diff --git a/config.sh b/config.sh
index ecbc22b6144..fde36f22291 100755
--- a/config.sh
+++ b/config.sh
@@ -258,6 +258,9 @@ if test -z "$TARGET_ARCH"; then
   esac
 fi
 
+# Location of Perl when running Windows builds
+WIN_PERL=${WIN_PERL:-"C:/perl/bin/perl.exe"}
+
 # Android default settings and tools
 ANDROID_BUILD_TOOLS=${ANDROID_BUILD_TOOLS:-22.0.1}
 ANDROID_JAVA_SDK=${ANDROID_JAVA_SDK:-${JAVA_SDK:-/usr/lib/jvm/java-7-openjdk-amd64}}
@@ -310,7 +313,8 @@ case ${OS} in
                            "-Gandroid_ndk_version=${ANDROID_NDK_VERSION}" "$@"
     ;;
   win)
-    invoke_gyp $basic_args "-Gmsvs_version=${WIN_MSVS_VERSION}" "$@"
+    invoke_gyp $basic_args "-Gmsvs_version=${WIN_MSVS_VERSION}" \
+                           "-Dperl=${WIN_PERL}" "$@"
     ;;
   mac|ios)
     invoke_gyp $basic_args "-DOS=${OS}" \
diff --git a/config/perl.gypi b/config/perl.gypi
index 234360b4448..c0a923dc3e6 100644
--- a/config/perl.gypi
+++ b/config/perl.gypi
@@ -1,17 +1,6 @@
 {
 	'variables':
 	{
-		'conditions':
-		[
-			[
-				'host_os == "win"',
-				{
-					'perl': [ 'C:/perl/bin/perl.exe' ],
-				},
-				{
-					'perl': [ 'perl' ],
-				},
-			],
-		],
+		'perl%': [ 'perl' ],
 	},
 }
diff --git a/config/win32.gypi b/config/win32.gypi
index c8dac4c50e3..dc7852f6e90 100644
--- a/config/win32.gypi
+++ b/config/win32.gypi
@@ -2,11 +2,11 @@
 	'variables':
 	{
 		# Path to the Windows SDK for Apple QuickTime
-		'quicktime_sdk': '$(foo)C:/Program Files/QuickTime SDK',
+		'quicktime_sdk%': '$(foo)C:/Program Files/QuickTime SDK',
 		
 		# Path to versions 4 and 5 of the Microsoft Speech SDK
-		'ms_speech_sdk4': '$(foo)C:/Program Files/Microsoft Speech SDK',
-		'ms_speech_sdk5': '$(foo)C:/Program Files/Microsoft Speech SDK 5.1',
+		'ms_speech_sdk4%': '$(foo)C:/Program Files/Microsoft Speech SDK',
+		'ms_speech_sdk5%': '$(foo)C:/Program Files/Microsoft Speech SDK 5.1',
 		
 		'output_dir': '../win-<(target_arch)-bin',
 	},
diff --git a/configure.bat b/configure.bat
index 9eed4dfecd3..3a5bc774838 100644
--- a/configure.bat
+++ b/configure.bat
@@ -1,3 +1,80 @@
-python.exe gyp\gyp_main.py --format msvs --depth . --generator-output build-win-x86/livecode -Gmsvs_version=2010
+@echo off
+REM Configures the Windows build
+
+SETLOCAL EnableExtensions
+
+REM Set this variable if any warnings have been reported
+SET warnings=0
+
+REM Not all versions of windows the the %programfiles(x86)% variable
+IF NOT DEFINED programfiles(x86) SET programfiles(x86)=%programfiles%
+
+REM Note: to test whether a directory exists in batch script, you need to check
+REM whether a file within that directory exists. Easiest way to do this is to
+REM add the "*" wildcard after the directory
+
+REM Attempt to locate a copy of Perl
+WHERE /Q perl 1>NUL 2>NUL
+IF %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 (
+  IF EXIST C:\perl64\bin\perl.exe (
+    SET extra_options=%extra_options% -Dperl="C:/perl64/bin/perl.exe"
+  ) ELSE IF EXIST C:\perl\bin\perl.exe (
+    SET extra_options=%extra_options% -Dperl="C:/perl/bin/perl.exe"
+  ) ELSE (
+    ECHO >&2 Error: could not locate a copy of perl
+    PAUSE
+    EXIT 1
+  )
+)
+
+REM Attempt to locate a copy of Python
+WHERE /Q python 1>NUL 2>NUL
+IF %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 (
+  IF EXIST C:\Python27\python.exe (
+    SET python=C:\Python27\python.exe
+  ) ELSE IF EXIST C:\Python26\python.exe (
+    SET python=C:\Python26\python.exe
+  ) ELSE (
+    ECHO >&2 Error: could not locate a copy of python
+    PAUSE
+    EXIT 1
+  )
+) ELSE (
+  SET python=python
+)
+
+REM Attempt to locate the QuickTime SDK
+IF EXIST "%programfiles(x86)%\QuickTime SDK\*" (
+  SET extra_options=%extra_options% -Dquicktime_sdk="%programfiles(x86)%/QuickTime SDK"
+) ELSE (
+  ECHO >&2 Error: could not locate the QuickTime SDK
+  PAUSE
+  EXIT 1
+)
+
+REM Attempt to locate the Microsoft Speech SDK v5.1
+IF EXIST "%programfiles(x86)%\Microsoft Speech SDK 5.1\*" (
+  SET extra_options=%extra_options% -Dms_speech_sdk5="%programfiles(x86)%/Microsoft Speech SDK 5.1"
+) ELSE (
+  ECHO >&2 Warning: could not locate the Microsoft Speech SDK v5.1; revSpeech will not build
+  SET warnings=1
+)
+
+REM Attempt to locate the Microsoft Speech SDK v4
+IF EXIST "%programfiles(x86)%\Microsoft Speech SDK\*" (
+  SET extra_options=%extra_options% -Dms_speech_sdk4="%programfiles(x86)%/Microsoft Speech SDK"
+) ELSE (
+  ECHO >&2 Warning: could not locate the Microsoft Speech SDK v4; revSpeech will not build
+  SET warnings=1
+)
+
+REM Pause so any warnings can be seen
+IF %warnings% NEQ 0 PAUSE
+
+REM Run the configure step
+%python% gyp\gyp_main.py --format msvs --depth . --generator-output build-win-x86/livecode -Gmsvs_version=2010 %extra_options%
+
+REM Pause if there was an error so that the user gets a chance to see it
+IF %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 PAUSE
 EXIT %ERRORLEVEL%