diff -urN a/Modules/getpath.c b/Modules/getpath.c
--- a/Modules/getpath.c	2013-10-21 11:14:32.295032500 +0100
+++ b/Modules/getpath.c	2013-10-21 12:23:00.165259900 +0100
@@ -10,6 +10,10 @@
 #include <mach-o/dyld.h>
 #endif
 
+#if defined(MS_WINDOWS) || defined(__CYGWIN__)
+#include <windows.h>
+#endif
+
 /* Search in some common locations for the associated Python libraries.
  *
  * Two directories must be found, the platform independent directory
@@ -127,7 +131,11 @@
 
 static char prefix[MAXPATHLEN+1];
 static char exec_prefix[MAXPATHLEN+1];
-static char progpath[MAXPATHLEN+1];
+static char progpath[MAXPATHLEN+1] = {'\0'};
+#if defined(MS_WINDOWS) || defined(__CYGWIN__)
+static char dllpath[MAXPATHLEN+1] = {'\0'};
+extern HANDLE PyWin_DLLhModule;
+#endif
 static char *module_search_path = NULL;
 static char lib_python[] = "lib/python" VERSION;
 
@@ -208,7 +216,11 @@
 joinpath(char *buffer, char *stuff)
 {
     size_t n, k;
+#if defined(MS_WINDOWS) || defined(__CYGWIN__)
+    if (stuff[0] == SEP || (strlen(stuff)>=2 && stuff[0] != 0 && stuff[1] == ':'))
+#else
     if (stuff[0] == SEP)
+#endif
         n = 0;
     else {
         n = strlen(buffer);
@@ -222,6 +234,13 @@
         k = MAXPATHLEN - n;
     strncpy(buffer+n, stuff, k);
     buffer[n+k] = '\0';
+#if defined(__CYGWIN__)
+    /* MSYS specific: Turn C:* into /c* */
+    if (strlen(buffer)>2 && buffer[0] != 0 && buffer[1] == ':') {
+        buffer[1]=buffer[0]|32;
+        buffer[0]='/';
+    }
+#endif
 }
 
 /* copy_absolute requires that path be allocated at least
@@ -229,8 +248,21 @@
 static void
 copy_absolute(char *path, char *p)
 {
+#if defined(MS_WINDOWS) || defined(__CYGWIN__)
+    if (p[0] == SEP || (strlen(p)>=2 && p[0] != 0 && p[1] == ':'))
+#else
     if (p[0] == SEP)
+#endif
+    {
         strcpy(path, p);
+#if defined(__CYGWIN__)
+        /* MSYS specific: Turn C:* into /c* */
+        if (strlen(path)>2 && path[0] != 0 && path[1] == ':') {
+            path[1]=path[0]|32;
+            path[0]='/';
+        }
+#endif
+    }
     else {
         if (!getcwd(path, MAXPATHLEN)) {
             /* unable to get the current directory */
@@ -382,6 +414,42 @@
 }
 
 
+#if defined(MS_WINDOWS) || defined(__CYGWIN__)
+/* Calculates dllpath and progpath, replacing \\ with / */
+int GetWindowsModulePaths()
+{
+    int result = 0;
+    char* seps;
+    result = GetModuleFileNameA(NULL, progpath, MAXPATHLEN);
+    seps = strchr(progpath, '\\');
+    while(seps) {
+        *seps = '/';
+        seps = strchr(seps, '\\');
+    }
+    dllpath[0] = '\0';
+#if defined(Py_ENABLE_SHARED) && !defined(__CYGWIN__)
+    // Hmm, cygwin/MSYS2 replacement for PyWin_DLLhModule is needed.
+    if (PyWin_DLLhModule) {
+        if((GetModuleFileNameA(PyWin_DLLhModule, dllpath, MAXPATHLEN) > 0)) {
+            result = 1;
+            seps = strchr(dllpath, '\\');
+            while(seps) {
+                *seps = '/';
+                seps = strchr(seps, '\\');
+            }
+        }
+    }
+#endif
+
+    /* Just so that 'MSYS specific: Turn C:* into /c*'
+       is done. */
+    absolutize(progpath);
+    absolutize(dllpath);
+
+    return result;
+}
+#endif /* MS_WINDOWS */
+
 static void
 calculate_path(void)
 {
@@ -433,6 +501,10 @@
      else if(0 == _NSGetExecutablePath(progpath, &nsexeclength) && progpath[0] == SEP)
        ;
 #endif /* __APPLE__ */
+#if defined(MS_WINDOWS) || defined(__CYGWIN__)
+     else if(GetWindowsModulePaths()) {
+     }
+#endif /* MS_WINDOWS */
         else if (path) {
                 while (1) {
                         char *delim = strchr(path, DELIM);