diff --git a/cmd/cmd.cpp b/cmd/cmd.cpp
index 0694a19..450c444 100644
--- a/cmd/cmd.cpp
+++ b/cmd/cmd.cpp
@@ -1,19 +1,42 @@
 // stub
 
 #include <nsfplaycore.h>
-#include <cstdio>
-#include <cstdlib>
-#include <cstring>
+#include <cstdio> // std::fprintf
+#include <cstdlib> // std::exit
+#include <cstring> // std::strlen
 
-void error_log(const char* msg) { std::fprintf(stderr,"Error: %s\n",msg); }
-void debug_print(const char* msg) { std::fprintf(stdout,"Debug: %s\n",msg); }
-void fatal_log(const char* msg) { std::fprintf(stderr,"Fatal: %s\n",msg); std::exit(-1); }
+// platform.cpp
+void platform_setup(int argc, char** argv);
+void platform_shutdown();
+int platform_argc();
+const char* platform_argv(int index);
 
-int main()
+void error_log(const char* msg)
 {
+	std::fprintf(stderr,"Error: %s\n",msg);
+}
+
+void debug_print(const char* msg)
+{
+	std::fprintf(stdout,"Debug: %s\n",msg);
+}
+
+void fatal_log(const char* msg)
+{
+	std::fprintf(stderr,"Fatal: %s\n",msg);
+	platform_shutdown();
+	std::exit(-1);
+}
+
+int main(int argc, char** argv)
+{
+	platform_setup(argc,argv);
 	nsfplay_set_error_log(error_log);
 	nsfplay_set_debug_print(debug_print);
 	nsfplay_set_fatal(fatal_log);
+
+	for (int i=0; i<platform_argc(); ++i)
+		printf("arg(%d)=[%s]\n",i,platform_argv(i));
 	
 	const char* TEST_INI =
 		"# test comment\n"
@@ -77,5 +100,6 @@ int main()
 
 	nsfplay_destroy(core);
 
+	platform_shutdown();
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/cmd/cmd.vcxproj b/cmd/cmd.vcxproj
index b1e92ce..f260501 100644
--- a/cmd/cmd.vcxproj
+++ b/cmd/cmd.vcxproj
@@ -168,6 +168,7 @@
   </ItemDefinitionGroup>
   <ItemGroup>
     <ClCompile Include="cmd.cpp" />
+    <ClCompile Include="platform.cpp" />
   </ItemGroup>
   <Import Project="$(VCTargetsPath)\Microsoft.Cpp.targets" />
   <ImportGroup Label="ExtensionTargets">
diff --git a/cmd/cmd.vcxproj.filters b/cmd/cmd.vcxproj.filters
index afb30f8..b3b0d89 100644
--- a/cmd/cmd.vcxproj.filters
+++ b/cmd/cmd.vcxproj.filters
@@ -2,5 +2,6 @@
 <Project ToolsVersion="4.0" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
   <ItemGroup>
     <ClCompile Include="cmd.cpp" />
+    <ClCompile Include="platform.cpp" />
   </ItemGroup>
 </Project>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/cmd/platform.cpp b/cmd/platform.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2dce6c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/platform.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+// platform.cpp
+//   sets up the console for the chosen platform
+
+#if defined(_WIN32) || defined(_WIN64)
+
+#define VC_EXTRALEAN
+#define WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN
+#include <windows.h> // GetConsoleOutputCP, SetConsoleOutputCP
+#include <shellapi.h> // GetCommandLineW, CommandLineToArgW
+#include <cstdlib> // std::malloc, std::free
+#include <stdio.h> // HACK
+
+static UINT startup_cp = 0;
+static LPWSTR* store_argv;
+static int store_argc;
+static char* store_convert = NULL;
+static int store_convert_size = 0;
+
+void platform_setup(int argc, char** argv)
+{
+	// Ignore argc/argv from main and get the wide command line from Windows
+	(void)argc;
+	(void)argv;
+	store_argv = CommandLineToArgvW(GetCommandLineW(), &store_argc);
+
+	// Windows needs its console set to a UTF8 code page
+	startup_cp = GetConsoleOutputCP();
+	SetConsoleOutputCP(CP_UTF8);
+}
+
+void platform_shutdown()
+{
+	std::free(store_convert);
+	SetConsoleOutputCP(startup_cp);
+	LocalFree(store_argv);
+}
+
+int platform_argc()
+{
+	return store_argc;
+}
+
+const char* platform_argv(int index)
+{
+	// convert wchar arguments to UTF-8
+	int new_size = WideCharToMultiByte(CP_UTF8,0,store_argv[index],-1,NULL,0,NULL,NULL);
+	if (new_size > store_convert_size)
+	{
+		free(store_convert);
+		store_convert_size = new_size;
+		store_convert = (char*)malloc(store_convert_size);
+	}
+	WideCharToMultiByte(CP_UTF8,0,store_argv[index],-1,store_convert,store_convert_size,NULL,NULL);
+	return store_convert;
+}
+
+#else
+
+// other platforms assume a UTF-8 by default
+
+static int store_argc;
+static const char* const* store_argv;
+
+void platform_setup(int argc, char** argv)
+{
+	store_argc = argc;
+	store_argv = argv;
+}
+
+void platform_shutdown()
+{
+}
+
+int platform_argc()
+{
+	return store_argc;
+}
+
+const char* platform_argv(int index)
+{
+	return store_argv[index];
+}
+
+#endif