diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index a436e91c9..72f40b0c7 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 	* Source/NSFileManager.m:
 	On mingw a file is executable if its extension is in the list
 	provided by the PATHEXT environment variable.
+	* Source/NSTask.m:
+	Simplification/clarification suggested by Riccardo
 
 2014-01-08  Quentin Mathe <quentin.mathe@gmail.com>
 
diff --git a/Source/NSTask.m b/Source/NSTask.m
index 8951101b6..d2599a351 100644
--- a/Source/NSTask.m
+++ b/Source/NSTask.m
@@ -771,32 +771,25 @@ pty_slave(const char* name)
   arch_path = [arch_path stringByAppendingPathComponent: os];
   full_path = [arch_path stringByAppendingPathComponent: libs];
 
-  lpath = [full_path stringByAppendingPathComponent: prog];
 #ifdef	__MINGW__
-  if ([mgr isExecutableFileAtPath: lpath] == NO
-    && [mgr isExecutableFileAtPath:
-    (lpath = [lpath stringByAppendingPathExtension: @"exe"])] == NO)
-#else
-  if ([mgr isExecutableFileAtPath: lpath] == NO)
+  /* As a convenience on windows, if the program was supplied without
+   * an extension (which means it can't be executable) try using the
+   * most common extension.
+   */
+  if ([[prog pathExtension] length] == 0)
+    {
+      prog = [prog stringByAppendingPathExtension: @"exe"];
+    }
 #endif
+
+  lpath = [full_path stringByAppendingPathComponent: prog];
+  if ([mgr isExecutableFileAtPath: lpath] == NO)
     {
       lpath = [arch_path stringByAppendingPathComponent: prog];
-#ifdef	__MINGW__
-      if ([mgr isExecutableFileAtPath: lpath] == NO
-	&& [mgr isExecutableFileAtPath:
-	(lpath = [lpath stringByAppendingPathExtension: @"exe"])] == NO)
-#else
       if ([mgr isExecutableFileAtPath: lpath] == NO)
-#endif
 	{
 	  lpath = [base_path stringByAppendingPathComponent: prog];
-#ifdef	__MINGW__
-	  if ([mgr isExecutableFileAtPath: lpath] == NO
-	    && [mgr isExecutableFileAtPath:
-	    (lpath = [lpath stringByAppendingPathExtension: @"exe"])] == NO)
-#else
 	  if ([mgr isExecutableFileAtPath: lpath] == NO)
-#endif
 	    {
 	      /*
 	       * Last resort - if the launch path was simply a program name
@@ -809,14 +802,7 @@ pty_slave(const char* name)
 		}
 	      if (lpath != nil)
 		{
-#ifdef	__MINGW__
-		  if ([mgr isExecutableFileAtPath: lpath] == NO
-		    && [mgr isExecutableFileAtPath:
-		    (lpath = [lpath stringByAppendingPathExtension: @"exe"])]
-		    == NO)
-#else
 		  if ([mgr isExecutableFileAtPath: lpath] == NO)
-#endif
 		    {
 		      lpath = nil;
 		    }