diff --git a/src/daemon.js b/src/daemon.js
index 3e7c5851..d88f5b05 100644
--- a/src/daemon.js
+++ b/src/daemon.js
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ const shutdown = require('shutdown')
 const path = require('path')
 const join = path.join
 const once = require('once')
+const os = require('os')
+const isWindows = os.platform() === 'win32'
 
 const exec = require('./exec')
 
@@ -28,19 +30,19 @@ function findIpfsExecutable () {
   if (appRoot.includes(`.asar${path.sep}`)) {
     appRoot = appRoot.replace(`.asar${path.sep}`, `.asar.unpacked${path.sep}`)
   }
-  const depPath = path.join('go-ipfs-dep', 'go-ipfs', 'ipfs')
+  const appName = isWindows ? 'ipfs.exe' : 'ipfs'
+  const depPath = path.join('go-ipfs-dep', 'go-ipfs', appName)
   const npm3Path = path.join(appRoot, '../', depPath)
   const npm2Path = path.join(appRoot, 'node_modules', depPath)
 
-  let npmPath
-  try {
-    fs.statSync(npm3Path)
-    npmPath = npm3Path
-  } catch (e) {
-    npmPath = npm2Path
+  if (fs.existsSync(npm3Path)) {
+    return npm3Path
+  }
+  if (fs.existsSync(npm2Path)) {
+    return npm2Path
   }
 
-  return npmPath
+  throw new Error('Cannot find the IPFS executable')
 }
 
 function setConfigValue (node, key, value, callback) {
diff --git a/test/npm-installs.spec.js b/test/npm-installs.spec.js
index 4085087c..090752e2 100644
--- a/test/npm-installs.spec.js
+++ b/test/npm-installs.spec.js
@@ -10,35 +10,40 @@ const fs = require('fs')
 const rimraf = require('rimraf')
 const mkdirp = require('mkdirp')
 const path = require('path')
+const os = require('os')
+const isWindows = os.platform() === 'win32'
 
 describe('ipfs executable path', () => {
+  const tmp = os.tmpdir()
+  const appName = isWindows ? 'ipfs.exe' : 'ipfs'
+
   it('has the correct path when installed with npm3', (done) => {
-    process.env.testpath = '/tmp/ipfsd-ctl-test/node_modules/ipfsd-ctl/lib' // fake __dirname
-    let npm3Path = '/tmp/ipfsd-ctl-test/node_modules/go-ipfs-dep/go-ipfs'
+    process.env.testpath = path.join(tmp, 'ipfsd-ctl-test/node_modules/ipfsd-ctl/lib') // fake __dirname
+    let npm3Path = path.join(tmp, 'ipfsd-ctl-test/node_modules/go-ipfs-dep/go-ipfs')
 
     mkdirp(npm3Path, (err) => {
       expect(err).to.not.exist()
 
-      fs.writeFileSync(path.join(npm3Path, 'ipfs'))
+      fs.writeFileSync(path.join(npm3Path, appName))
       delete require.cache[require.resolve('../src/daemon.js')]
       const Daemon = require('../src/daemon.js')
 
       const node = new Daemon()
       expect(node.exec)
-        .to.eql(path.normalize('/tmp/ipfsd-ctl-test/node_modules/go-ipfs-dep/go-ipfs/ipfs'))
-      rimraf('/tmp/ipfsd-ctl-test', done)
+        .to.eql(path.join(tmp, `ipfsd-ctl-test/node_modules/go-ipfs-dep/go-ipfs/${appName}`))
+      rimraf(path.join(tmp, 'ipfsd-ctl-test'), done)
     })
   })
 
   it('has the correct path when installed with npm2', (done) => {
-    process.env.testpath = '/tmp/ipfsd-ctl-test/node_modules/ipfsd-ctl/lib' // fake __dirname
+    process.env.testpath = path.join(tmp, 'ipfsd-ctl-test/node_modules/ipfsd-ctl/lib') // fake __dirname
 
-    let npm2Path = '/tmp/ipfsd-ctl-test/node_modules/ipfsd-ctl/node_modules/go-ipfs-dep/go-ipfs'
+    let npm2Path = path.join(tmp, 'ipfsd-ctl-test/node_modules/ipfsd-ctl/node_modules/go-ipfs-dep/go-ipfs')
 
     mkdirp(npm2Path, (err) => {
       expect(err).to.not.exist()
 
-      fs.writeFileSync(path.join(npm2Path, 'ipfs'))
+      fs.writeFileSync(path.join(npm2Path, appName))
       delete require.cache[require.resolve('../src/daemon.js')]
       const Daemon = require('../src/daemon.js')
 
@@ -46,9 +51,9 @@ describe('ipfs executable path', () => {
 
       expect(node.exec)
         .to.eql(
-        path.normalize('/tmp/ipfsd-ctl-test/node_modules/ipfsd-ctl/node_modules/go-ipfs-dep/go-ipfs/ipfs')
+        path.join(tmp, `ipfsd-ctl-test/node_modules/ipfsd-ctl/node_modules/go-ipfs-dep/go-ipfs/${appName}`)
       )
-      rimraf('/tmp/ipfsd-ctl-test', done)
+      rimraf(path.join(tmp, 'ipfsd-ctl-test'), done)
     })
   })
 })