diff --git a/tst/passthrough-fuse/passthrough-fuse.c b/tst/passthrough-fuse/passthrough-fuse.c
index 45148293..f2b5f79f 100644
--- a/tst/passthrough-fuse/passthrough-fuse.c
+++ b/tst/passthrough-fuse/passthrough-fuse.c
@@ -274,6 +274,26 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
     if (3 <= argc && '-' != argv[argc - 2][0] && '-' != argv[argc - 1][0])
     {
+#if defined(_WIN64) || defined(_WIN32)
+        /*
+         * When building for Windows (rather than Cygwin or POSIX OS)
+         * allow the syntax C$\Path as an alternative to C:\Path. This
+         * allows us to run the file system under the WinFsp.Launcher
+         * and start it using commands like:
+         *
+         *     net use z: \\passthrough-fuse\C$\Path
+         */
+        if ((
+            ('A' <= argv[argc - 2][0] && argv[argc - 2][0] <= 'Z') ||
+            ('a' <= argv[argc - 2][0] && argv[argc - 2][0] <= 'z')
+            ) &&
+            '$' == argv[argc - 2][1] &&
+            ('\\' == argv[argc - 2][2] || '/' == argv[argc - 2][2]))
+        {
+            argv[argc - 2][1] = ':';
+        }
+#endif
+
         ptfs.rootdir = realpath(argv[argc - 2], 0); /* memory freed at process end */
         argv[argc - 2] = argv[argc - 1];
         argc--;
diff --git a/tst/passthrough/passthrough.c b/tst/passthrough/passthrough.c
index fbc8a82a..e0750374 100644
--- a/tst/passthrough/passthrough.c
+++ b/tst/passthrough/passthrough.c
@@ -816,11 +816,12 @@ static NTSTATUS SvcStart(FSP_SERVICE *Service, ULONG argc, PWSTR *argv)
         if (0 != P && L'\\' != P[1])
         {
             P = wcschr(P + 1, L'\\');
-            if (0 != P && L'$' == P[2] &&
+            if (0 != P &&
                 (
                 (L'A' <= P[1] && P[1] <= L'Z') ||
                 (L'a' <= P[1] && P[1] <= L'z')
-                ))
+                ) &&
+                L'$' == P[2])
             {
                 StringCbPrintf(PassThroughBuf, sizeof PassThroughBuf, L"%c:%s", P[1], P + 3);
                 PassThrough = PassThroughBuf;