diff --git a/.appveyor.yml b/.appveyor.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..941f4c2053
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.appveyor.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+clone_depth: 50
+
+environment:
+  global:
+    TESTS_REDUCED_KEYLENGTHS: yes
+    LEAK_DETECTIVE: no
+    MONOLITHIC: yes
+    TZ: Europe/Zurich
+  matrix:
+    - arch: x86_64
+      bits: 64
+    # no 32-bit build as 32-bit msys is not installed
+    #- arch: i686
+    #  bits: 32
+
+install:
+  - set MSYS_SH=C:\msys%BITS%\usr\bin\sh.exe
+  - set MSYSTEM=MINGW%BITS%
+  - set TEST=win%BITS%
+
+build_script:
+  - '%MSYS_SH% --login -c ". /etc/profile && cd $APPVEYOR_BUILD_FOLDER && ./scripts/test.sh deps"'
+
+test_script:
+  - '%MSYS_SH% --login -c ". /etc/profile && cd $APPVEYOR_BUILD_FOLDER && ./scripts/test.sh"'
diff --git a/scripts/test.sh b/scripts/test.sh
index 22e74033e2..e3bc37e302 100755
--- a/scripts/test.sh
+++ b/scripts/test.sh
@@ -64,8 +64,15 @@ win*)
 			--enable-tnccs-20 --enable-imc-attestation --enable-imv-attestation
 			--enable-imc-os --enable-imv-os --enable-tnc-imv --enable-tnc-imc
 			--enable-pki --enable-swanctl --enable-socket-win"
-	# no make check for Windows binaries
-	TARGET=
+	# no make check for Windows binaries unless we run on a windows host
+	if test "$APPVEYOR" != "True"; then
+		TARGET=
+	else
+		CONFIG="$CONFIG --enable-openssl"
+		CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -I/c/OpenSSL-$TEST/include"
+		LDFLAGS="-L/c/OpenSSL-$TEST"
+		export LDFLAGS
+	fi
 	CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -mno-ms-bitfields"
 	DEPS="gcc-mingw-w64-base"
 	case "$TEST" in
@@ -76,7 +83,7 @@ win*)
 		DEPS="gcc-mingw-w64-x86-64 binutils-mingw-w64-x86-64 mingw-w64-x86-64-dev $DEPS"
 		CC="x86_64-w64-mingw32-gcc"
 		# apply patch to MinGW headers
-		if test -z "$1"; then
+		if test "$APPVEYOR" != "True" -a -z "$1"; then
 			sudo patch -f -p 4 -d /usr/share/mingw-w64/include < src/libcharon/plugins/kernel_wfp/mingw-w64-4.8.1.diff
 		fi
 		;;
diff --git a/src/libcharon/tests/utils/exchange_test_asserts.h b/src/libcharon/tests/utils/exchange_test_asserts.h
index 4d363edfdb..ae9ac5c982 100644
--- a/src/libcharon/tests/utils/exchange_test_asserts.h
+++ b/src/libcharon/tests/utils/exchange_test_asserts.h
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ bool exchange_test_asserts_message(listener_t *this, ike_sa_t *ike_sa,
  * @param dir			IN or OUT to check the next in- or outbound message
  */
 #define assert_message_empty(dir) \
-				_assert_payload(dir, 0)
+				_assert_payload(#dir, 0)
 
 /**
  * Assert that the next in- or outbound plaintext message contains exactly
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ bool exchange_test_asserts_message(listener_t *this, ike_sa_t *ike_sa,
  * @param expected		expected payload type
  */
 #define assert_single_payload(dir, expected) \
-				_assert_payload(dir, 1, { TRUE, expected, 0 })
+				_assert_payload(#dir, 1, { TRUE, expected, 0 })
 
 /**
  * Assert that the next in- or outbound plaintext message contains exactly
@@ -305,7 +305,7 @@ bool exchange_test_asserts_message(listener_t *this, ike_sa_t *ike_sa,
  * @param expected		expected notify type
  */
 #define assert_single_notify(dir, expected) \
-				_assert_payload(dir, 1, { TRUE, 0, expected })
+				_assert_payload(#dir, 1, { TRUE, 0, expected })
 
 /**
  * Assert that the next in- or outbound plaintext message contains a notify
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@ bool exchange_test_asserts_message(listener_t *this, ike_sa_t *ike_sa,
  * @param expected		expected notify type
  */
 #define assert_notify(dir, expected) \
-				_assert_payload(dir, -1, { TRUE, 0, expected })
+				_assert_payload(#dir, -1, { TRUE, 0, expected })
 
 /**
  * Assert that the next in- or outbound plaintext message does not contain a
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ bool exchange_test_asserts_message(listener_t *this, ike_sa_t *ike_sa,
  * @param unexpected	not expected notify type
  */
 #define assert_no_notify(dir, unexpected) \
-				_assert_payload(dir, -1, { FALSE, 0, unexpected })
+				_assert_payload(#dir, -1, { FALSE, 0, unexpected })
 
 #define _assert_payload(dir, c, ...) ({ \
 	listener_message_rule_t _rules[] = { __VA_ARGS__ }; \
@@ -333,7 +333,7 @@ bool exchange_test_asserts_message(listener_t *this, ike_sa_t *ike_sa,
 		.listener = { .message = exchange_test_asserts_message, }, \
 		.file = __FILE__, \
 		.line = __LINE__, \
-		.incoming = streq(#dir, "IN") ? TRUE : FALSE, \
+		.incoming = streq(dir, "IN") ? TRUE : FALSE, \
 		.count = c, \
 		.rules = _rules, \
 		.num_rules = countof(_rules), \
diff --git a/src/libstrongswan/tests/suites/test_settings.c b/src/libstrongswan/tests/suites/test_settings.c
index 5ddd0bb9ad..9d0a6dea13 100644
--- a/src/libstrongswan/tests/suites/test_settings.c
+++ b/src/libstrongswan/tests/suites/test_settings.c
@@ -549,10 +549,14 @@ END_TEST
 
 #ifdef WIN32
 # define include1 "C:\\Windows\\Temp\\strongswan-settings-test-include1"
+# define include1_str "C:\\\\Windows\\\\Temp\\\\strongswan-settings-test-include1"
 # define include2 "C:\\Windows\\Temp\\strongswan-settings-test-include2"
+# define include2_str "C:\\\\Windows\\\\Temp\\\\strongswan-settings-test-include2"
 #else
 # define include1 "/tmp/strongswan-settings-test-include1"
+# define include1_str include1
 # define include2 "/tmp/strongswan-settings-test-include2"
+# define include2_str include2
 #endif
 
 static char *include_content1 =
@@ -638,10 +642,10 @@ START_TEST(test_include_string)
 		"		include this/does/not/exist.conf\n"
 		"		include = value\n"
 		"		key2 = value2\n"
-		"		include \"" include2 "\"\n"
+		"		include \"" include2_str "\"\n"
 		"	}\n"
 		"}\n"
-		"include \"" include1 "\"");
+		"include \"" include1_str "\"");
 
 	create_settings(contents);
 	verify_include();
diff --git a/src/libstrongswan/tests/tests.h b/src/libstrongswan/tests/tests.h
index 79a88e27d7..c19cac25a2 100644
--- a/src/libstrongswan/tests/tests.h
+++ b/src/libstrongswan/tests/tests.h
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ TEST_SUITE(auth_cfg_suite_create)
 TEST_SUITE(hasher_suite_create)
 TEST_SUITE(crypter_suite_create)
 TEST_SUITE(crypto_factory_suite_create)
-TEST_SUITE(iv_gen_suite_create)
+TEST_SUITE_DEPEND(iv_gen_suite_create, RNG, RNG_STRONG)
 TEST_SUITE(pen_suite_create)
 TEST_SUITE(asn1_suite_create)
 TEST_SUITE(asn1_parser_suite_create)