diff --git a/vlib/builtin/builtin.v b/vlib/builtin/builtin.v
index 25ee8406f6..12f1f02e15 100644
--- a/vlib/builtin/builtin.v
+++ b/vlib/builtin/builtin.v
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@ module builtin
 __global g_m2_buf byteptr
 __global g_m2_ptr byteptr
 
+type FnExitCb fn()
+fn C.atexit(f FnExitCb) int
+
 pub fn exit(code int) {
 	C.exit(code)
 }
@@ -66,48 +69,25 @@ pub fn eprintln(s string) {
 	if s.str == 0 {
 		eprintln('eprintln(NIL)')
 	}
-	$if !windows {
-		C.fflush(C.stdout)
-		C.fflush(C.stderr)
-		C.fprintf(C.stderr, '%.*s\n', s.len, s.str)
-		C.fflush(C.stderr)
-		return
-	}
-	// TODO issues with stderr and cross compiling for Linux
-	println(s)
+	C.fflush(C.stdout)
+	C.fflush(C.stderr)
+	C.write(2, s.str, s.len)	
+	C.write(2, c'\n', 1)	
+	C.fflush(C.stderr)
 }
 
 pub fn eprint(s string) {
 	if s.str == 0 {
 		eprintln('eprint(NIL)')
 	}
-	$if !windows {
-		C.fflush(C.stdout)
-		C.fflush(C.stderr)
-		C.fprintf(C.stderr, '%.*s', s.len, s.str)
-		C.fflush(C.stderr)
-		return
-	}
-	print(s)
+	C.fflush(C.stdout)
+	C.fflush(C.stderr)
+	C.write(2, s.str, s.len)	
+	C.fflush(C.stderr)
 }
 
 pub fn print(s string) {
-	$if windows {
-		output_handle := C.GetStdHandle(C.STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE)
-		mut bytes_written := 0
-		if is_atty(1) > 0 {
-			wide_str := s.to_wide()
-			wide_len := C.wcslen(wide_str)
-			C.WriteConsole(output_handle, wide_str, wide_len, &bytes_written, 0)
-			unsafe {
-				free(wide_str)
-			}
-		} else {
-			C.WriteFile(output_handle, s.str, s.len, &bytes_written, 0)
-		}
-	} $else {
-		C.printf('%.*s', s.len, s.str)
-	}
+	C.write(1, s.str, s.len)	
 }
 
 const (
diff --git a/vlib/builtin/builtin_windows.c.v b/vlib/builtin/builtin_windows.c.v
index 44bb33e241..239d87b80b 100644
--- a/vlib/builtin/builtin_windows.c.v
+++ b/vlib/builtin/builtin_windows.c.v
@@ -59,11 +59,25 @@ const (
 	symopt_debug = 0x80000000
 )
 
+// g_original_codepage - used to restore the original windows console code page when exiting
+__global g_original_codepage u32=0
+// utf8 to stdout needs C.SetConsoleOutputCP(C.CP_UTF8)
+fn C.GetConsoleOutputCP() u32
+fn C.SetConsoleOutputCP(wCodePageID u32) bool
+fn restore_codepage() {
+	C.SetConsoleOutputCP( g_original_codepage )
+}
+
 fn builtin_init() {
+	g_original_codepage = C.GetConsoleOutputCP()
+	C.SetConsoleOutputCP(C.CP_UTF8)	
+	C.atexit(restore_codepage)
 	if is_atty(1) > 0 {
 		C.SetConsoleMode(C.GetStdHandle(C.STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE), C.ENABLE_PROCESSED_OUTPUT | 0x0004) // enable_virtual_terminal_processing
+		C.SetConsoleMode(C.GetStdHandle(C.STD_ERROR_HANDLE), C.ENABLE_PROCESSED_OUTPUT | 0x0004) // enable_virtual_terminal_processing
 		unsafe {
 			C.setbuf(C.stdout, 0)
+			C.setbuf(C.stderr, 0)
 		}
 	}
 	add_unhandled_exception_handler()