diff --git a/.azure/msys2-install.sh b/.azure/msys2-install.sh
index 904c1b2f00..670b83d549 100755
--- a/.azure/msys2-install.sh
+++ b/.azure/msys2-install.sh
@@ -15,13 +15,8 @@ pacman --noconfirm -S --needed \
     mingw-w64-$MSYS2_ARCH-gobject-introspection \
     mingw-w64-$MSYS2_ARCH-python3 \
     mingw-w64-$MSYS2_ARCH-python3-lxml \
-    mingw-w64-$MSYS2_ARCH-python3-importlib-metadata \
     mingw-w64-$MSYS2_ARCH-python3-gobject \
     mingw-w64-$MSYS2_ARCH-python3-cairo \
-    mingw-w64-$MSYS2_ARCH-python3-pip \
-    mingw-w64-$MSYS2_ARCH-python3-setuptools \
-    mingw-w64-$MSYS2_ARCH-python3-zope.interface \
-    mingw-w64-$MSYS2_ARCH-python3-coverage \
-    mingw-w64-$MSYS2_ARCH-python3-pytest
+    mingw-w64-$MSYS2_ARCH-python3-pip
 
-source venv
+./venv -S
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 2ca9b6d22b..ddb64f9fa5 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -105,14 +105,19 @@ To setup a development environment in Windows:
 ```bash
 $ pacman -Suy
 $ pacman -S mingw-w64-x86_64-gtk3 mingw-w64-x86_64-python3-gobject mingw-w64-x86_64-python3-cairo
-$ pacman -S mingw-w64-x86_64-python3-pip mingw-w64-x86_64-python3-setuptools
+$ pacman -S mingw-w64-x86_64-python3-pip mingw-w64-x86_64-python3-lxml
 ```
 Install git if it isn't already installed in msys2 with `pacman -S git`
 
+Ensure `/mingw64/bin` is added to your `PATH`:
+```bash
+$ export PATH=/mingw64/bin:$PATH
+```
+
 [Clone the repository](https://help.github.com/en/articles/cloning-a-repository).
 ```bash
 $ cd gaphor
-$ source ./venv
+$ source ./venv -S
 $ poetry run gaphor
 ```
 
diff --git a/venv b/venv
index c7f73b62ec..bce3a97e4c 100755
--- a/venv
+++ b/venv
@@ -18,6 +18,12 @@ brew --version >/dev/null 2>&1 && {
 	export PKG_CONFIG_PATH="${libffi_path}:${PKG_CONFIG_PATH:-}"
 }
 
+echo "Are we on MSys (Windows)?"
+uname -a | grep -q MSYS_NT && {
+	export PKG_CONFIG_PATH="/mingw64/lib/pkgconfig:${PKG_CONFIG_PATH:-}"
+	export PATH="/mingw64/bin:${PATH}"
+}
+
 (
 	# Do the whole installation process in a sub-shell, so we can safely fail when
 	# this file is sourced in the parent shell.
@@ -30,12 +36,17 @@ brew --version >/dev/null 2>&1 && {
 
 	NO_FORCE_INSTALL=true
 
-	while getopts 'fh' OPTION
+	while getopts 'fSh' OPTION
 	do
 			case "$OPTION" in
 			f)
 					NO_FORCE_INSTALL=false
 					;;
+			S)
+					VENV_OPTS="--system-site-packages"
+					;;
+			h)		echo "Usage: $0 [-f] [-S] [-h]  # -f = force install, -S = Use system site packages, -h = this message"
+					exit 0
 			esac
 	done
 
@@ -53,7 +64,7 @@ brew --version >/dev/null 2>&1 && {
 
 	test -d .venv || {
 		echo "Setting up a virtual env for Gaphor..."
-		python3 -m venv --prompt Gaphor .venv
+		python3 -m venv --prompt Gaphor ${VENV_OPTS:-} .venv
 	}
 
 	source .venv/bin/activate