diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c7278f3..d838ee5 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 # XS
 
 ![last build status](https://bacillus.blitter.com/onPush-xs-build/lastStatusIcon)
+![terminal screenshot on MSYS64](https://blitter.com/~russtopia/files/xs-msys64.png)
 --
 
 XS (**X**perimental **S**hell) is a simple alternative to ssh (<5% total SLOCC) written from scratch in Go.
@@ -210,6 +211,12 @@ If no leading / is specified in src-or-dest-path, it is assumed to be relative t
 remote user. File operations are all performed as the remote user, so account permissions apply
 as expected.
 
+When running under MSYS2, one must set the MINGW_ROOT environment variable to assist in
+determining how to convert Windows paths to UNIX-style paths. This should be the installation path
+of one's MSYS2 environment (eg., _C:/msys2_). Go's stdlib, under the hood, still uses Windows
+style paths (drive letters and all) to locate other executables and _xc_ uses _tar_ as part of the copy
+functionality.
+
 Local (client) to remote (server) copy:
 ```
 $ xc fileA /some/where/fileB /some/where/else/dirC joebloggs@host-or-ip:remoteDir
diff --git a/auth.go b/auth.go
index f10ecf8..f5bb1f0 100644
--- a/auth.go
+++ b/auth.go
@@ -215,18 +215,39 @@ func AuthUserByToken(ctx *AuthCtx, username string, connhostname string, auth st
 	return
 }
 
+func GroomFsPath(path string) (ret string) {
+	pathRoot := os.Getenv("MINGW_ROOT")
+	if pathRoot != "" {
+		ret = path[len(pathRoot):]
+		ret = strings.ReplaceAll(ret, "\\", "/")
+	} else {
+		ret = path
+	}
+	//fmt.Printf("groomed fspath:%v\n", ret)
+	return
+}
+
 func GetTool(tool string) (ret string) {
-	ret = "/bin/" + tool
+	cmdSuffix := ""
+	pathRoot := os.Getenv("MINGW_ROOT")
+
+	if pathRoot != "" {
+		cmdSuffix = ".exe"
+	}
+
+	//fmt.Printf("pathRoot:%v cmdSuffix:%v\n", pathRoot, cmdSuffix)
+
+	ret = pathRoot + "/bin/" + tool + cmdSuffix
 	_, err := os.Stat(ret)
 	if err == nil {
 		return ret
 	}
-	ret = "/usr/bin/" + tool
+	ret = pathRoot + "/usr/bin/" + tool + cmdSuffix
 	_, err = os.Stat(ret)
 	if err == nil {
 		return ret
 	}
-	ret = "/usr/local/bin/" + tool
+	ret = pathRoot + "/usr/local/bin/" + tool + cmdSuffix
 	_, err = os.Stat(ret)
 	if err == nil {
 		return ret
diff --git a/bacillus/ci_pushbuild.sh b/bacillus/ci_pushbuild.sh
index 8cfe45f..aa4bc7e 100755
--- a/bacillus/ci_pushbuild.sh
+++ b/bacillus/ci_pushbuild.sh
@@ -25,8 +25,15 @@ echo "Building most recent push on branch $branch"
 git checkout "$branch"
 ls
 
-go mod init
-go mod tidy
+#!############
+#!stage "GoMod"
+#!############
+#!go clean -modcache
+#!
+#!rm -f go.{mod,sum}
+#!go mod init blitter.com/go/xs
+#!go mod tidy
+#!echo "---"
 
 ############
 stage "Build"
@@ -35,16 +42,19 @@ echo "Invoking 'make clean' ..."
 make clean
 echo "Invoking 'make all' ..."
 make all
+echo "---"
 
 ############
 stage "Lint"
 ############
 make lint
+echo "---"
 
 ############
 stage "UnitTests"
 ############
 go test -v .
+echo "---"
 
 ############
 stage "Test(Authtoken)"
@@ -64,6 +74,7 @@ else
   echo "client cmd performed OK."
   unset tokentest
 fi
+echo "---"
 
 ############
 stage "Test(xc S->C)"
@@ -88,6 +99,7 @@ else
   echo "FAILED!"
   exit $stat
 fi
+echo "---"
 
 ############
 stage "Test(xc C->S)"
@@ -98,12 +110,14 @@ if [ -f ~/.config/xs/.xs_id.bak ]; then
   echo "Restoring test user $USER .xs_id file ..."
   mv ~/.config/xs/.xs_id.bak ~/.config/xs/.xs_id
 fi
+echo "---"
 
 ############
 stage "Artifacts"
 ############
 echo -n "Creating tarfile ..."
 tar -cz --exclude=.git --exclude=cptest -f ${BACILLUS_ARTFDIR}/xs.tgz .
+echo "---"
 
 ############
 stage "Cleanup"
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 60cff15..85f6613 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 module blitter.com/go/xs
 
-go 1.25.3
+go 1.24.0
+
+toolchain go1.24.11
 
 require (
 	blitter.com/go/cryptmt v1.0.3
diff --git a/xs/xs.go b/xs/xs.go
index 9b5a658..e882a20 100755
--- a/xs/xs.go
+++ b/xs/xs.go
@@ -294,7 +294,14 @@ func buildCmdLocalToRemote(copyQuiet bool, copyLimitBPS uint, files string) (cap
 
 		captureStderr = true
 		cmd = xs.GetTool("tar")
-		args = []string{"-cz", "-f", "/dev/stdout"}
+		//fmt.Printf("GetTool found cmd:%v\n", cmd)
+		/* Explicit -f /dev/stdout doesn't work in MINGW/MSYS64
+		 * as '/dev/stdout' doesn't actually appear in the /dev/ filesystem...?
+		 * And it appears not to actually be required as without -f stdout is
+		 * implied. -rlm 2025-12-07
+		 */
+		//args = []string{"-cz", "-f", "/dev/stdout"}
+		args = []string{"-cz"}
 		files = strings.TrimSpace(files)
 		// Awesome fact: tar actually can take multiple -C args, and
 		// changes to the dest dir *as it sees each one*. This enables
@@ -310,6 +317,7 @@ func buildCmdLocalToRemote(copyQuiet bool, copyLimitBPS uint, files string) (cap
 		// remote destDir.
 		for _, v := range strings.Split(files, " ") {
 			v, _ = filepath.Abs(v) // #nosec
+			v = xs.GroomFsPath(v)
 			dirTmp, fileTmp := path.Split(v)
 			if dirTmp == "" {
 				args = append(args, fileTmp)
@@ -322,7 +330,8 @@ func buildCmdLocalToRemote(copyQuiet bool, copyLimitBPS uint, files string) (cap
 		bandwidthInBytesPerSec := " -L " + fmt.Sprintf("%d", copyLimitBPS)
 		displayOpts := " -pre " //nolint:goconst,nolintlint
 		cmd = xs.GetTool("bash")
-		args = []string{"-c", xs.GetTool("tar") + " -cz -f /dev/stdout "}
+		//args = []string{"-c", xs.GetTool("tar") + " -cz -f /dev/stdout "}
+		args = []string{"-c", xs.GetTool("tar") + " -cz "}
 		files = strings.TrimSpace(files)
 		// Awesome fact: tar actually can take multiple -C args, and
 		// changes to the dest dir *as it sees each one*. This enables
@@ -338,6 +347,7 @@ func buildCmdLocalToRemote(copyQuiet bool, copyLimitBPS uint, files string) (cap
 		// remote destDir.
 		for _, v := range strings.Split(files, " ") {
 			v, _ = filepath.Abs(v) // #nosec
+			v = xs.GroomFsPath(v)
 			dirTmp, fileTmp := path.Split(v)
 			if dirTmp == "" {
 				args[1] = args[1] + fileTmp + " "
@@ -386,6 +396,8 @@ func doCopyMode(conn *xsnet.Conn, remoteDest bool, files string, copyQuiet bool,
 			c.Stderr = os.Stderr
 		}
 
+		//fmt.Printf("cmd:%v args:%v\n", cmdName, cmdArgs)
+
 		// Start the command (no pty)
 		err = c.Start() // returns immediately
 		/////////////
@@ -614,6 +626,12 @@ func parseNonSwitchArgs(a []string) (user, host, path string, isDest bool, other
 	// Whether fancyArg is src or dst file depends on flag.Args() index;
 	//  fancyArg as last flag.Args() element denotes dstFile
 	//  fancyArg as not-last flag.Args() element denotes srcFile
+	
+	/* rlm:2025-12-10 This breaks if srcPath is outside of MSYS2 tree, as srcPath
+	   appears to silently be converted to an absolute winpath eg.,
+	   /c/users/RM/... -> C:/users/RM/...
+	   and the colon (:) in this breaks the logic below.
+	 */
 	var fancyUser, fancyHost, fancyPath string
 	for i, arg := range a {
 		if strings.Contains(arg, ":") || strings.Contains(arg, "@") {