diff --git a/meson.py b/meson.py
index 01a46fcf8..db4560984 100755
--- a/meson.py
+++ b/meson.py
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import datetime
 import os.path
 import environment, interpreter, mesonlib
 import build
+import platform
 import mlog, coredata
 
 from coredata import MesonException
@@ -118,6 +119,8 @@ itself as required.'''
         env = environment.Environment(self.source_dir, self.build_dir, self.meson_script_file, self.options)
         mlog.initialize(env.get_log_dir())
         mlog.debug('Build started at', datetime.datetime.now().isoformat())
+        mlog.debug('Python binary:', sys.executable)
+        mlog.debug('Python system:', platform.system())
         mlog.log(mlog.bold('The Meson build system'))
         mlog.log('Version:', coredata.version)
         mlog.log('Source dir:', mlog.bold(self.source_dir))
diff --git a/meson_test.py b/meson_test.py
index 4273e9b78..9353b1841 100755
--- a/meson_test.py
+++ b/meson_test.py
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 import sys, os, subprocess, time, datetime, pickle, multiprocessing, json
 import concurrent.futures as conc
 import argparse
-import platform
+import mesonlib
 
 tests_failed = False
 
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ def write_json_log(jsonlogfile, test_name, result):
     jsonlogfile.write(json.dumps(result) + '\n')
 
 def run_with_mono(fname):
-    if fname.endswith('.exe') and not platform.system().lower() == 'windows':
+    if fname.endswith('.exe') and not mesonlib.is_windows():
         return True
     return False
 
diff --git a/mesonlib.py b/mesonlib.py
index c7cf20817..76fb792fa 100644
--- a/mesonlib.py
+++ b/mesonlib.py
@@ -76,7 +76,8 @@ def is_linux():
     return platform.system().lower() == 'linux'
 
 def is_windows():
-    return platform.system().lower() == 'windows'
+    platname = platform.system().lower()
+    return platname == 'windows' or 'mingw' in platname
 
 def is_debianlike():
     try:
diff --git a/run_tests.py b/run_tests.py
index 673c55b70..7d5f92f47 100755
--- a/run_tests.py
+++ b/run_tests.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 # limitations under the License.
 
 from glob import glob
-import os, subprocess, shutil, sys, platform, signal
+import os, subprocess, shutil, sys, signal
 from io import StringIO
 import sys
 import environment
@@ -91,11 +91,11 @@ def setup_commands(backend):
         install_commands = [ninja_command, 'install']
 
 def platform_fix_filename(fname):
-    if platform.system() == 'Darwin':
+    if mesonlib.is_osx():
         if fname.endswith('.so'):
             return fname[:-2] + 'dylib'
         return fname.replace('.so.', '.dylib.')
-    elif platform.system() == 'Windows':
+    elif mesonlib.is_windows():
         if fname.endswith('.so'):
             (p, f) = os.path.split(fname)
             f = f[3:-2] + 'dll'
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ def platform_fix_filename(fname):
     return fname
 
 def validate_install(srcdir, installdir):
-    if platform.system() == 'Windows':
+    if mesonlib.is_windows():
         # Don't really know how Windows installs should work
         # so skip.
         return ''
diff --git a/symbolextractor.py b/symbolextractor.py
index b184cff7d..f2c709dfe 100755
--- a/symbolextractor.py
+++ b/symbolextractor.py
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@
 # This file is basically a reimplementation of
 # http://cgit.freedesktop.org/libreoffice/core/commit/?id=3213cd54b76bc80a6f0516aac75a48ff3b2ad67c
 
-import sys, subprocess, platform
+import sys, subprocess
+import mesonlib
 import argparse
 
 parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
@@ -84,9 +85,9 @@ def gen_symbols(libfilename, outfilename, cross_host):
         # toolset but there are more important things
         # to do.
         dummy_syms(outfilename)
-    elif platform.system() == 'Linux':
+    elif mesonlib.is_linux():
         linux_syms(libfilename, outfilename)
-    elif platform.system() == 'Darwin':
+    elif mesonlib.is_osx():
         osx_syms(libfilename, outfilename)
     else:
         dummy_syms(outfilename)