diff --git a/.makefile b/.makefile
index afd7fbe70b..be16e05813 100644
--- a/.makefile
+++ b/.makefile
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 # on the `make` dialect that it uses.
 #
 # The targets here do not use dependencies (mostly), so it's a strange
-# use of `make'. Really, this makefile is an alternative to a pile of
+# use of `make`. Really, this makefile is an alternative to a pile of
 # scripts, where each target plays the role of a script. It's written
 # as a makefile, because then the intersection of `make` and `nmake`
 # acts as a kind of always-available scripting language.
@@ -31,6 +31,10 @@
 # `make`. For example, `PKGS` can be supplied with `make PKGS="..."`.
 # Not all variables in the makefile are intended as arguments,
 # though.
+#
+# For Windows with `nmake`, add `win-` to the start of the above
+# targets. Using `nmake` by itself is the same as `nmake win`, which
+# is the same as `nmake win-in-place`.
 
 # Packages (separated by spaces) to link in development mode or
 # to include in a distribution:
@@ -39,6 +43,8 @@ PKGS = main-distribution main-distribution-test
 main:
 	$(MAKE) in-place
 
+# The makefile is compiled so that a target named `win` is the
+# default target for `nmake`:
 win:
 	$(MAKE) win-in-place
 
@@ -762,7 +768,7 @@ random:
 # ------------------------------------------------------------
 # On a server platform (for an installer build):
 
-# These targets require GNU `make', so that we don't have to propagate
+# These targets require GNU `make`, so that we don't have to propagate
 # variables through all of the target layers.
 
 server:
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 2320134dd1..814a4a0b33 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -135,6 +135,8 @@ DRIVE_ARGS_q = $(RELEASE_MODE) $(VERSIONLESS_MODE) $(SOURCE_MODE) $(CLEAN_MODE)
 DRIVE_DESCRIBE =
 DRIVE_CMD_q = -l- distro-build/drive-clients $(DRIVE_DESCRIBE) $(RELEASE_MODE) $(VERSIONLESS_MODE) $(SOURCE_MODE) $(CLEAN_MODE) $(SERVER_COMPILE_MACHINE) "$(CONFIG)" "$(CONFIG_MODE)" $(SERVER) $(SERVER_PORT) "$(SERVER_HOSTS)" "$(PKGS)" "$(DOC_SEARCH)" "$(DIST_NAME)" $(DIST_BASE) $(DIST_DIR)
 DOC_CATALOGS = build/built/catalog build/native/catalog
+# `make` will continue this comment to the next line, but `nmake` won't \
+the-default-target-for-nmake: win
 main:
 	$(MAKE) in-place AS_IS="$(AS_IS)" CONFIGURE_ARGS="$(CONFIGURE_ARGS)" CONFIG_IN_PLACE_ARGS="$(CONFIG_IN_PLACE_ARGS)" CPUS="$(CPUS)" CS_CONFIGURE_ARGS="$(CS_CONFIGURE_ARGS)" CS_CROSS_SUFFIX="$(CS_CROSS_SUFFIX)" CS_HOST_WORKAREA_PREFIX="$(CS_HOST_WORKAREA_PREFIX)" DEFAULT_SRC_CATALOG="$(DEFAULT_SRC_CATALOG)" EXTRA_REPOS_BASE="$(EXTRA_REPOS_BASE)" INITIAL_SETUP_MODE="$(INITIAL_SETUP_MODE)" IN_PLACE_SETUP_OPTIONS="$(IN_PLACE_SETUP_OPTIONS)" JOB_OPTIONS="$(JOB_OPTIONS)" MORE_CONFIGURE_ARGS="$(MORE_CONFIGURE_ARGS)" PB_REPO="$(PB_REPO)" PKGS="$(PKGS)" PKG_UPDATE_OPTIONS="$(PKG_UPDATE_OPTIONS)" PLT_SETUP_OPTIONS="$(PLT_SETUP_OPTIONS)" RACKETBC_SUFFIX="$(RACKETBC_SUFFIX)" RACKETCS_SUFFIX="$(RACKETCS_SUFFIX)" RACKET_FOR_BOOTFILES="$(RACKET_FOR_BOOTFILES)" RACKET_FOR_BUILD="$(RACKET_FOR_BUILD)" SELF_ROOT_CONFIG_FLAG="$(SELF_ROOT_CONFIG_FLAG)" SETUP_MACHINE_FLAGS="$(SETUP_MACHINE_FLAGS)" SRC_CATALOG="$(SRC_CATALOG)" VM="$(VM)"
 win:
diff --git a/racket/src/makemake.rkt b/racket/src/makemake.rkt
index 6e6534d687..cd142881eb 100644
--- a/racket/src/makemake.rkt
+++ b/racket/src/makemake.rkt
@@ -266,4 +266,5 @@
     (loop #f)))
 
 (call-with-input-file* src variables)
+(printf "# `make` will continue this comment to the next line, but `nmake` won't \\\nthe-default-target-for-nmake: win\n")
 (call-with-input-file* src convert)