diff --git a/README.mkd b/README.mkd
index fbc59d7..4b37292 100644
--- a/README.mkd
+++ b/README.mkd
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@ Add `Plugin 'airblade/vim-gitgutter'` to your `~/.vimrc` and then:
 * either within Vim: `:PluginInstall`
 * or in your shell: `vim +PluginInstall +qall`
 
+If you are on Windows you may find the command prompt pops up briefly every time vim-gitgutter runs.  You can avoid this by installing both [vim-misc](https://github.com/xolox/vim-misc) and [vim-shell](https://github.com/xolox/vim-shell).  If you have those two plugins but don't want vim-gitgutter to use them, you can opt out with `let g:gitgutter_avoid_cmd_prompt_on_windows = 0` in your `~/.vimrc`.
+
 
 ### Usage
 
diff --git a/autoload/diff.vim b/autoload/diff.vim
index b4af17c..7f3e350 100644
--- a/autoload/diff.vim
+++ b/autoload/diff.vim
@@ -31,12 +31,12 @@ function! diff#run_diff(realtime, use_external_grep)
   let cmd .= '))'
 
   if a:realtime
-    let diff = system(utility#command_in_directory_of_file(cmd), utility#buffer_contents())
+    let diff = utility#system(utility#command_in_directory_of_file(cmd), utility#buffer_contents())
   else
-    let diff = system(utility#command_in_directory_of_file(cmd))
+    let diff = utility#system(utility#command_in_directory_of_file(cmd))
   endif
 
-  if v:shell_error
+  if utility#shell_error()
     " A shell error indicates the file is not tracked by git (unless something
     " bizarre is going on).
     throw 'diff failed'
diff --git a/autoload/gitgutter.vim b/autoload/gitgutter.vim
index 5d393f9..df85166 100644
--- a/autoload/gitgutter.vim
+++ b/autoload/gitgutter.vim
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ function! gitgutter#stage_hunk()
     let diff_for_hunk = diff#generate_diff_for_hunk(current_hunk, 1)
 
     " apply the diff
-    call system(utility#command_in_directory_of_file('git apply --cached --unidiff-zero - '), diff_for_hunk)
+    call utility#system(utility#command_in_directory_of_file('git apply --cached --unidiff-zero - '), diff_for_hunk)
 
     " refresh gitgutter's view of buffer
     silent execute "GitGutter"
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ function! gitgutter#revert_hunk()
     let diff_for_hunk = diff#generate_diff_for_hunk(current_hunk, 1)
 
     " apply the diff
-    call system(utility#command_in_directory_of_file('git apply --reverse --unidiff-zero - '), diff_for_hunk)
+    call utility#system(utility#command_in_directory_of_file('git apply --reverse --unidiff-zero - '), diff_for_hunk)
 
     " reload file
     silent edit
diff --git a/autoload/utility.vim b/autoload/utility.vim
index 59a7483..10bc385 100644
--- a/autoload/utility.vim
+++ b/autoload/utility.vim
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
 let s:file = ''
+let s:using_xolox_shell = -1
+let s:exit_code = 0
+
 
 function! utility#is_active()
   return g:gitgutter_enabled && utility#exists_file()
@@ -14,7 +17,7 @@ endfunction
 function! utility#shellescape(arg)
   if a:arg =~ '^[A-Za-z0-9_/.-]\+$'
     return a:arg
-  elseif &shell =~# 'cmd'
+  elseif &shell =~# 'cmd' || utility#using_xolox_shell()
     return '"' . substitute(substitute(a:arg, '"', '""', 'g'), '%', '"%"', 'g') . '"'
   else
     return shellescape(a:arg)
@@ -68,10 +71,44 @@ function! utility#buffer_contents()
   return join(getbufline(s:file, 1, '$'), eol) . eol
 endfunction
 
+function! utility#shell_error()
+  return utility#using_xolox_shell() ? s:exit_code : v:shell_error
+endfunction
+
+function! utility#using_xolox_shell()
+  if s:using_xolox_shell == -1
+    if !g:gitgutter_avoid_cmd_prompt_on_windows
+      let s:using_xolox_shell = 0
+    " Although xolox/vim-shell works on both windows and unix we only want to use
+    " it on windows.
+    elseif has('win32') || has('win64') || has('win32unix')
+      let s:using_xolox_shell = exists('g:xolox#misc#version') && exists('g:xolox#shell#version')
+    else
+      let s:using_xolox_shell = 0
+    endif
+  endif
+  return s:using_xolox_shell
+endfunction
+
+function! utility#system(cmd, ...)
+  if utility#using_xolox_shell()
+    let options = {'command': a:cmd, 'check': 0}
+    if a:0 > 0
+      let options['stdin'] = a:1
+    endif
+    let ret = xolox#misc#os#exec(options)
+    let output = join(ret.stdout, "\n")
+    let s:exit_code = ret.exit_code
+  else
+    let output = (a:0 == 0) ? system(a:cmd) : system(a:cmd, a:1)
+  endif
+  return output
+endfunction
+
 function! utility#file_relative_to_repo_root()
   let file_path_relative_to_repo_root = getbufvar(s:file, 'gitgutter_repo_relative_path')
   if empty(file_path_relative_to_repo_root)
-    let dir_path_relative_to_repo_root = system(utility#command_in_directory_of_file('git rev-parse --show-prefix'))
+    let dir_path_relative_to_repo_root = utility#system(utility#command_in_directory_of_file('git rev-parse --show-prefix'))
     let dir_path_relative_to_repo_root = utility#strip_trailing_new_line(dir_path_relative_to_repo_root)
     let file_path_relative_to_repo_root = dir_path_relative_to_repo_root . utility#filename()
     call setbufvar(s:file, 'gitgutter_repo_relative_path', file_path_relative_to_repo_root)
diff --git a/plugin/gitgutter.vim b/plugin/gitgutter.vim
index 423dfe0..b1baa38 100644
--- a/plugin/gitgutter.vim
+++ b/plugin/gitgutter.vim
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ call s:set('g:gitgutter_sign_modified_removed', '~_')
 call s:set('g:gitgutter_diff_args',             '')
 call s:set('g:gitgutter_escape_grep',           0)
 call s:set('g:gitgutter_map_keys',              1)
+call s:set('g:gitgutter_avoid_cmd_prompt_on_windows', 1)
 
 call highlight#define_sign_column_highlight()
 call highlight#define_highlights()