diff --git a/common/configure_fresh_system b/common/configure_fresh_system
index 4ddb709a..18dc8e4e 100755
--- a/common/configure_fresh_system
+++ b/common/configure_fresh_system
@@ -1,9 +1,14 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
+SUDO=""
+if [[ -z $NOSUDO ]]; then
+    SUDO=sudo
+fi
+
 set -e
 echo
 echo "configuring settings common among OSes"
-sudo true
+$SUDO true
 
 #zsh
 if [[ -z $DONT_CHANGE_SHELL ]]; then
@@ -50,7 +55,7 @@ source ~/.setenv
 # symlink 'nodejs' as node on some systems
 # will replace symlink if it exists, but won't replace regular file
 if [[ ! -f /usr/bin/node ]]; then
-    sudo ln -vfs /usr/bin/nodejs /usr/bin/node
+    $SUDO ln -vfs /usr/bin/nodejs /usr/bin/node
 fi
 
 # tools
@@ -66,7 +71,7 @@ mkdir -p ~/.fonts
 cp -rv "$DIR/fonts" ~/.fonts
 set +e
 fc-cache -rv
-sudo fc-cache -rv
+$SUDO fc-cache -rv
 set -e
 
 #rust
@@ -105,12 +110,12 @@ mkdir -p "$GOPATH"
 go get -u github.com/exercism/cli/exercism
 
 # talks: reveal-md
-sudo npm install -g reveal-md
-sudo npm install -g diff-so-fancy
+$SUDO npm install -g reveal-md
+$SUDO npm install -g diff-so-fancy
 
 # vdir syncer
 echo "installing vdirsyncer"
-sudo pip install vdirsyncer
+$SUDO pip install vdirsyncer
 
 if [[ -z $USER ]]; then
     USER=`whoami`
@@ -118,7 +123,7 @@ fi
 
 # normalize npm permissions
 mkdir -p $HOME/.npm
-sudo chown $USER $HOME/.npm -R
+$SUDO chown $USER $HOME/.npm -R
 
 echo
 echo "now go ahead and restart"
diff --git a/windows_cygwin/build.bat b/windows_cygwin/build.bat
index f0d2adda..b29d198f 100644
--- a/windows_cygwin/build.bat
+++ b/windows_cygwin/build.bat
@@ -7,5 +7,5 @@ c:\cygwin64\bin\bash.exe --login -c "cp -vr `cygpath $HOMEPATH`/.ssh $HOME/"
 c:\cygwin64\bin\bash.exe --login -c "mkdir -pv $HOME/dev/"
 c:\cygwin64\bin\bash.exe --login -c "git clone git@github.com:cyplo/dotfiles.git dev/dotfiles"
 
-c:\cygwin64\bin\bash.exe --login -c "export DIR=$HOME/dev/dotfiles && bash $DIR/common/configure_fresh_system"
+c:\cygwin64\bin\bash.exe --login -c "export DIR=$HOME/dev/dotfiles && export NOSUDO=true && export DONT_CHANGE_SHELL=true && bash $DIR/common/configure_fresh_system"