diff --git a/src/lib/input.c b/src/lib/input.c
index 4df7fb7c3..d6c265409 100644
--- a/src/lib/input.c
+++ b/src/lib/input.c
@@ -38,10 +38,14 @@ int cbreak_mode(tinfo* ti){
     return -1;
   }
 #else
+  // we don't yet have a way to take Cygwin/MSYS2 out of canonical mode. we'll
+  // hit this stanza in MSYS2; allow the GetConsoleMode() to fail for now. this
+  // means we'll need enter pressed after the query response, obviously an
+  // unacceptable state of affairs...FIXME
   DWORD mode;
   if(!GetConsoleMode(ti->inhandle, &mode)){
     logerror("error acquiring input mode\n");
-    return -1;
+    return 0; // FIXME is it safe?
   }
   mode &= ~(ENABLE_LINE_INPUT | ENABLE_ECHO_INPUT);
   if(!SetConsoleMode(ti->inhandle, mode)){
@@ -1649,7 +1653,9 @@ control_read(int ttyfd, query_state* qstate){
   }
   errno = 0;
   do{
+    loginfo("reading replies from %d...\n", ttyfd);
     while((s = read(ttyfd, buf, BUFSIZ)) != -1){
+      loginfo("read %lld from %d\n", (long long)s, ttyfd);
       for(ssize_t idx = 0; idx < s ; ++idx){
         int r = pump_control_read(qstate, buf[idx]);
         if(r == 1){ // success!
@@ -1679,7 +1685,7 @@ int ncinputlayer_init(tinfo* tcache, FILE* infp, queried_terminals_e* detected,
   nilayer->inputescapes = NULL;
   nilayer->infd = fileno(infp);
   loginfo("input fd: %d\n", nilayer->infd);
-  nilayer->ttyfd = isatty(nilayer->infd) ? -1 : get_tty_fd(infp);
+  nilayer->ttyfd = tty_check(nilayer->infd) ? -1 : get_tty_fd(infp);
   if(*detected == TERMINAL_MSTERMINAL){
     if(prep_windows_special_keys(nilayer)){
       return -1;
@@ -1698,7 +1704,7 @@ int ncinputlayer_init(tinfo* tcache, FILE* infp, queried_terminals_e* detected,
   nilayer->inner_wants_data = false;
   pthread_cond_init(&nilayer->creport_cond, NULL);
   int csifd = nilayer->ttyfd >= 0 ? nilayer->ttyfd : nilayer->infd;
-  if(isatty(csifd)){
+  if(tty_check(csifd)){
     query_state inits = {
       .tcache = tcache,
       .state = STATE_NULL,
diff --git a/src/lib/internal.h b/src/lib/internal.h
index 79f45eee8..1dce2583a 100644
--- a/src/lib/internal.h
+++ b/src/lib/internal.h
@@ -1733,6 +1733,18 @@ prefix_data(const char* base){
   return path;
 }
 
+// within unix, we can just use isatty(3). on windows, things work
+// differently. for a true Windows Terminal, we'll have HANDLE pointers
+// rather than file descriptors. in cygwin/msys2, isatty(3) always fails.
+// so for __MINGW64__, always return true. otherwise return isatty(fd).
+static inline int
+tty_check(int fd){
+#ifdef __MINGW64__
+  return fd >= 0 ? 1 : 0;
+#endif
+  return isatty(fd);
+}
+
 #undef ALLOC
 #undef API
 
diff --git a/src/lib/termdesc.c b/src/lib/termdesc.c
index 92356d88a..1ccfb1239 100644
--- a/src/lib/termdesc.c
+++ b/src/lib/termdesc.c
@@ -931,7 +931,6 @@ char* termdesc_longterm(const tinfo* ti){
   return ret;
 }
 
-#ifndef __MINGW64__
 // when we have input->ttyfd, everything's simple -- we're reading from a
 // different source than the user is, so we can just write the query, and block
 // on the response, easy peasy.
@@ -962,61 +961,62 @@ locate_cursor_simple(int fd, const char* u7, int* cursor_y, int* cursor_x){
   loginfo("Located cursor with %d: %d/%d\n", fd, *cursor_y, *cursor_x);
   return 0;
 }
-#endif
 
 // send a u7 request, and wait until we have a cursor report. if input's ttyfd
 // is valid, we can just camp there. otherwise, we need dance with potential
 // user input looking at infd.
 int locate_cursor(tinfo* ti, int* cursor_y, int* cursor_x){
-#ifndef __MINGW64__
-  const char* u7 = get_escape(ti, ESCAPE_U7);
-  if(u7 == NULL){
-    logwarn("No support in terminfo\n");
-    return -1;
-  }
-  if(ti->input.ttyfd >= 0){
-    return locate_cursor_simple(ti->input.ttyfd, u7, cursor_y, cursor_x);
-  }
-  int fd = ti->input.infd;
-  if(fd < 0){
-    logwarn("No valid path for cursor report\n");
-    return -1;
-  }
-  bool emitted_u7 = false; // only want to send one max
-  cursorreport* clr;
-  loginfo("Acquiring input lock\n");
-  pthread_mutex_lock(&ti->input.lock);
-  while((clr = ti->input.creport_queue) == NULL){
-    logdebug("No report yet\n");
-    if(!emitted_u7){
-      logdebug("Emitting u7\n");
-      // FIXME i'd rather not do this while holding the lock =[
-      if(tty_emit(u7, fd)){
-        pthread_mutex_unlock(&ti->input.lock);
-        return -1;
+  if(ti->qterm != TERMINAL_MSTERMINAL){
+    const char* u7 = get_escape(ti, ESCAPE_U7);
+    if(u7 == NULL){
+      logwarn("No support in terminfo\n");
+      return -1;
+    }
+    if(ti->ttyfd >= 0){
+      return locate_cursor_simple(ti->ttyfd, u7, cursor_y, cursor_x);
+    }
+    int fd = ti->input.infd;
+    if(fd < 0){
+      logwarn("No valid path for cursor report\n");
+      return -1;
+    }
+    bool emitted_u7 = false; // only want to send one max
+    cursorreport* clr;
+    loginfo("Acquiring input lock\n");
+    pthread_mutex_lock(&ti->input.lock);
+    while((clr = ti->input.creport_queue) == NULL){
+      logdebug("No report yet\n");
+      if(!emitted_u7){
+        logdebug("Emitting u7\n");
+        // FIXME i'd rather not do this while holding the lock =[
+        if(tty_emit(u7, fd)){
+          pthread_mutex_unlock(&ti->input.lock);
+          return -1;
+        }
+        emitted_u7 = true;
       }
-      emitted_u7 = true;
+      // this can block. we must enter holding the input lock, and it will
+      // return to us holding the input lock.
+      ncinput_extract_clrs(ti);
+      if( (clr = ti->input.creport_queue) ){
+        break;
+      }
+      pthread_cond_wait(&ti->input.creport_cond, &ti->input.lock);
     }
-    // this can block. we must enter holding the input lock, and it will
-    // return to us holding the input lock.
-    ncinput_extract_clrs(ti);
-    if( (clr = ti->input.creport_queue) ){
-      break;
+    ti->input.creport_queue = clr->next;
+    pthread_mutex_unlock(&ti->input.lock);
+    loginfo("Got a report from %d %d/%d\n", fd, clr->y, clr->x);
+    *cursor_y = clr->y;
+    *cursor_x = clr->x;
+    if(ti->inverted_cursor){
+      int tmp = *cursor_y;
+      *cursor_y = *cursor_x;
+      *cursor_x = tmp;
     }
-    pthread_cond_wait(&ti->input.creport_cond, &ti->input.lock);
-  }
-  ti->input.creport_queue = clr->next;
-  pthread_mutex_unlock(&ti->input.lock);
-  loginfo("Got a report from %d %d/%d\n", fd, clr->y, clr->x);
-  *cursor_y = clr->y;
-  *cursor_x = clr->x;
-  if(ti->inverted_cursor){
-    int tmp = *cursor_y;
-    *cursor_y = *cursor_x;
-    *cursor_x = tmp;
-  }
-  free(clr);
-#else
+    free(clr);
+    return 0;
+  }
+#ifdef __MINGW64__
   CONSOLE_SCREEN_BUFFER_INFO conbuf;
   if(!GetConsoleScreenBufferInfo(ti->outhandle, &conbuf)){
     logerror("couldn't get cursor info\n");