diff --git a/.appveyor.yml b/.appveyor.yml
index 0372b7684..b6905a1f9 100644
--- a/.appveyor.yml
+++ b/.appveyor.yml
@@ -44,9 +44,8 @@ test_script:
   - IF "%PLATFORM%" == "x64" mingw32-make -j2 test-reproducibility
   # Disable libnimbus builds until https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/issues/12759 is fixed.
   # Wrapper builds could then also get activated instead but need some rework for Windows.
-  # The "go-checks" target fails in AppVeyor, for some reason; easier to disable than to debug.
-  # - mingw32-make -j2 ARCH_OVERRIDE=%PLATFORM% DISABLE_GO_CHECKS=1 libnimbus.so
-  # - mingw32-make -j2 ARCH_OVERRIDE=%PLATFORM% DISABLE_GO_CHECKS=1 libnimbus.a
+  # - mingw32-make -j2 ARCH_OVERRIDE=%PLATFORM% libnimbus.so
+  # - mingw32-make -j2 ARCH_OVERRIDE=%PLATFORM% libnimbus.a
   - mingw32-make -j2 ARCH_OVERRIDE=%PLATFORM% wakusim
 
 deploy: off
diff --git a/azure-pipelines.yml b/azure-pipelines.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7f55b984f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/azure-pipelines.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+jobs:
+  - job: Windows
+
+    pool:
+      vmImage: windows-latest
+
+    strategy:
+      matrix:
+        32-bit:
+          PLATFORM: x86
+        64-bit:
+          PLATFORM: x64
+    steps:
+      - task: CacheBeta@1
+        displayName: 'cache Nim binaries'
+        inputs:
+          key: NimBinaries | $(Agent.OS) | $(PLATFORM) | "$(Build.SourceBranchName)" | "v4"
+          path: NimBinaries
+
+      - task: CacheBeta@1
+        displayName: 'cache MinGW-w64'
+        inputs:
+          key: mingwCache | 8_1_0 | $(PLATFORM)
+          path: mingwCache
+
+      - powershell: |
+          Set-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem' -Name 'LongPathsEnabled' -Value 1
+        displayName: 'long path support'
+
+      - bash: |
+          set -e
+          # https://developercommunity.visualstudio.com/content/problem/891929/windows-2019-cygheap-base-mismatch-detected-git-ba.html
+          #export PATH="/mingw64/bin:/usr/bin:$PATH"
+          echo "Installing MinGW-w64"
+          if [[ $PLATFORM == "x86" ]]; then
+            MINGW_FILE="i686-8.1.0-release-posix-dwarf-rt_v6-rev0.7z"
+            MINGW_URL="https://sourceforge.net/projects/mingw-w64/files/Toolchains%20targetting%20Win32/Personal%20Builds/mingw-builds/8.1.0/threads-posix/dwarf/${MINGW_FILE}"
+            MINGW_DIR="mingw32"
+          else
+            MINGW_FILE="x86_64-8.1.0-release-posix-seh-rt_v6-rev0.7z"
+            MINGW_URL="https://sourceforge.net/projects/mingw-w64/files/Toolchains%20targetting%20Win64/Personal%20Builds/mingw-builds/8.1.0/threads-posix/seh/${MINGW_FILE}"
+            MINGW_DIR="mingw64"
+          fi
+          mkdir -p mingwCache
+          cd mingwCache
+          if [[ ! -e "$MINGW_FILE" ]]; then
+            rm -f *.7z
+            curl -OLsS "$MINGW_URL"
+          fi
+          7z x -y -bd "$MINGW_FILE" >/dev/null
+          mkdir -p /c/custom
+          mv "$MINGW_DIR" /c/custom/
+          cd ..
+          export PATH="/c/custom/${MINGW_DIR}/bin:$PATH"
+          echo "Fetching submodules"
+          git config --global core.longpaths true
+          git config --global core.autocrlf false
+          git submodule --quiet update --init --recursive
+          mingw32-make -j2 ARCH_OVERRIDE=${PLATFORM} CI_CACHE=NimBinaries update
+          mingw32-make -j2 ARCH_OVERRIDE=${PLATFORM} fetch-dlls
+          # fail fast
+          export NIMTEST_ABORT_ON_ERROR=1
+          mingw32-make -j2 ARCH_OVERRIDE=${PLATFORM} test
+          if [[ $PLATFORM == "x86" ]]; then
+            mingw32-make -j2 test-reproducibility
+          fi
+          # Disable libnimbus builds until https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/issues/12759 is fixed.
+          # Wrapper builds could then also get activated instead but need some rework for Windows.
+          # mingw32-make -j2 ARCH_OVERRIDE=${PLATFORM} libnimbus.so
+          # mingw32-make -j2 ARCH_OVERRIDE=${PLATFORM} libnimbus.a
+          mingw32-make -j2 ARCH_OVERRIDE=${PLATFORM} wakusim
+        displayName: 'build and test'
+
diff --git a/nimbus.nimble b/nimbus.nimble
index 9c10b6249..0ba593f7a 100644
--- a/nimbus.nimble
+++ b/nimbus.nimble
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ proc buildBinary(name: string, srcDir = "./", params = "", lang = "c") =
   var extra_params = params
   for i in 2..<paramCount():
     extra_params &= " " & paramStr(i)
-  exec "nim " & lang & " --out:build/" & name & " -d:release --import:libbacktrace " & extra_params & " " & srcDir & name & ".nim"
+  exec "nim " & lang & " --out:build/" & name & " " & extra_params & " " & srcDir & name & ".nim"
 
 proc test(name: string, lang = "c") =
   buildBinary name, "tests/", "-d:chronicles_log_level=ERROR"