diff --git a/ChatOptions.hs b/ChatOptions.hs
index c95ddea85f..72bc6f9854 100644
--- a/ChatOptions.hs
+++ b/ChatOptions.hs
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import qualified Data.ByteString.Char8 as B
 import Options.Applicative
 import Simplex.Messaging.Agent.Transmission (SMPServer (..), smpServerP)
 import System.FilePath (combine)
+import System.Info (os)
 import Types
 
 data ChatOpts = ChatOpts
@@ -17,8 +18,7 @@ data ChatOpts = ChatOpts
   }
 
 chatOpts :: FilePath -> Parser ChatOpts
-chatOpts appDir = do
-  let defaultDbFilePath = combine appDir "smp-chat.db"
+chatOpts appDir =
   ChatOpts
     <$> option
       (Just <$> str)
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ chatOpts appDir = do
       ( long "database"
           <> short 'd'
           <> metavar "DB_FILE"
-          <> help ("sqlite database file path (" ++ defaultDbFilePath ++ ")")
+          <> help ("sqlite database file path (" <> defaultDbFilePath <> ")")
           <> value defaultDbFilePath
       )
     <*> option
@@ -48,9 +48,14 @@ chatOpts appDir = do
       ( long "term"
           <> short 't'
           <> metavar "TERM"
-          <> help "terminal mode: \"editor\", \"simple\" or \"basic\" (editor)"
-          <> value TermModeEditor
+          <> help ("terminal mode: editor, simple or basic (" <> termModeName deafultTermMode <> ")")
+          <> value deafultTermMode
       )
+  where
+    defaultDbFilePath = combine appDir "smp-chat.db"
+    deafultTermMode
+      | os == "mingw32" = TermModeBasic
+      | otherwise = TermModeEditor
 
 parseSMPServer :: ReadM SMPServer
 parseSMPServer = eitherReader $ A.parseOnly (smpServerP <* A.endOfInput) . B.pack
diff --git a/ChatTerminal.hs b/ChatTerminal.hs
index 78a167982d..641daf55bf 100644
--- a/ChatTerminal.hs
+++ b/ChatTerminal.hs
@@ -3,9 +3,9 @@
 {-# LANGUAGE NamedFieldPuns #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE OverloadedStrings #-}
 
-#ifdef mingw32_HOST_OS
-{-# LANGUAGE ForeignFunctionInterface #-}
-#endif
+-- #ifdef mingw32_HOST_OS
+-- {-# LANGUAGE ForeignFunctionInterface #-}
+-- #endif
 
 module ChatTerminal
   ( ChatTerminal (..),
@@ -33,10 +33,10 @@ import qualified System.Console.ANSI as C
 import System.IO
 import Types
 
-#ifdef mingw32_HOST_OS
-import Data.Char
-import Foreign.C.Types
-#endif
+-- #ifdef mingw32_HOST_OS
+-- import Data.Char
+-- import Foreign.C.Types
+-- #endif
 
 data ChatTerminal = ChatTerminal
   { inputQ :: TBQueue ByteString,
@@ -336,13 +336,13 @@ getChatLn ct = do
       (s <>) <$> getLn stdin
 
 getHiddenChar :: IO Char
-#ifdef mingw32_HOST_OS
-getHiddenChar = fmap (chr.fromEnum) c_getch
-foreign import ccall unsafe "conio.h getch"
-  c_getch :: IO CInt
-#else
+-- #ifdef mingw32_HOST_OS
+-- getHiddenChar = fmap (chr.fromEnum) c_getch
+-- foreign import ccall unsafe "conio.h getch"
+--   c_getch :: IO CInt
+-- #else
 getHiddenChar = getChar
-#endif
+-- #endif
 
 setTTY :: BufferMode -> IO ()
 setTTY mode = do
diff --git a/Main.hs b/Main.hs
index 4c1f87abb4..ac33b81e50 100644
--- a/Main.hs
+++ b/Main.hs
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ import Simplex.Messaging.Agent.Transmission
 import Simplex.Messaging.Client (smpDefaultConfig)
 import Simplex.Messaging.Util (bshow, raceAny_)
 import System.Directory (getAppUserDataDirectory)
+import System.Exit (exitFailure)
+import System.Info (os)
 import Types
 
 cfg :: AgentConfig
@@ -117,11 +119,7 @@ chatHelpInfo =
 
 main :: IO ()
 main = do
-  appDir <- getAppUserDataDirectory "simplex"
-  ChatOpts {dbFileName, smpServer, name, termMode} <- getChatOpts appDir
-  putStrLn "simpleX chat prototype"
-  putStrLn $ "db: " ++ dbFileName
-  putStrLn "type \"/help\" for usage information"
+  ChatOpts {dbFileName, smpServer, name, termMode} <- welcomeGetOpts
   let user = Contact <$> name
   t <- getChatClient smpServer user
   ct <- newChatTerminal (tbqSize cfg) user termMode
@@ -130,6 +128,25 @@ main = do
   env <- newSMPAgentEnv cfg {dbFile = dbFileName}
   dogFoodChat t ct env
 
+welcomeGetOpts :: IO ChatOpts
+welcomeGetOpts = do
+  appDir <- getAppUserDataDirectory "simplex"
+  opts@ChatOpts {dbFileName, termMode} <- getChatOpts appDir
+  putStrLn "simpleX chat prototype"
+  putStrLn $ "db: " <> dbFileName
+  when (os == "mingw32") $ windowsWarning termMode
+  putStrLn "type \"/help\" for usage information"
+  pure opts
+
+windowsWarning :: TermMode -> IO ()
+windowsWarning = \case
+  m@TermModeBasic -> do
+    putStrLn $ "running in Windows (terminal mode is " <> termModeName m <> ", no utf8 support)"
+    putStrLn "it is recommended to use Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)"
+  m -> do
+    putStrLn $ "running in Windows, terminal mode " <> termModeName m <> " is not supported"
+    exitFailure
+
 dogFoodChat :: ChatClient -> ChatTerminal -> Env -> IO ()
 dogFoodChat t ct env = do
   c <- runReaderT getSMPAgentClient env
diff --git a/Types.hs b/Types.hs
index 8f0a3c945b..2b5c9b6d6e 100644
--- a/Types.hs
+++ b/Types.hs
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+{-# LANGUAGE LambdaCase #-}
+
 module Types where
 
 import Data.ByteString.Char8 (ByteString)
@@ -5,3 +7,9 @@ import Data.ByteString.Char8 (ByteString)
 newtype Contact = Contact {toBs :: ByteString}
 
 data TermMode = TermModeBasic | TermModeSimple | TermModeEditor deriving (Eq)
+
+termModeName :: TermMode -> String
+termModeName = \case
+  TermModeBasic -> "basic"
+  TermModeSimple -> "simple"
+  TermModeEditor -> "editor"