080 | 0x0040);
+		CloseHandle(h_in);
+	}
+
+	/* dedicated only; disable the 'x' button as it will close the main process as well */
+	HWND h_cw = GetConsoleWindow();
+	if (h_cw && dedicated) {
+		SetWindowTextA(h_cw, "Subsurface Console");
+		HMENU h_menu = GetSystemMenu(h_cw, 0);
+		if (h_menu) {
+			EnableMenuItem(h_menu, SC_CLOSE, MF_BYCOMMAND | MF_DISABLED);
+			DrawMenuBar(h_cw);
+		}
+		SetConsoleCtrlHandler(NULL, TRUE); /* disable the CTRL handler */
+	}
+
+	/* redirect; on win32, CON is a reserved pipe target, like NUL */
+	console_desc.out = freopen("CON", "w", stdout);
+	console_desc.err = freopen("CON", "w", stderr);
+	if (!dedicated)
+		puts(""); /* add an empty line */
+#endif
+}
+
+void subsurface_console_exit(void)
+{
+#ifndef WIN32_CONSOLE_APP
+	if (!console_desc.allocated)
+		return;
+
+	/* close handles */
+	if (console_desc.out)
+		fclose(console_desc.out);
+	if (console_desc.err)
+		fclose(console_desc.err);
+
+	/* reset code page and free */
+	SetConsoleOutputCP(console_desc.cp);
+	FreeConsole();
+#endif
+}