diff --git a/desktop_version/src/Vlogging.c b/desktop_version/src/Vlogging.c
index 6a17f466..666b612b 100644
--- a/desktop_version/src/Vlogging.c
+++ b/desktop_version/src/Vlogging.c
@@ -2,7 +2,12 @@
 #include <stdarg.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 
-#if defined(__unix__) || defined(__APPLE__)
+#ifdef _WIN32
+#   define WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN
+#   include <windows.h>
+#   define STDOUT_IS_TTY 0
+#   define STDERR_IS_TTY 0
+#elif defined(__unix__) || defined(__APPLE__)
 #   include <unistd.h>
 #   define STDOUT_IS_TTY isatty(STDOUT_FILENO)
 #   define STDERR_IS_TTY isatty(STDERR_FILENO)
@@ -26,7 +31,7 @@ static int info_enabled = 1;
 static int warn_enabled = 1;
 static int error_enabled = 1;
 
-void vlog_init(void)
+static void check_color_support(void)
 {
     if (STDOUT_IS_TTY && STDERR_IS_TTY)
     {
@@ -34,6 +39,11 @@ void vlog_init(void)
     }
 }
 
+void vlog_init(void)
+{
+    check_color_support();
+}
+
 void vlog_toggle_output(const int enable_output)
 {
     output_enabled = enable_output;
@@ -147,3 +157,32 @@ SDL_PRINTF_VARARG_FUNC(1) void vlog_error(const char* text, ...)
 
     fputc('\n', stderr);
 }
+
+#ifdef _WIN32
+void vlog_open_console(void)
+{
+    static int run_once = 0;
+    if (run_once)
+    {
+        return;
+    }
+    run_once = 1;
+
+    const BOOL success = AllocConsole();
+    if (!success)
+    {
+        /* Debug, not error, because it might not be an error.
+         * (E.g. there is already an attached console.) */
+        vlog_debug(
+            "Could not open console: AllocConsole() failed with %d",
+            GetLastError()
+        );
+        return;
+    }
+
+    freopen("CON", "w", stdout);
+    freopen("CON", "w", stderr);
+
+    check_color_support();
+}
+#endif /* _WIN32 */
diff --git a/desktop_version/src/Vlogging.h b/desktop_version/src/Vlogging.h
index 70bc6f09..99d203a8 100644
--- a/desktop_version/src/Vlogging.h
+++ b/desktop_version/src/Vlogging.h
@@ -10,6 +10,10 @@ extern "C"
 
 void vlog_init(void);
 
+#ifdef _WIN32
+void vlog_open_console(void);
+#endif
+
 void vlog_toggle_output(int enable_output);
 
 void vlog_toggle_color(int enable_color);
diff --git a/desktop_version/src/main.cpp b/desktop_version/src/main.cpp
index 4632a3d6..25d4779f 100644
--- a/desktop_version/src/main.cpp
+++ b/desktop_version/src/main.cpp
@@ -369,6 +369,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     char* baseDir = NULL;
     char* assetsPath = NULL;
     bool seed_use_sdl_getticks = false;
+#ifdef _WIN32
+    bool open_console = false;
+#endif
 
     vlog_init();
 
@@ -479,6 +482,12 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
         {
             vlog_toggle_error(0);
         }
+#ifdef _WIN32
+        else if (ARG("-console"))
+        {
+            open_console = true;
+        }
+#endif
         else if (ARG("-seed-use-sdl-getticks"))
         {
             seed_use_sdl_getticks = true;
@@ -492,6 +501,13 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
         }
     }
 
+#ifdef _WIN32
+    if (open_console)
+    {
+        vlog_open_console();
+    }
+#endif
+
     if(!FILESYSTEM_init(argv[0], baseDir, assetsPath))
     {
         vlog_error("Unable to initialize filesystem!");