diff --git a/.appveyor.yml b/.appveyor.yml
index 5e487ff6b..71840f1b4 100644
--- a/.appveyor.yml
+++ b/.appveyor.yml
@@ -4,9 +4,9 @@ build: off  # Not a C# project
 environment:
   matrix:
     - PYTHON: "C:\\Python27"
-      TOXENV: "py27-ci"
+      TOXENV: "py27"
     - PYTHON: "C:\\Python35"
-      TOXENV: "py35-ci-win"
+      TOXENV: "py35"
 
   SNAPSHOT_HOST:
     secure: NeTo57s2rJhCd/mjKHetXVxCFd3uhr8txnjnAXD1tUI=
@@ -22,18 +22,18 @@ install:
   - "python -m pip install --disable-pip-version-check -U pip"
   - "pip install -U tox"
 
-before_test:
-  - "tox -e lint"
-
 test_script:
   - "tox"
 
 deploy_script:
   ps: |
-    if(($Env:APPVEYOR_REPO_BRANCH -match "master") -or ($Env:APPVEYOR_REPO_TAG -match "true")) {
+    if(
+      ($Env:TOXENV -match "py27") -and
+      (($Env:APPVEYOR_REPO_BRANCH -match "simplify-tox") -or ($Env:APPVEYOR_REPO_TAG -match "true"))
+      ) {
       pip install -U virtualenv
-      .\dev.bat
-      python .\release\rtool.py bdist
+      .\dev.ps1
+      cmd /c "python .\release\rtool.py bdist 2>&1"
       python .\release\rtool.py upload-snapshot --bdist
     }
 
diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst
index 0a890582e..525847194 100644
--- a/README.rst
+++ b/README.rst
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ here_). Then do the following:
 
     git clone https://github.com/mitmproxy/mitmproxy.git
     cd mitmproxy
-    ./dev.sh
+    ./dev.sh  # powershell .\dev.ps1 on Windows
 
 
 The *dev* script will create a virtualenv environment in a directory called
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ mitmproxy test suite:
 
 .. code-block:: text
 
-    . venv/bin/activate # venv\Scripts\activate.bat on Windows
+    . venv/bin/activate  # venv\Scripts\activate on Windows
     py.test
 
 Note that the main executables for the project - ``mitmdump``, ``mitmproxy``,
diff --git a/dev.bat b/dev.bat
deleted file mode 100644
index fe0824e01..000000000
--- a/dev.bat
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,16 +0,0 @@
-@echo off
-set VENV=.\venv
-
-virtualenv %VENV% --always-copy
-if %errorlevel% neq 0 exit /b %errorlevel%
-call %VENV%\Scripts\activate.bat
-if %errorlevel% neq 0 exit /b %errorlevel%
-python -m pip install --disable-pip-version-check -U pip
-if %errorlevel% neq 0 exit /b %errorlevel%
-pip install -r requirements.txt
-if %errorlevel% neq 0 exit /b %errorlevel%
-
-echo.
-echo * Created virtualenv environment in %VENV%.
-echo * Installed all dependencies into the virtualenv.
-echo * Activated virtualenv environment.
diff --git a/dev.ps1 b/dev.ps1
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7f329e8f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dev.ps1
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+$ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"
+$VENV = ".\venv"
+
+virtualenv $VENV --always-copy
+& $VENV\Scripts\activate.ps1
+
+python -m pip install --disable-pip-version-check -U pip
+cmd /c "pip install -r requirements.txt 2>&1"
+
+echo @"
+
+  * Created virtualenv environment in $VENV.
+  * Installed all dependencies into the virtualenv.
+  * Activated virtualenv environment.
+
+"@
\ No newline at end of file