diff --git a/evennia/__init__.py b/evennia/__init__.py
index e04ab84dba..ab23ff7abf 100644
--- a/evennia/__init__.py
+++ b/evennia/__init__.py
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ def _create_version():
         print(err)
     try:
         version = "%s (rev %s)" % (version, check_output("git rev-parse --short HEAD", shell=True, cwd=root, stderr=STDOUT).strip())
-    except (IOError, CalledProcessError):
+    except (IOError, CalledProcessError, WindowsError):
         # ignore if we cannot get to git
         pass
     return version
diff --git a/evennia/server/evennia_launcher.py b/evennia/server/evennia_launcher.py
index 50c355dc58..07bfe45e98 100644
--- a/evennia/server/evennia_launcher.py
+++ b/evennia/server/evennia_launcher.py
@@ -98,7 +98,10 @@ TWISTED_MIN = '18.0.0'
 DJANGO_MIN = '1.11'
 DJANGO_REC = '1.11'
 
-sys.path[1] = EVENNIA_ROOT
+try:
+    sys.path[1] = EVENNIA_ROOT
+except IndexError:
+    sys.path.append(EVENNIA_ROOT)
 
 # ------------------------------------------------------------
 #
@@ -1214,7 +1217,7 @@ def evennia_version():
             "git rev-parse --short HEAD",
             shell=True, cwd=EVENNIA_ROOT, stderr=STDOUT).strip()
         version = "%s (rev %s)" % (version, rev)
-    except (IOError, CalledProcessError):
+    except (IOError, CalledProcessError, WindowsError):
         # move on if git is not answering
         pass
     return version