diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index f765a271..0185ea0c 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ byteorder = "1.2.1"
 dirs = "1.0.2"
 
 [target.'cfg(windows)'.dependencies]
-winapi = { version = "0.3", features = ["wincon", "handleapi", "fileapi"] }
+winapi = { version = "0.3", features = ["consoleapi", "wincon", "handleapi", "fileapi"] }
 
 [features]
 default=[]
diff --git a/src/terminfo/mod.rs b/src/terminfo/mod.rs
index d9d17bc4..9cfe40cc 100644
--- a/src/terminfo/mod.rs
+++ b/src/terminfo/mod.rs
@@ -18,6 +18,10 @@ use std::io;
 use std::io::BufReader;
 use std::path::Path;
 
+
+#[cfg(windows)]
+use win;
+
 use Attr;
 use color;
 use Terminal;
@@ -67,6 +71,17 @@ impl TermInfo {
                 }
             })
         });
+
+        #[cfg(windows)]
+        {
+            if term_name.is_none() && win::supports_ansi() {
+                // Microsoft people seem to be fine with pretending to be xterm:
+                // https://github.com/Microsoft/WSL/issues/1446
+                // The basic ANSI fallback terminal will be uses.
+                return TermInfo::from_name("xterm");
+            }
+        }
+
         if let Some(term_name) = term_name {
             return TermInfo::from_name(term_name);
         } else {
diff --git a/src/win.rs b/src/win.rs
index 71c82789..58d3a93f 100644
--- a/src/win.rs
+++ b/src/win.rs
@@ -14,25 +14,26 @@
 
 extern crate winapi;
 
-use std::io::prelude::*;
+use color;
 use std::io;
+use std::io::prelude::*;
 use std::ops::Deref;
 use std::ptr;
 use Attr;
 use Error;
 use Result;
 use Terminal;
-use color;
 
-use win::winapi::um::wincon::{SetConsoleCursorPosition, SetConsoleTextAttribute, BACKGROUND_INTENSITY};
-use win::winapi::um::wincon::{FillConsoleOutputCharacterW, GetConsoleScreenBufferInfo, COORD};
-use win::winapi::um::wincon::FillConsoleOutputAttribute;
 use win::winapi::shared::minwindef::{DWORD, WORD};
-use win::winapi::um::handleapi::{CloseHandle, INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE};
+use win::winapi::um::consoleapi::{GetConsoleMode, SetConsoleMode};
 use win::winapi::um::fileapi::{CreateFileA, OPEN_EXISTING};
+use win::winapi::um::handleapi::{CloseHandle, INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE};
+use win::winapi::um::wincon::FillConsoleOutputAttribute;
+use win::winapi::um::wincon::{FillConsoleOutputCharacterW, GetConsoleScreenBufferInfo, COORD};
+use win::winapi::um::wincon::{SetConsoleCursorPosition, SetConsoleTextAttribute};
+use win::winapi::um::wincon::{BACKGROUND_INTENSITY, ENABLE_VIRTUAL_TERMINAL_PROCESSING};
 use win::winapi::um::winnt::{FILE_SHARE_WRITE, GENERIC_READ, GENERIC_WRITE, HANDLE};
 
-
 /// Console info which can be used by a Terminal implementation
 /// which uses the Win32 Console API.
 pub struct WinConsoleInfo {
@@ -116,7 +117,7 @@ impl Deref for HandleWrapper {
     }
 }
 
-// Just get a handle to the current console buffer whatever it is
+/// Just get a handle to the current console buffer whatever it is
 fn conout() -> io::Result<HandleWrapper> {
     let name = b"CONOUT$\0";
     let handle = unsafe {
@@ -137,6 +138,25 @@ fn conout() -> io::Result<HandleWrapper> {
     }
 }
 
+unsafe fn set_flag(handle: HANDLE, flag: DWORD) -> io::Result<()> {
+    let mut curr_mode: DWORD = 0;
+    if GetConsoleMode(handle, &mut curr_mode) == 0 {
+        return Err(io::Error::last_os_error());
+    }
+
+    if SetConsoleMode(handle, curr_mode | flag) == 0 {
+        return Err(io::Error::last_os_error());
+    }
+    return Ok(());
+}
+
+/// Check if console supports ansi codes (should succeed on Windows 10)
+pub fn supports_ansi() -> bool {
+    conout()
+        .and_then(|handle| unsafe { set_flag(*handle, ENABLE_VIRTUAL_TERMINAL_PROCESSING) })
+        .is_ok()
+}
+
 // This test will only pass if it is running in an actual console, probably
 #[test]
 fn test_conout() {
@@ -183,7 +203,7 @@ impl<T: Write + Send> WinConsole<T> {
         };
 
         if self.info.secure {
-            fg  = bg;
+            fg = bg;
         }
 
         let mut accum: WORD = 0;
@@ -205,10 +225,7 @@ impl<T: Write + Send> WinConsole<T> {
 
     /// Create a new WinConsole with the given WinConsoleInfo and out
     pub fn new_with_consoleinfo(out: T, info: WinConsoleInfo) -> WinConsole<T> {
-        WinConsole {
-            buf: out,
-            info,
-        }
+        WinConsole { buf: out, info }
     }
 
     /// Returns `Err` whenever the terminal cannot be created for some