diff --git a/src/Makefile.d/detect.mk b/src/Makefile.d/detect.mk
index f576bcf784ff17cbb2be112d5a622737f4214d05..89c193a32bfc6ee0faa32f979271b810b556f0f9 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.d/detect.mk
+++ b/src/Makefile.d/detect.mk
@@ -29,7 +29,10 @@ $(call Print,$(_m))
 
 # go for a 32-bit sdl mingw exe by default
 MINGW:=1
+# cmd.exe uses native Windows semicolon delimited PATH
+ifneq (,$(findstring ;,$(PATH)))
 WINDOWSHELL:=1
+endif
 
 else # if you on the *nix