diff --git a/CMakeModules/download_boost.cmake b/CMakeModules/download_boost.cmake
index e929a2aae5..601738413c 100644
--- a/CMakeModules/download_boost.cmake
+++ b/CMakeModules/download_boost.cmake
@@ -101,6 +101,16 @@ else()
 endif()
 
 
+find_program(patch_bin NAMES patch patch.exe)
+
+if( "${patch_bin}" STREQUAL "patch_bin-NOTFOUND" )
+    set( PATCH_STR_CMD ${PATCH_STR_CMD} )
+else()
+    set( PATCH_STR_CMD ${patch_bin} -p0 -i )
+endif()
+
+
+
 if( MINGW AND NOT CMAKE_HOST_UNIX )  # building for MINGW on windows not UNIX
     if( MSYS )
         # The Boost system does not build properly on MSYS using bootstrap.sh.  Running
@@ -197,25 +207,25 @@ ExternalProject_Add( boost
         # bzr revert is insufficient to remove "added" files:
         COMMAND     bzr clean-tree -q --force
 
-        COMMAND     bzr patch -p0 "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/patches/boost_minkowski.patch"
-        COMMAND     bzr patch -p0 "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/patches/boost_cstdint.patch"
+        COMMAND     ${PATCH_STR_CMD} "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/patches/boost_minkowski.patch"
+        COMMAND     ${PATCH_STR_CMD} "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/patches/boost_cstdint.patch"
 
-        COMMAND     bzr patch -p0 "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/patches/boost_macosx_x86.patch"        #https://svn.boost.org/trac/boost/ticket/8266
+        COMMAND     ${PATCH_STR_CMD} "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/patches/boost_macosx_x86.patch"        #https://svn.boost.org/trac/boost/ticket/8266
         # tell bzr about "added" files by last patch:
         COMMAND     bzr add libs/context/src/asm/jump_i386_x86_64_sysv_macho_gas.S
         COMMAND     bzr add libs/context/src/asm/make_i386_x86_64_sysv_macho_gas.S
 
-        COMMAND     bzr patch -p0 "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/patches/boost_macosx_x86_build.patch"  #https://svn.boost.org/trac/boost/ticket/8266
-        COMMAND     bzr patch -p0 "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/patches/boost_macosx_older_openssl.patch"  #https://svn.boost.org/trac/boost/ticket/9273
+        COMMAND     ${PATCH_STR_CMD} "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/patches/boost_macosx_x86_build.patch"  #https://svn.boost.org/trac/boost/ticket/8266
+        COMMAND     ${PATCH_STR_CMD} "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/patches/boost_macosx_older_openssl.patch"  #https://svn.boost.org/trac/boost/ticket/9273
 
-        COMMAND     bzr patch -p0 "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/patches/boost_mingw.patch"             #https://svn.boost.org/trac/boost/ticket/7262
+        COMMAND     ${PATCH_STR_CMD} "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/patches/boost_mingw.patch"             #https://svn.boost.org/trac/boost/ticket/7262
         # tell bzr about "added" files by last patch:
         COMMAND     bzr add libs/context/src/asm/make_i386_ms_pe_gas.S
         COMMAND     bzr add libs/context/src/asm/jump_i386_ms_pe_gas.S
         COMMAND     bzr add libs/context/src/asm/make_x86_64_ms_pe_gas.S
         COMMAND     bzr add libs/context/src/asm/jump_x86_64_ms_pe_gas.S
 
-        COMMAND     bzr patch -p0 "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/patches/patch_macosx_context_ppc_v2.patch" #https://svn.boost.org/trac/boost/ticket/8266
+        COMMAND     ${PATCH_STR_CMD} "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/patches/patch_macosx_context_ppc_v2.patch" #https://svn.boost.org/trac/boost/ticket/8266
         COMMAND     bzr add libs/context/build/Jamfile.v2
         COMMAND     bzr add libs/context/build/architecture.jam
         COMMAND     bzr add libs/context/src/asm/jump_combined_sysv_macho_gas.S
diff --git a/CMakeModules/download_openssl.cmake b/CMakeModules/download_openssl.cmake
index b810cfb63e..6ab8fc70d7 100644
--- a/CMakeModules/download_openssl.cmake
+++ b/CMakeModules/download_openssl.cmake
@@ -42,6 +42,14 @@ if( CMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE )
     set( TOOLCHAIN "-DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=${CMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE}" )
 endif()
 
+FIND_PROGRAM (patch_bin NAMES patch.exe patch)
+
+if( "${patch_bin}" STREQUAL "patch_bin-NOTFOUND" )
+    set( PATCH_STR_CMD bzr patch -p0 )
+else()
+    set( PATCH_STR_CMD ${patch_bin} -p0 -i )
+endif()
+
 ExternalProject_Add(
     openssl
     DOWNLOAD_DIR ${DOWNLOAD_DIR}
@@ -58,13 +66,13 @@ ExternalProject_Add(
     # PATCH_COMMAND patch -p0 < ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/patches/openssl-1.0.1e.patch
 
     # This one requires the bzr commit below, since bzr patch only knows a working tree.
-    
+
     # Revert the branch to pristine before applying patch sets as bzr patch
     # fails when applying a patch to the branch twice and doesn't have a switch
     # to ignore previously applied patches
     PATCH_COMMAND   bzr revert
         # PATCH_COMMAND continuation (any *_COMMAND here can be continued with COMMAND):
-        COMMAND     bzr patch -p0 ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/patches/openssl-1.0.1e.patch
+        COMMAND    ${PATCH_STR_CMD} ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/patches/openssl-1.0.1e.patch
 
     CONFIGURE_COMMAND
             ${CMAKE_COMMAND}
diff --git a/cvpcb/CMakeLists.txt b/cvpcb/CMakeLists.txt
index 47a5c3c111..2e89204780 100644
--- a/cvpcb/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/cvpcb/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
-
-set( MAKE_LINK_MAPS true )
+# the map generation creates on Windows/gcc a lot of useless warnings
+# so disable it on windows
+if( WIN32 AND NOT CMAKE_CROSSCOMPILING )
+    set( MAKE_LINK_MAPS false )
+else()
+    set( MAKE_LINK_MAPS true )
+endif()
 
 add_definitions( -DCVPCB )
 
diff --git a/eeschema/CMakeLists.txt b/eeschema/CMakeLists.txt
index bd04eebb7d..87b71aa5f5 100644
--- a/eeschema/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/eeschema/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,10 @@
-set( MAKE_LINK_MAPS true )
+# the map generation creates on Windows/gcc a lot of useless warnings
+# so disable it on windows
+if( WIN32 AND NOT CMAKE_CROSSCOMPILING )
+    set( MAKE_LINK_MAPS false )
+else()
+    set( MAKE_LINK_MAPS true )
+endif()
 
 add_definitions( -DEESCHEMA )
 
diff --git a/gerbview/CMakeLists.txt b/gerbview/CMakeLists.txt
index 685c826a1d..df67987d6f 100644
--- a/gerbview/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/gerbview/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,10 @@
-set( MAKE_LINK_MAPS true )
+# the map generation creates on Windows/gcc a lot of useless warnings
+# so disable it on windows
+if( WIN32 AND NOT CMAKE_CROSSCOMPILING )
+    set( MAKE_LINK_MAPS false )
+else()
+    set( MAKE_LINK_MAPS true )
+endif()
 
 add_definitions(-DGERBVIEW)
 
diff --git a/pagelayout_editor/CMakeLists.txt b/pagelayout_editor/CMakeLists.txt
index 95ce1af27f..308bd94949 100644
--- a/pagelayout_editor/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/pagelayout_editor/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,10 @@
-set( MAKE_LINK_MAPS true )
+# the map generation creates on Windows/gcc a lot of useless warnings
+# so disable it on windows
+if( WIN32 AND NOT CMAKE_CROSSCOMPILING )
+    set( MAKE_LINK_MAPS false )
+else()
+    set( MAKE_LINK_MAPS true )
+endif()
 
 add_definitions(-DPL_EDITOR)
 
diff --git a/pcbnew/CMakeLists.txt b/pcbnew/CMakeLists.txt
index afbdb0e323..d16eb9f04f 100644
--- a/pcbnew/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/pcbnew/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,10 @@
-set( MAKE_LINK_MAPS true )
+# the map generation creates on Windows/gcc a lot of useless warnings
+# so disable it on windows
+if( WIN32 AND NOT CMAKE_CROSSCOMPILING )
+    set( MAKE_LINK_MAPS false )
+else()
+    set( MAKE_LINK_MAPS true )
+endif()
 
 add_definitions( -DPCBNEW )
 add_subdirectory(router)
@@ -530,6 +536,7 @@ if( USE_KIWAY_DLLS )
         ${PCBNEW_SCRIPTING_SRCS}
 #        ${PCBNEW_RESOURCES}
         )
+
     set_target_properties( pcbnew_kiface PROPERTIES
         # Decorate OUTPUT_NAME with PREFIX and SUFFIX, creating something like
         # _pcbnew.so, _pcbnew.dll, or _pcbnew.kiface
@@ -542,6 +549,7 @@ if( USE_KIWAY_DLLS )
             COMPILE_FLAGS   ${OpenMP_CXX_FLAGS}
         )
     endif()
+
     target_link_libraries( pcbnew_kiface
         3d-viewer
         pcbcommon