diff --git a/docs/README b/docs/README
index 77fb3f0ddbb..323e191cce5 100644
--- a/docs/README
+++ b/docs/README
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@ To create an HTML version of the docs on a Unix machine (Linux or Mac):
 
 * Install Sphinx (using ``easy_install Sphinx`` or some other method)
 
-* In this docs/ directory, type ``make html`` at a shell prompt.
+* In this docs/ directory, type ``make html`` (or ``make.bat html`` on
+  Windows) at a shell prompt.
 
 The documentation in _build/html/index.html can then be viewed in a web browser.
 
diff --git a/docs/internals/contributing/writing-documentation.txt b/docs/internals/contributing/writing-documentation.txt
index 39723057dd1..f6d6c6f1082 100644
--- a/docs/internals/contributing/writing-documentation.txt
+++ b/docs/internals/contributing/writing-documentation.txt
@@ -40,8 +40,8 @@ Sphinx -- ``easy_install Sphinx`` should do the trick.
 
 __ http://pygments.org
 
-Then, building the HTML is easy; just ``make html`` from the ``docs``
-directory.
+Then, building the HTML is easy; just ``make html`` (or ``make.bat html`` on
+Windows) from the ``docs`` directory.
 
 To get started contributing, you'll want to read the `reStructuredText
 Primer`__. After that, you'll want to read about the `Sphinx-specific markup`__
diff --git a/docs/intro/whatsnext.txt b/docs/intro/whatsnext.txt
index 00c1654c19e..fed8a71a818 100644
--- a/docs/intro/whatsnext.txt
+++ b/docs/intro/whatsnext.txt
@@ -183,6 +183,13 @@ You can get a local copy of the HTML documentation following a few easy steps:
 
       You'll need `GNU Make`__ installed for this.
 
+      If you're on Windows you can alternatively use the included batch file:
+
+      .. code-block:: bat
+
+            cd path\to\django\docs
+            make.bat html
+
     * The HTML documentation will be placed in ``docs/_build/html``.
 
 .. note::
diff --git a/docs/make.bat b/docs/make.bat
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..9f00c79f446
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/make.bat
@@ -0,0 +1,170 @@
+@ECHO OFF
+
+REM Command file for Sphinx documentation
+
+if "%SPHINXBUILD%" == "" (
+	set SPHINXBUILD=sphinx-build
+)
+set BUILDDIR=_build
+set ALLSPHINXOPTS=-d %BUILDDIR%/doctrees %SPHINXOPTS% .
+if NOT "%PAPER%" == "" (
+	set ALLSPHINXOPTS=-D latex_paper_size=%PAPER% %ALLSPHINXOPTS%
+)
+
+if "%1" == "" goto help
+
+if "%1" == "help" (
+	:help
+	echo.Please use `make ^<target^>` where ^<target^> is one of
+	echo.  html       to make standalone HTML files
+	echo.  dirhtml    to make HTML files named index.html in directories
+	echo.  singlehtml to make a single large HTML file
+	echo.  pickle     to make pickle files
+	echo.  json       to make JSON files
+	echo.  htmlhelp   to make HTML files and a HTML help project
+	echo.  qthelp     to make HTML files and a qthelp project
+	echo.  devhelp    to make HTML files and a Devhelp project
+	echo.  epub       to make an epub
+	echo.  latex      to make LaTeX files, you can set PAPER=a4 or PAPER=letter
+	echo.  text       to make text files
+	echo.  man        to make manual pages
+	echo.  changes    to make an overview over all changed/added/deprecated items
+	echo.  linkcheck  to check all external links for integrity
+	echo.  doctest    to run all doctests embedded in the documentation if enabled
+	goto end
+)
+
+if "%1" == "clean" (
+	for /d %%i in (%BUILDDIR%\*) do rmdir /q /s %%i
+	del /q /s %BUILDDIR%\*
+	goto end
+)
+
+if "%1" == "html" (
+	%SPHINXBUILD% -b djangohtml %ALLSPHINXOPTS% %BUILDDIR%/html
+	if errorlevel 1 exit /b 1
+	echo.
+	echo.Build finished. The HTML pages are in %BUILDDIR%/html.
+	goto end
+)
+
+if "%1" == "dirhtml" (
+	%SPHINXBUILD% -b dirhtml %ALLSPHINXOPTS% %BUILDDIR%/dirhtml
+	if errorlevel 1 exit /b 1
+	echo.
+	echo.Build finished. The HTML pages are in %BUILDDIR%/dirhtml.
+	goto end
+)
+
+if "%1" == "singlehtml" (
+	%SPHINXBUILD% -b singlehtml %ALLSPHINXOPTS% %BUILDDIR%/singlehtml
+	if errorlevel 1 exit /b 1
+	echo.
+	echo.Build finished. The HTML pages are in %BUILDDIR%/singlehtml.
+	goto end
+)
+
+if "%1" == "pickle" (
+	%SPHINXBUILD% -b pickle %ALLSPHINXOPTS% %BUILDDIR%/pickle
+	if errorlevel 1 exit /b 1
+	echo.
+	echo.Build finished; now you can process the pickle files.
+	goto end
+)
+
+if "%1" == "json" (
+	%SPHINXBUILD% -b json %ALLSPHINXOPTS% %BUILDDIR%/json
+	if errorlevel 1 exit /b 1
+	echo.
+	echo.Build finished; now you can process the JSON files.
+	goto end
+)
+
+if "%1" == "htmlhelp" (
+	%SPHINXBUILD% -b htmlhelp %ALLSPHINXOPTS% %BUILDDIR%/htmlhelp
+	if errorlevel 1 exit /b 1
+	echo.
+	echo.Build finished; now you can run HTML Help Workshop with the ^
+.hhp project file in %BUILDDIR%/htmlhelp.
+	goto end
+)
+
+if "%1" == "qthelp" (
+	%SPHINXBUILD% -b qthelp %ALLSPHINXOPTS% %BUILDDIR%/qthelp
+	if errorlevel 1 exit /b 1
+	echo.
+	echo.Build finished; now you can run "qcollectiongenerator" with the ^
+.qhcp project file in %BUILDDIR%/qthelp, like this:
+	echo.^> qcollectiongenerator %BUILDDIR%\qthelp\django.qhcp
+	echo.To view the help file:
+	echo.^> assistant -collectionFile %BUILDDIR%\qthelp\django.qhc
+	goto end
+)
+
+if "%1" == "devhelp" (
+	%SPHINXBUILD% -b devhelp %ALLSPHINXOPTS% %BUILDDIR%/devhelp
+	if errorlevel 1 exit /b 1
+	echo.
+	echo.Build finished.
+	goto end
+)
+
+if "%1" == "epub" (
+	%SPHINXBUILD% -b epub %ALLSPHINXOPTS% %BUILDDIR%/epub
+	if errorlevel 1 exit /b 1
+	echo.
+	echo.Build finished. The epub file is in %BUILDDIR%/epub.
+	goto end
+)
+
+if "%1" == "latex" (
+	%SPHINXBUILD% -b latex %ALLSPHINXOPTS% %BUILDDIR%/latex
+	if errorlevel 1 exit /b 1
+	echo.
+	echo.Build finished; the LaTeX files are in %BUILDDIR%/latex.
+	goto end
+)
+
+if "%1" == "text" (
+	%SPHINXBUILD% -b text %ALLSPHINXOPTS% %BUILDDIR%/text
+	if errorlevel 1 exit /b 1
+	echo.
+	echo.Build finished. The text files are in %BUILDDIR%/text.
+	goto end
+)
+
+if "%1" == "man" (
+	%SPHINXBUILD% -b man %ALLSPHINXOPTS% %BUILDDIR%/man
+	if errorlevel 1 exit /b 1
+	echo.
+	echo.Build finished. The manual pages are in %BUILDDIR%/man.
+	goto end
+)
+
+if "%1" == "changes" (
+	%SPHINXBUILD% -b changes %ALLSPHINXOPTS% %BUILDDIR%/changes
+	if errorlevel 1 exit /b 1
+	echo.
+	echo.The overview file is in %BUILDDIR%/changes.
+	goto end
+)
+
+if "%1" == "linkcheck" (
+	%SPHINXBUILD% -b linkcheck %ALLSPHINXOPTS% %BUILDDIR%/linkcheck
+	if errorlevel 1 exit /b 1
+	echo.
+	echo.Link check complete; look for any errors in the above output ^
+or in %BUILDDIR%/linkcheck/output.txt.
+	goto end
+)
+
+if "%1" == "doctest" (
+	%SPHINXBUILD% -b doctest %ALLSPHINXOPTS% %BUILDDIR%/doctest
+	if errorlevel 1 exit /b 1
+	echo.
+	echo.Testing of doctests in the sources finished, look at the ^
+results in %BUILDDIR%/doctest/output.txt.
+	goto end
+)
+
+:end