diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.tests/misc/org/eclipse/cdt/utils/CommandLineUtilTest.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.tests/misc/org/eclipse/cdt/utils/CommandLineUtilTest.java
index f8b5e334a83..729d1ae3ed9 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.tests/misc/org/eclipse/cdt/utils/CommandLineUtilTest.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.tests/misc/org/eclipse/cdt/utils/CommandLineUtilTest.java
@@ -11,9 +11,15 @@ public class CommandLineUtilTest extends TestCase {
     }
 	
     private String[] parse(String line) {
+		return CommandLineUtil.argumentsToArrayUnixStyle(line);
+	}
+    private String[] parseWin(String line) {
+		return CommandLineUtil.argumentsToArrayWindowsStyle(line);
+	}
+    private String[] parseU(String line) {
 		return CommandLineUtil.argumentsToArray(line);
 	}
-	
+    
 	public void testArgumentsToArraySimple() {
 		String[] args = parse("A=B C");
 		assertEquals(2, args.length);
@@ -166,4 +172,43 @@ public class CommandLineUtilTest extends TestCase {
 		assertEquals(1, args.length);
 		assertEquals("a\nb", args[0]);
 	}
+	
+	public void testArgumentsToArraySimpleWin() {
+		String[] args = parseWin("A=B C");
+		assertEquals(2, args.length);
+		assertEquals("A=B", args[0]);
+		assertEquals("C", args[1]);
+	}
+	
+	public void testArgumentsToArrayWindowsFiles() {
+		String[] args = parseWin("my\\file\\path");
+		assertEquals(1, args.length);
+		assertEquals("my\\file\\path", args[0]);
+	}
+	
+	public void testArgumentsToArrayWindowsSpaces() {
+		String[] args = parseWin("\"my\\file\\path space\"");
+		assertEquals(1, args.length);
+		assertEquals("my\\file\\path space", args[0]);
+	}
+	
+	public void testArgumentsToArrayWindowsEmpty() {
+		String[] args = parseWin("\"\"");
+		assertEquals(1, args.length);
+		assertEquals("", args[0]);
+	}
+	public void testArgumentsToArrayWindowsQuotes() {
+		String[] args = parseWin("\\\"a b\\\"");
+		assertEquals(2, args.length);
+		assertEquals("\"a", args[0]);
+		assertEquals("b\"", args[1]);
+	}
+	
+	public void testArgumentsToArraySimpleUniversal() {
+		String[] args = parseU("A=B C   D");
+		assertEquals(3, args.length);
+		assertEquals("A=B", args[0]);
+		assertEquals("C", args[1]);
+		assertEquals("D", args[2]);
+	}
 }
diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/utils/org/eclipse/cdt/utils/CommandLineUtil.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/utils/org/eclipse/cdt/utils/CommandLineUtil.java
index 99cc09d30da..86a28bb5305 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/utils/org/eclipse/cdt/utils/CommandLineUtil.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/utils/org/eclipse/cdt/utils/CommandLineUtil.java
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ package org.eclipse.cdt.utils;
 
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 
+import org.eclipse.osgi.service.environment.Constants;
+
 /**
  * Utilities to work with command line, parse arguments, etc.
  * @noextend This class is not intended to be subclassed by clients.
@@ -9,7 +11,20 @@ import java.util.ArrayList;
  * @since 5.1
  */
 public class CommandLineUtil {
-
+		
+	public static String[] argumentsToArray(String line) {
+		boolean osWin;
+		try {
+			osWin = Platform.getOS().equals(Constants.OS_WIN32);
+		} catch (Exception e) {
+			osWin = false;
+		}
+		if (osWin) {
+			return argumentsToArrayWindowsStyle(line);
+		} else {
+			return argumentsToArrayUnixStyle(line);
+		}
+	}
 	/**
 	 * Parsing arguments in a shell style.
 	 * i.e.
@@ -23,7 +38,7 @@ public class CommandLineUtil {
 	 * @param line
 	 * @return array of arguments, or empty array if line is null or empty
 	 */
-	public static String[] argumentsToArray(String line) {
+	public static String[] argumentsToArrayUnixStyle(String line) {
 		final int INITIAL = 0;
 		final int IN_DOUBLE_QUOTES = 1;
 		final int IN_DOUBLE_QUOTES_ESCAPED = 2;
@@ -122,4 +137,109 @@ public class CommandLineUtil {
 		}
 		return aList.toArray(new String[aList.size()]);
 	}
+	
+	
+	/**
+	 * Parsing arguments in a cmd style.
+	 * i.e.
+	 * <code>
+	 * ["a b c" d] -> [[a b c],[d]]
+	 * [a   d] -> [[a],[d]]
+	 * ['"quoted"'] -> [['quoted']]
+	 * [\\ \" \a] -> [[\\],["],[\a]]
+	 * ["str\\str\a"] -> [[str\\str\a]]
+	 * </code>
+	 * @param line
+	 * @return array of arguments, or empty array if line is null or empty
+	 */
+	public static String[] argumentsToArrayWindowsStyle(String line) {
+		final int INITIAL = 0;
+		final int IN_DOUBLE_QUOTES = 1;
+		final int IN_DOUBLE_QUOTES_ESCAPED = 2;
+		final int ESCAPED = 3;
+		final int IN_ARG = 5;
+
+		if (line == null) {
+			line = ""; //$NON-NLS-1$
+		}
+
+		char[] array = line.trim().toCharArray();
+		ArrayList<String> aList = new ArrayList<String>();
+		StringBuilder buffer = new StringBuilder();
+		int state = INITIAL;
+		for (int i = 0; i < array.length; i++) {
+			char c = array[i];
+
+			switch (state) {
+				case IN_ARG:
+					// fall through
+				case INITIAL:
+					if (Character.isWhitespace(c)) {
+						if (state == INITIAL) break; // ignore extra spaces
+						// add argument
+						state = INITIAL;
+						String arg = buffer.toString();
+						buffer = new StringBuilder();
+						aList.add(arg);
+					} else {
+						switch (c) {
+							case '\\':
+								state = ESCAPED;
+								break;
+							case '\"':
+								state = IN_DOUBLE_QUOTES;
+								break;
+							default:
+								state = IN_ARG;
+								buffer.append(c);
+								break;
+						}
+					}
+					break;
+				case IN_DOUBLE_QUOTES:
+					switch (c) {
+						case '\\':
+							state = IN_DOUBLE_QUOTES_ESCAPED;
+							break;
+						case '\"':
+							state = IN_ARG;
+							break;
+						default:
+							buffer.append(c);
+							break;
+					}
+					break;
+				case IN_DOUBLE_QUOTES_ESCAPED:
+					switch (c) {
+						case '\"':
+							buffer.append(c);
+							break;
+						default:
+							buffer.append('\\');
+							buffer.append(c);
+							break;
+					}
+					state = IN_DOUBLE_QUOTES;
+					break;
+				case ESCAPED:
+					state = IN_ARG;
+					switch (c) {
+					case ' ':
+					case '\"':
+						buffer.append(c);
+						break;
+					default:
+						buffer.append('\\');
+						buffer.append(c);
+						break;
+					}
+					break;
+			}
+		}
+
+		if (state != INITIAL) { // this allow to process empty string as an argument
+			aList.add(buffer.toString());
+		}
+		return aList.toArray(new String[aList.size()]);
+	}
 }