diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index b804cf5b6..aa7deaa11 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -49,7 +49,6 @@ if(NOT CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE)
 	set(CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE Release CACHE STRING "Build type: Debug or Release" FORCE)
 endif()
 
-
 # Included stuff
 set(CMAKE_MODULE_PATH ${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH} "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/Modules/")
 
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index e11c32df9..edb291545 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -709,7 +709,11 @@ if(MSVC)
 	# EHa enables SEH exceptions (used for catching segfaults)
 	set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE "/EHa /Ox /GL /FD /MT /GS- /Zi /arch:SSE /fp:fast /D NDEBUG /D _HAS_ITERATOR_DEBUGGING=0 /TP")
 	#set(CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS_RELEASE "/LTCG /NODEFAULTLIB:\"libcmtd.lib\" /NODEFAULTLIB:\"libcmt.lib\"")
-	set(CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS_RELEASE "/LTCG /DEBUG /OPT:REF /OPT:ICF")
+	set(CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS_RELEASE "/LTCG /INCREMENTAL:NO /DEBUG /OPT:REF /OPT:ICF")
+
+
+	set(CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS_RELEASE "${CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS_RELEASE} /SUBSYSTEM:WINDOWS /ENTRY:mainCRTStartup")
+
 
 	set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_SEMIDEBUG "/MDd /Zi /Ob0 /O1 /RTC1")
 
@@ -759,6 +763,10 @@ else()
 	if(USE_GPROF)
 		set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG} -pg")
 	endif()
+
+	if(MINGW)
+		set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE} -mwindows")
+	endif()
 endif()
 
 
diff --git a/src/defaultsettings.cpp b/src/defaultsettings.cpp
index 3f4ce6337..52ff4c068 100644
--- a/src/defaultsettings.cpp
+++ b/src/defaultsettings.cpp
@@ -350,6 +350,7 @@ void set_default_settings(Settings *settings)
 	settings->setDefault("server_description", "");
 
 	settings->setDefault("high_precision_fpu", "true");
+	settings->setDefault("enable_console", "false");
 
 #ifdef __ANDROID__
 	settings->setDefault("screenW", "0");
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 3599a36ce..1ec278981 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -17,9 +17,6 @@ with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA.
 */
 
-// This would get rid of the console window
-//#pragma comment(linker, "/subsystem:windows /ENTRY:mainCRTStartup")
-
 #include "irrlicht.h" // createDevice
 
 #include "mainmenumanager.h"
@@ -44,6 +41,7 @@ with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
 #include "gameparams.h"
 #include "database.h"
 #include "config.h"
+#include "porting.h"
 #if USE_CURSES
 	#include "terminal_chat_console.h"
 #endif
@@ -134,7 +132,6 @@ static OptionList allowed_options;
 int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
 	int retval;
-
 	debug_set_exception_handler();
 
 	g_logger.registerThread("Main");
@@ -145,11 +142,15 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	if (!cmd_args_ok
 			|| cmd_args.getFlag("help")
 			|| cmd_args.exists("nonopt1")) {
+		porting::attachOrCreateConsole();
 		print_help(allowed_options);
 		return cmd_args_ok ? 0 : 1;
 	}
+	if (cmd_args.getFlag("console"))
+		porting::attachOrCreateConsole();
 
 	if (cmd_args.getFlag("version")) {
+		porting::attachOrCreateConsole();
 		print_version();
 		return 0;
 	}
@@ -191,6 +192,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	if (!init_common(cmd_args, argc, argv))
 		return 1;
 
+	if (g_settings->getBool("enable_console"))
+		porting::attachOrCreateConsole();
+
 #ifndef __ANDROID__
 	// Run unit tests
 	if (cmd_args.getFlag("run-unittests")) {
@@ -200,9 +204,13 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	GameParams game_params;
 #ifdef SERVER
+	porting::attachOrCreateConsole();
 	game_params.is_dedicated_server = true;
 #else
-	game_params.is_dedicated_server = cmd_args.getFlag("server");
+	const bool isServer = cmd_args.getFlag("server");
+	if (isServer)
+		porting::attachOrCreateConsole();
+	game_params.is_dedicated_server = isServer;
 #endif
 
 	if (!game_configure(&game_params, cmd_args))
@@ -303,6 +311,8 @@ static void set_allowed_options(OptionList *allowed_options)
 			_("Set password"))));
 	allowed_options->insert(std::make_pair("go", ValueSpec(VALUETYPE_FLAG,
 			_("Disable main menu"))));
+	allowed_options->insert(std::make_pair("console", ValueSpec(VALUETYPE_FLAG,
+		_("Starts with the console (Windows only)"))));
 #endif
 
 }
diff --git a/src/porting.cpp b/src/porting.cpp
index 4786a2a39..9d859da7d 100644
--- a/src/porting.cpp
+++ b/src/porting.cpp
@@ -929,4 +929,18 @@ bool secure_rand_fill_buf(void *buf, size_t len)
 
 #endif
 
+void attachOrCreateConsole(void)
+{
+#ifdef _WIN32
+	static bool consoleAllocated = false;
+	const bool redirected = (_fileno(stdout) == -2 || _fileno(stdout) == -1); // If output is redirected to e.g a file
+	if (!consoleAllocated && redirected && (AttachConsole(ATTACH_PARENT_PROCESS) || AllocConsole())) {
+		freopen("CONOUT$", "w", stdout);
+		freopen("CONOUT$", "w", stderr);
+		consoleAllocated = true;
+	}
+#endif
+}
+
+
 } //namespace porting
diff --git a/src/porting.h b/src/porting.h
index 902547ea9..aa389d02c 100644
--- a/src/porting.h
+++ b/src/porting.h
@@ -377,6 +377,9 @@ bool setXorgWindowIconFromPath(IrrlichtDevice *device,
 void setWin32ExceptionHandler();
 
 bool secure_rand_fill_buf(void *buf, size_t len);
+
+// This attaches to the parents process console, or creates a new one if it doesnt exist.
+void attachOrCreateConsole(void);
 } // namespace porting
 
 #ifdef __ANDROID__