diff --git a/Source/cmSystemTools.cxx b/Source/cmSystemTools.cxx
index 6c49a144d..0ef750859 100644
--- a/Source/cmSystemTools.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmSystemTools.cxx
@@ -2242,6 +2242,14 @@ bool cmSystemTools::FileTimeSet(const char* fname, cmSystemToolsFileTime* t)
 static std::string cmSystemToolsExecutableDirectory;
 void cmSystemTools::FindExecutableDirectory(const char* argv0)
 {
+#if defined(_WIN32) && !defined(__CYGWIN__)
+  (void)argv0; // ignore this on windows
+  char modulepath[_MAX_PATH];
+  ::GetModuleFileName(NULL, modulepath, sizeof(modulepath));
+  cmSystemToolsExecutableDirectory =
+    cmSystemTools::GetFilenamePath(modulepath);
+  return;
+#else
   std::string errorMsg;
   std::string exe;
   if(cmSystemTools::FindProgramPath(argv0, exe, errorMsg))
@@ -2255,6 +2263,7 @@ void cmSystemTools::FindExecutableDirectory(const char* argv0)
     {
     // ???
     }
+#endif
 }
 
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------------