diff --git a/BUILDING.md b/BUILDING.md
index eb68b22370d87d..6adf3e5cda60d8 100644
--- a/BUILDING.md
+++ b/BUILDING.md
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ Support is divided into three tiers:
 |--------------|--------------|----------------------------------|----------------------|------------------|
 | GNU/Linux    | Tier 1       | kernel >= 2.6.18, glibc >= 2.5   | x86, x64, arm, arm64 |                  |
 | macOS        | Tier 1       | >= 10.10                         | x64                  |                  |
-| Windows      | Tier 1       | >= Windows 7 or >= Windows2008R2 | x86, x64             |                  |
+| Windows      | Tier 1       | >= Windows 7 / 2008 R2           | x86, x64             | vs2015 or vs2017 |
 | SmartOS      | Tier 2       | >= 15 < 16.4                     | x86, x64             | see note1        |
 | FreeBSD      | Tier 2       | >= 10                            | x64                  |                  |
 | GNU/Linux    | Tier 2       | kernel >= 3.13.0, glibc >= 2.19  | ppc64le >=power8     |                  |
@@ -175,6 +175,8 @@ Prerequisites:
   * [Visual Studio 2015 Update 3](https://www.visualstudio.com/), all editions
     including the Community edition (remember to select
     "Common Tools for Visual C++ 2015" feature during installation).
+  * [Visual Studio 2017](https://www.visualstudio.com/downloads/), any edition (including the Build Tools SKU).
+    __Required Components:__ "MSbuild", "VC++ 2017 v141 toolset" and one of the Windows SDKs (10 or 8.1).
 * Basic Unix tools required for some tests,
   [Git for Windows](http://git-scm.com/download/win) includes Git Bash
   and tools which can be included in the global `PATH`.
diff --git a/tools/msvs/vswhere_usability_wrapper.cmd b/tools/msvs/vswhere_usability_wrapper.cmd
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..b5e5653ad6812e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/msvs/vswhere_usability_wrapper.cmd
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+:: Copyright 2017 - Refael Ackermann
+:: Distributed under MIT style license
+:: See accompanying file LICENSE at https://github.com/node4good/windows-autoconf
+:: version: 1.14.0
+
+@if not defined DEBUG_HELPER @ECHO OFF
+setlocal
+set VSWHERE_REQ=-requires Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.Tools.x86.x64
+set VSWHERE_PRP=-property installationPath
+set VSWHERE_LMT=-version "[15.0,16.0)"
+SET VSWHERE_ARGS=-latest -products * %VSWHERE_REQ% %VSWHERE_PRP% %VSWHERE_LMT%
+set "VSWHERE=%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Microsoft Visual Studio\Installer"
+if not exist "%VSWHERE%" set "VSWHERE=%ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Visual Studio\Installer"
+if not exist "%VSWHERE%" exit /B 1
+set Path=%Path%;%VSWHERE%
+for /f "usebackq tokens=*" %%i in (`vswhere %VSWHERE_ARGS%`) do (
+    endlocal
+    set "VCINSTALLDIR=%%i\VC\"
+    set "VS150COMNTOOLS=%%i\Common7\Tools\"
+    exit /B 0)
diff --git a/vcbuild.bat b/vcbuild.bat
index f0f68e64496145..ac2bf7f72ab53b 100644
--- a/vcbuild.bat
+++ b/vcbuild.bat
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ if /i "%1"=="/?" goto help
 set config=Release
 set target=Build
 set target_arch=x64
-set target_env=
+set target_env=vs2015
 set noprojgen=
 set nobuild=
 set sign=
@@ -53,7 +53,10 @@ if /i "%1"=="clean"         set target=Clean&goto arg-ok
 if /i "%1"=="ia32"          set target_arch=x86&goto arg-ok
 if /i "%1"=="x86"           set target_arch=x86&goto arg-ok
 if /i "%1"=="x64"           set target_arch=x64&goto arg-ok
-if /i "%1"=="vc2015"        set target_env=vc2015&goto arg-ok
+@rem args should be vs2017 and vs2015. keeping vc2015 for backward combatibility (undocumented)
+if /i "%1"=="vc2015"        set target_env=vs2015&goto arg-ok
+if /i "%1"=="vs2015"        set target_env=vs2015&goto arg-ok
+if /i "%1"=="vs2017"        set target_env=vs2017&goto arg-ok
 if /i "%1"=="noprojgen"     set noprojgen=1&goto arg-ok
 if /i "%1"=="nobuild"       set nobuild=1&goto arg-ok
 if /i "%1"=="nosign"        set "sign="&echo Note: vcbuild no longer signs by default. "nosign" is redundant.&goto arg-ok
@@ -88,7 +91,7 @@ if /i "%1"=="upload"        set upload=1&goto arg-ok
 if /i "%1"=="small-icu"     set i18n_arg=%1&goto arg-ok
 if /i "%1"=="full-icu"      set i18n_arg=%1&goto arg-ok
 if /i "%1"=="intl-none"     set i18n_arg=%1&goto arg-ok
-if /i "%1"=="without-intl"     set i18n_arg=%1&goto arg-ok
+if /i "%1"=="without-intl"  set i18n_arg=%1&goto arg-ok
 if /i "%1"=="download-all"  set download_arg="--download=all"&goto arg-ok
 if /i "%1"=="ignore-flaky"  set test_args=%test_args% --flaky-tests=dontcare&goto arg-ok
 if /i "%1"=="enable-vtune"  set enable_vtune_arg=1&goto arg-ok
@@ -149,7 +152,33 @@ if defined noprojgen if defined nobuild if not defined sign if not defined msi g
 
 @rem Set environment for msbuild
 
+set msvs_host_arch=x86
+if _%PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE%_==_AMD64_ set msvs_host_arch=amd64
+if _%PROCESSOR_ARCHITEW6432%_==_AMD64_ set msvs_host_arch=amd64
+@rem usualy vcvarsall takes an argument: host + '_' + target
+set vcvarsall_arg=%msvs_host_arch%_%target_arch%
+@rem unless both host and taget are x64
+if %target_arch%==x64 if %msvs_host_arch%==amd64 set vcvarsall_arg=amd64
+
+@rem Look for Visual Studio 2017
+:vs-set-2017
+if "%target_env%" NEQ "vs2017" goto vs-set-2015
+echo Looking for Visual Studio 2017
+if "_%VSCMD_ARG_TGT_ARCH%_"=="_%target_arch%_" goto found_vs2017
+call tools\msvs\vswhere_usability_wrapper.cmd
+if "_%VCINSTALLDIR%_" == "__" goto vs-set-2015
+set vcvars_call="%VCINSTALLDIR%\Auxiliary\Build\vcvarsall.bat" %vcvarsall_arg%
+echo calling: %vcvars_call%
+call %vcvars_call%
+:found_vs2017
+echo Found MSVS version %VisualStudioVersion%
+set GYP_MSVS_VERSION=2017
+set PLATFORM_TOOLSET=v141
+goto msbuild-found
+
 @rem Look for Visual Studio 2015
+:vs-set-2015
+if "%target_env%" NEQ "vs2015" goto msbuild-not-found
 echo Looking for Visual Studio 2015
 if not defined VS140COMNTOOLS goto msbuild-not-found
 if not exist "%VS140COMNTOOLS%\..\..\vc\vcvarsall.bat" goto msbuild-not-found
@@ -172,7 +201,9 @@ set PLATFORM_TOOLSET=v140
 goto msbuild-found
 
 :msbuild-not-found
-echo Failed to find Visual Studio installation.
+echo Failed to find a suitable Visual Studio installation.
+echo Try to run in a "Developer Command Prompt" or consult
+echo https://github.com/nodejs/node/blob/master/BUILDING.md#windows-1
 goto exit
 
 :wix-not-found
@@ -298,6 +329,7 @@ if not defined SSHCONFIG (
   echo SSHCONFIG is not set for upload
   exit /b 1
 )
+
 if not defined STAGINGSERVER set STAGINGSERVER=node-www
 ssh -F %SSHCONFIG% %STAGINGSERVER% "mkdir -p nodejs/%DISTTYPEDIR%/v%FULLVERSION%/win-%target_arch%"
 scp -F %SSHCONFIG% Release\node.exe %STAGINGSERVER%:nodejs/%DISTTYPEDIR%/v%FULLVERSION%/win-%target_arch%/node.exe
@@ -455,7 +487,7 @@ echo Failed to create vc project files.
 goto exit
 
 :help
-echo vcbuild.bat [debug/release] [msi] [test-all/test-uv/test-inspector/test-internet/test-pummel/test-simple/test-message] [clean] [noprojgen] [small-icu/full-icu/without-intl] [nobuild] [sign] [x86/x64] [vc2015] [download-all] [enable-vtune] [lint/lint-ci]  [no-NODE-OPTIONS]
+echo vcbuild.bat [debug/release] [msi] [test-all/test-uv/test-inspector/test-internet/test-pummel/test-simple/test-message] [clean] [noprojgen] [small-icu/full-icu/without-intl] [nobuild] [sign] [x86/x64] [vs2015/vs2017] [download-all] [enable-vtune] [lint/lint-ci] [no-NODE-OPTIONS]
 echo Examples:
 echo   vcbuild.bat                : builds release build
 echo   vcbuild.bat debug          : builds debug build