diff --git a/os.vim b/os.vim
index 0852e2d..451ca57 100644
--- a/os.vim
+++ b/os.vim
@@ -1,12 +1,30 @@
 " Vim auto-load script
 " Author: Peter Odding <peter@peterodding.com>
-" Last Change: March 15, 2011
+" Last Change: November 24, 2011
 " URL: http://peterodding.com/code/vim/misc/
 
+let g:xolox#misc#os#version = '0.1'
+
 " Check whether Vim is running on Microsoft Windows.
 
 function! xolox#misc#os#is_win()
   return has('win16') || has('win32') || has('win64')
 endfunction
 
+" Execute an external command (hiding the console on Windows when possible).
+
+function! xolox#misc#os#exec(cmdline, ...)
+  try
+    " Try using my shell.vim plug-in.
+    return call('xolox#shell#execute', [a:cmdline, 1] + a:000)
+  catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:E117/
+    " Fall back to system() when we get an "unknown function" error.
+    let output = call('system', [a:cmdline] + a:000)
+    if v:shell_error
+      throw printf("os.vim %s: Command %s failed: %s", g:xolox#misc#os#version, a:cmdline, xolox#misc#str#trim(output))
+    endif
+    return split(output, "\n")
+  endtry
+endfunction
+
 " vim: ts=2 sw=2 et