diff --git a/docs/configuration.md b/docs/configuration.md
index 9feadf21..f2b7104e 100644
--- a/docs/configuration.md
+++ b/docs/configuration.md
@@ -69,6 +69,13 @@ You may also suppress any of these features by using the `_NO_` form, e.g. `CATC
 
 All C++11 support can be disabled with `CATCH_CONFIG_NO_CPP11`
 
+# Windows header clutter
+
+On Windows Catch includes `windows.h`. To minimize global namespace clutter in the implementation file, it defines `NOMINMAX` and `WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN` before including it. You can control this behaviour via two macros:
+
+    CATCH_CONFIG_NO_NOMINMAX            // Stops Catch from using NOMINMAX macro 
+    CATCH_CONFIG_NO_WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN // Stops Catch from using WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN macro
+
 ---
 
-[Home](Readme.md)
\ No newline at end of file
+[Home](Readme.md)
diff --git a/include/internal/catch_console_colour_impl.hpp b/include/internal/catch_console_colour_impl.hpp
index e3cb9538..ba2a9d1c 100644
--- a/include/internal/catch_console_colour_impl.hpp
+++ b/include/internal/catch_console_colour_impl.hpp
@@ -41,15 +41,7 @@ namespace Catch {
 
 #if defined ( CATCH_CONFIG_COLOUR_WINDOWS ) /////////////////////////////////////////
 
-#ifndef NOMINMAX
-#define NOMINMAX
-#endif
-
-#ifdef __AFXDLL
-#include <AfxWin.h>
-#else
-#include <windows.h>
-#endif
+#include "catch_windows_h_proxy.h"
 
 namespace Catch {
 namespace {
diff --git a/include/internal/catch_platform.h b/include/internal/catch_platform.h
index 120ba599..09b91bfb 100644
--- a/include/internal/catch_platform.h
+++ b/include/internal/catch_platform.h
@@ -10,13 +10,19 @@
 #define TWOBLUECUBES_CATCH_PLATFORM_H_INCLUDED
 
 #if defined(__MAC_OS_X_VERSION_MIN_REQUIRED)
-#define CATCH_PLATFORM_MAC
+#  define CATCH_PLATFORM_MAC
 #elif  defined(__IPHONE_OS_VERSION_MIN_REQUIRED)
-#define CATCH_PLATFORM_IPHONE
-#elif defined(WIN32) || defined(__WIN32__) || defined(_WIN32) || defined(_MSC_VER)
-#define CATCH_PLATFORM_WINDOWS
+#  define CATCH_PLATFORM_IPHONE
 #elif defined(linux) || defined(__linux) || defined(__linux__)
-#define CATCH_PLATFORM_LINUX
+#  define CATCH_PLATFORM_LINUX
+#elif defined(WIN32) || defined(__WIN32__) || defined(_WIN32) || defined(_MSC_VER)
+#  define CATCH_PLATFORM_WINDOWS
+#  if !defined(NOMINMAX) && !defined(CATCH_CONFIG_NO_NOMINMAX)
+#    define CATCH_DEFINES_NOMINMAX
+#  endif
+#  if !defined(WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN) && !defined(CATCH_CONFIG_NO_WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN)
+#    define CATCH_DEFINES_WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN
+#  endif
 #endif
 
 #endif // TWOBLUECUBES_CATCH_PLATFORM_H_INCLUDED
diff --git a/include/internal/catch_timer.hpp b/include/internal/catch_timer.hpp
index 2ba709e3..00adfc3b 100644
--- a/include/internal/catch_timer.hpp
+++ b/include/internal/catch_timer.hpp
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 #endif
 
 #ifdef CATCH_PLATFORM_WINDOWS
-#include <windows.h>
+#include "catch_windows_h_proxy.h"
 #else
 #include <sys/time.h>
 #endif
diff --git a/include/internal/catch_windows_h_proxy.h b/include/internal/catch_windows_h_proxy.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4f059b4a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/internal/catch_windows_h_proxy.h
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+/*
+ *  Created by Martin on 16/01/2017.
+ *
+ *  Distributed under the Boost Software License, Version 1.0. (See accompanying
+ *  file LICENSE_1_0.txt or copy at http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt)
+ */
+
+#ifndef TWOBLUECUBES_CATCH_WINDOWS_H_PROXY_H_INCLUDED
+#define TWOBLUECUBES_CATCH_WINDOWS_H_PROXY_H_INCLUDED
+
+#ifdef CATCH_DEFINES_NOMINMAX
+#  define NOMINMAX
+#endif
+#ifdef CATCH_DEFINES_WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN
+#  define WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN
+#endif
+
+#ifdef __AFXDLL
+#include <AfxWin.h>
+#else
+#include <windows.h>
+#endif
+
+#ifdef CATCH_DEFINES_NOMINMAX
+#  undef NOMINMAX
+#endif
+#ifdef CATCH_DEFINES_WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN
+#  undef WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN
+#endif
+
+
+#endif // TWOBLUECUBES_CATCH_WINDOWS_H_PROXY_H_INCLUDED