diff --git a/ares/Makefile.am b/ares/Makefile.am
index a2c32a665..47083f510 100644
--- a/ares/Makefile.am
+++ b/ares/Makefile.am
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ noinst_PROGRAMS =$(PROGS)
 EXTRA_DIST = AUTHORS CHANGES README.cares Makefile.inc Makefile.dj	   \
  Makefile.m32 Makefile.netware Makefile.vc6 $(man_MANS) $(MSVCFILES)	   \
  config-win32.h RELEASE-NOTES libcares.pc.in buildconf get_ver.awk maketgz \
- TODO ares_build.h.in
+ TODO ares_build.h.in buildconf.bat
 
 DISTCLEANFILES = ares_build.h
 
diff --git a/ares/buildconf.bat b/ares/buildconf.bat
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fc335aa9d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ares/buildconf.bat
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+@echo off
+REM set up a CVS tree to build when there's no autotools
+REM $Revision$
+REM $Date$
+
+REM create ares_build.h
+copy /Y ares_build.h.dist ares_build.h
+
diff --git a/buildconf.bat b/buildconf.bat
index 515256c12..5b646ccb2 100644
--- a/buildconf.bat
+++ b/buildconf.bat
@@ -11,3 +11,11 @@ copy Makefile.dist Makefile
 
 REM create curlbuild.h
 copy include\curl\curlbuild.h.dist include\curl\curlbuild.h
+
+REM setup c-ares CVS tree
+if not exist ares\buildconf.bat goto end_c_ares
+cd ares
+call buildconf.bat
+cd ..
+:end_c_ares
+