diff --git a/compiler/cheaders.v b/compiler/cheaders.v
index 197a9a92c3..2753c09f28 100644
--- a/compiler/cheaders.v
+++ b/compiler/cheaders.v
@@ -151,9 +151,6 @@ byteptr g_str_buf;
 int load_so(byteptr);
 void reload_so();
 void init_consts();
-#ifdef _WIN32
-BOOL isConsole;
-#endif
 '
 
 js_headers = '
diff --git a/compiler/main.v b/compiler/main.v
index f62291fe35..742a25577d 100644
--- a/compiler/main.v
+++ b/compiler/main.v
@@ -387,16 +387,6 @@ fn (v mut V) generate_main() {
 		mut consts_init_body := cgen.consts_init.join_lines()
 		// vlib can't have `init_consts()`
 		cgen.genln('void init_consts() {
-#ifdef _WIN32
-DWORD consoleMode;
-isConsole = GetConsoleMode(GetStdHandle(STD_INPUT_HANDLE), &consoleMode);
-int mode = isConsole ? _O_U16TEXT : _O_U8TEXT;
-_setmode(_fileno(stdin), mode);
-_setmode(_fileno(stdout), _O_U8TEXT);
-SetConsoleMode(GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE), ENABLE_PROCESSED_OUTPUT | 0x0004);
-// ENABLE_VIRTUAL_TERMINAL_PROCESSING
-setbuf(stdout,0);
-#endif
 g_str_buf=malloc(1000);
 $consts_init_body
 }')
diff --git a/vlib/builtin/builtin.v b/vlib/builtin/builtin.v
index f9f229571f..60d0d0e9f3 100644
--- a/vlib/builtin/builtin.v
+++ b/vlib/builtin/builtin.v
@@ -4,6 +4,24 @@
 
 module builtin
 
+fn builtin_init() int {
+	$if windows {	
+		if is_atty(0) {
+			C._setmode(C._fileno(C.stdin), C._O_U16TEXT)
+		} else {
+			C._setmode(C._fileno(C.stdin), C._O_U8TEXT)		
+		}
+		C._setmode(C._fileno(C.stdout), C._O_U8TEXT)
+		C.SetConsoleMode(C.GetStdHandle(C.STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE), C.ENABLE_PROCESSED_OUTPUT | 0x0004) // ENABLE_VIRTUAL_TERMINAL_PROCESSING
+		C.setbuf(C.stdout,0)
+	}
+	return 1
+}
+
+const (
+	_ = builtin_init()
+)
+
 fn C.memcpy(byteptr, byteptr, int)
 fn C.memmove(byteptr, byteptr, int)
 //fn C.malloc(int) byteptr
@@ -158,7 +176,15 @@ fn memdup(src voidptr, sz int) voidptr {
 
 fn v_ptr_free(ptr voidptr) {
 	C.free(ptr)
-}	
-
+}
 
+pub fn is_atty(fd int) bool {
+	$if windows {
+		mut mode := 0
+		C.GetConsoleMode(C._get_osfhandle(fd), &mode)
+		return mode > 0
+	} $else {
+		return C.isatty(fd) != 0
+	}
+}
 
diff --git a/vlib/os/os.v b/vlib/os/os.v
index df4b160206..92d7b5c069 100644
--- a/vlib/os/os.v
+++ b/vlib/os/os.v
@@ -69,11 +69,6 @@ fn C.ftell(fp voidptr) int
 fn C.getenv(byteptr) byteptr
 fn C.sigaction(int, voidptr, int)
 
-fn parse_windows_cmd_line(cmd byteptr) []string {
-	s := string(cmd)
-	return s.split(' ')
-}
-
 // read_file reads the file in `path` and returns the contents.
 pub fn read_file(path string) ?string {
 	mode := 'rb'
@@ -533,7 +528,7 @@ pub fn get_raw_line() string {
     $if windows {
         max_line_chars := 256
         buf := &byte(malloc(max_line_chars*2))
-        if C.isConsole > 0 {
+        if is_atty(0) {
             h_input := C.GetStdHandle(STD_INPUT_HANDLE)
             mut nr_chars := 0
             C.ReadConsole(h_input, buf, max_line_chars * 2, &nr_chars, 0)
@@ -861,3 +856,4 @@ pub fn print_backtrace() {
 	# backtrace_symbols_fd(buffer, nptrs, STDOUT_FILENO) ;
 */
 }
+
diff --git a/vlib/term/can_show_color.v b/vlib/term/can_show_color.v
index c142b5b947..2e8ad05631 100644
--- a/vlib/term/can_show_color.v
+++ b/vlib/term/can_show_color.v
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 module term
 
+import os
+
 pub fn can_show_color_on_stdout() bool {
-	return can_show_color_on_fd(1)
+	return is_atty(1) && os.getenv('TERM') != 'dumb'
 }
 
 pub fn can_show_color_on_stderr() bool {
-	return can_show_color_on_fd(2)
+	return is_atty(2) && os.getenv('TERM') != 'dumb'
 }
 
 //////////////////////////////////////////////
diff --git a/vlib/term/can_show_color_nix.v b/vlib/term/can_show_color_nix.v
deleted file mode 100644
index 8b24aa0544..0000000000
--- a/vlib/term/can_show_color_nix.v
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,11 +0,0 @@
-module term
-
-import os
-
-fn C.isatty(int) int
-
-pub fn can_show_color_on_fd(fd int) bool {
-	if os.getenv('TERM') == 'dumb' { return false }
-	if C.isatty(fd) != 0 { return true }
-	return false
-}
diff --git a/vlib/term/can_show_color_win.v b/vlib/term/can_show_color_win.v
deleted file mode 100644
index edfabddd54..0000000000
--- a/vlib/term/can_show_color_win.v
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,10 +0,0 @@
-module term
-
-import os
-
-// TODO: implement proper checking on windows too.
-// For now, just return false by default
-pub fn can_show_color_on_fd(fd int) bool {
-	if os.getenv('TERM') == 'dumb' { return false }
-	return false
-}