diff --git a/src/hx/StdLibs.cpp b/src/hx/StdLibs.cpp
index 43993910b..64a81e76f 100644
--- a/src/hx/StdLibs.cpp
+++ b/src/hx/StdLibs.cpp
@@ -255,29 +255,15 @@ void __hxcpp_stdlibs_boot()
 #endif
 
    #if defined(_MSC_VER) && !defined(HX_WINRT)
-   HMODULE kernel32 = LoadLibraryA("kernel32");
-   if (kernel32)
-   {
-      typedef BOOL (WINAPI *AttachConsoleFunc)(DWORD);
-      typedef HWND (WINAPI *GetConsoleWindowFunc)(void);
-      AttachConsoleFunc attach = (AttachConsoleFunc)GetProcAddress(kernel32,"AttachConsole");
-      GetConsoleWindowFunc getConsole = (GetConsoleWindowFunc)GetProcAddress(kernel32,"GetConsoleWindow");
-      if (attach && getConsole)
-      {
-         if (!attach( /*ATTACH_PARENT_PROCESS*/ (DWORD)-1 ))
-         {
-            //printf("Could not attach to parent console : %d\n",GetLastError());
-         }
-         else if (getConsole())
-         {
-            if (_fileno(stdout) < 0 || _get_osfhandle(fileno(stdout)) < 0)
-               freopen("CONOUT$", "w", stdout);
-            if (_fileno(stderr) < 0 || _get_osfhandle(fileno(stderr)) < 0)
-               freopen("CONOUT$", "w", stderr);
-            if (_fileno(stdin) < 0 || _get_osfhandle(fileno(stdin)) < 0)
-               freopen("CONIN$", "r", stdin);
-         }
-      }
+   if (!AttachConsole(ATTACH_PARENT_PROCESS)) {
+
+   } else if (GetConsoleWindow()) {
+      if (_fileno(stdout) < 0 || _get_osfhandle(fileno(stdout)) < 0)
+         freopen("CONOUT$", "w", stdout);
+      if (_fileno(stderr) < 0 || _get_osfhandle(fileno(stderr)) < 0)
+         freopen("CONOUT$", "w", stderr);
+      if (_fileno(stdin) < 0 || _get_osfhandle(fileno(stdin)) < 0)
+         freopen("CONIN$", "r", stdin);
    }
    //_setmode(_fileno(stdout), 0x00040000); // _O_U8TEXT
    //_setmode(_fileno(stderr), 0x00040000); // _O_U8TEXT
@@ -294,12 +280,72 @@ void __hxcpp_stdlibs_boot()
    setbuf(stderr, 0);
 }
 
+#ifdef HX_WINDOWS
+void WriteConsoleAllW(HANDLE h, const wchar_t *str, DWORD length) {
+   DWORD total_written = 0;
+   DWORD remaining = length;
+   while (total_written < length) {
+      DWORD written;
+      if (!WriteConsoleW(h, str + total_written, remaining, &written, NULL))
+      {
+         return;
+      }
+      if (written == remaining) {
+         return;
+      }
+      total_written += written;
+      remaining -= written;
+   }
+}
+
+void WriteConsoleAllA(HANDLE h, const char *str, DWORD length) {
+   DWORD total_written = 0;
+   DWORD remaining = length;
+   while (total_written < length) {
+      DWORD written;
+      if (!WriteConsoleA(h, str + total_written, remaining, &written, NULL))
+      {
+         return;
+      }
+      if (written == remaining) {
+         return;
+      }
+      total_written += written;
+      remaining -= written;
+   }
+}
+#endif
+
 void __trace(Dynamic inObj, Dynamic info)
 {
    String text;
    if (inObj != null())
       text = inObj->toString();
 
+#ifdef HX_WINDOWS
+   HANDLE handle = GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE);
+   DWORD mode;
+   if (GetConsoleMode(handle, &mode))
+   {
+      fflush(stdout);
+      String s;
+      if (info == null()) {
+         s = String("?? ") + text + String("\n");
+      } else {
+         String filename = Dynamic((info)->__Field(HX_CSTRING("fileName"), HX_PROP_DYNAMIC))->toString();
+         int line = Dynamic((info)->__Field(HX_CSTRING("lineNumber"), HX_PROP_DYNAMIC))->__ToInt();
+         s = filename + String(":") + line + String(": ") + text + String("\n");
+      }
+      if (s.isUTF16Encoded())
+      {
+         WriteConsoleAllW(handle, s.__WCStr(), s.length);
+      } else {
+         // ascii
+         WriteConsoleAllA(handle, s.__CStr(), s.length);
+      }
+      return;
+   }
+#endif
 
    hx::strbuf convertBuf;
    if (info==null())
@@ -606,12 +652,34 @@ Array<String> __get_args()
 
 void __hxcpp_print_string(const String &inV)
 {
+#ifdef HX_WINDOWS
+   HANDLE handle = GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE);
+   DWORD mode;
+   if (GetConsoleMode(handle, &mode) && inV.isUTF16Encoded())
+   {
+      fflush(stdout);
+      WriteConsoleAllW(handle, inV.__WCStr(), inV.length);
+      return;
+   }
+#endif
    hx::strbuf convertBuf;
    PRINTF("%s", inV.out_str(&convertBuf) );
 }
 
 void __hxcpp_println_string(const String &inV)
 {
+#ifdef HX_WINDOWS
+   HANDLE handle = GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE);
+   DWORD mode;
+   if (GetConsoleMode(handle, &mode) && inV.isUTF16Encoded())
+   {
+      fflush(stdout);
+      WriteConsoleAllW(handle, inV.__WCStr(), inV.length);
+      fwrite("\n", 1, 1, stdout);
+      fflush(stdout);
+      return;
+   }
+#endif
    hx::strbuf convertBuf;
    PRINTF("%s\n", inV.out_str(&convertBuf));
    fflush(stdout);
diff --git a/src/hx/libs/std/File.cpp b/src/hx/libs/std/File.cpp
index 57a364f11..d3ed2a0a8 100644
--- a/src/hx/libs/std/File.cpp
+++ b/src/hx/libs/std/File.cpp
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 
 #ifdef NEKO_WINDOWS
 #   include <windows.h>
+#   include <io.h>
 #endif
 
 /**
@@ -146,7 +147,44 @@ int _hx_std_file_write( Dynamic handle, Array<unsigned char> s, int p, int n )
    if( p < 0 || len < 0 || p > buflen || p + len > buflen )
       return 0;
 
-   hx::EnterGCFreeZone();
+   hx::AutoGCFreeZone zone;
+#ifdef HX_WINDOWS
+   if (_isatty(_fileno(f->io))) {
+      fflush(f->io);
+      HANDLE win_handle = (HANDLE)_get_osfhandle(_fileno(f->io));
+      static const int MAX_BUFFER_SIZE = 8192;
+      wchar_t buf[MAX_BUFFER_SIZE / 2];
+      int result = MultiByteToWideChar(CP_UTF8, 0, (char *)&s[p], len, buf, MAX_BUFFER_SIZE / 2);
+      DWORD written = 0;
+      if(!WriteConsoleW(win_handle, buf, result, &written, NULL)) {
+         file_error("file_write", f->name);
+      }
+      if (written == result) {
+         return len;
+      } else {
+         auto first_code_unit_remaining = buf[written];
+         if (first_code_unit_remaining > 0xDCEE && first_code_unit_remaining <= 0xDFF) {
+            DWORD tmp;
+            WriteConsoleW(win_handle, &buf[written], 1, &tmp, NULL);
+            written += 1;
+         }
+         int count = 0;
+         for (int i = 0; i < written; i++) {
+            wchar_t ch = buf[i];
+            if (ch >= 0 && ch <= 0x7F) {
+               count += 1;
+            } else if (ch >= 0x0080 && ch <= 0x07FF) {
+               count += 2;
+            } else if (ch >= 0xDCEE && ch <= 0xDFF) {
+               count += 1;
+            } else {
+               count += 3;
+            }
+         }
+         return count;
+      }
+   }
+#endif
    while( len > 0 )
    {
       POSIX_LABEL(file_write_again);
@@ -159,7 +197,6 @@ int _hx_std_file_write( Dynamic handle, Array<unsigned char> s, int p, int n )
       p += d;
       len -= d;
    }
-   hx::ExitGCFreeZone();
    return n;
 }