diff --git a/sys/windows/vs/FetchPrereq/fetchprereq.nmake b/sys/windows/vs/FetchPrereq/fetchprereq.nmake
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..41c5a8a6f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sys/windows/vs/FetchPrereq/fetchprereq.nmake
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+# NetHack 3.7 fetchprereq.nmake
+#==============================================================================
+#
+#  The version of the game this Makefile was designed for
+NETHACK_VERSION="3.7.0"
+
+# A brief version for use in macros
+NHV=$(NETHACK_VERSION:.=)
+NHV=$(NHV:"=)
+
+#  The version of Lua we want
+LUA_VERSION=5.4.6
+CURLLUASRC=https://www.lua.org/ftp/lua-$(LUA_VERSION).tar.gz
+CURLLUADST=lua-$(LUA_VERSION).tar.gz
+
+# The version of pdcursesmod that we want
+PDCDIST=pdcursesmod
+PDCURSES_VERSION = 4.4.0
+PDCURL=https://github.com/Bill-Gray/PDCursesMod/archive/refs/tags/v
+CURLPDCSRC=$(PDCURL)$(PDCURSES_VERSION).zip
+CURLPDCDST=$(PDCDIST)
+
+#
+#  relative directories from root of NetHack tree.
+#
+
+LIBSDIR=lib               # libraries and external bits
+SUBMSDIR=submodules       # NetHack git submodules
+ROOTDIR=..\..\..\..       # root of NetHack tree relative to project file
+LIBDIR=$(ROOTDIR)\$(LIBSDIR)
+SUBMDIR=$(ROOTDIR)\$(SUBMSDIR)
+
+
+default: fetchall
+
+fetchall: libdir fetch-Lua fetch-pdcurses ..\..\..\..\include\nhlua.h
+
+fetch-lua: fetch-actual-Lua
+
+fetch-Lua: fetch-actual-Lua
+
+fetch-actual-Lua:
+	cd $(LIBDIR)
+	curl --insecure -R -O $(CURLLUASRC)
+	tar zxf lua-$(LUA_VERSION).tar.gz
+	if exist lua-$(LUA_VERSION).tar.gz del lua-$(LUA_VERSION).tar.gz
+	cd ..\sys\windows\vs\fetchprereq
+	@echo Lua has been fetched into $(LIBDIR)\lua-$(LUA_VERSION)
+
+fetch-pdcurses:
+	cd $(LIBDIR)
+	curl --insecure -L -R $(PDCURL)$(PDCURSES_VERSION).zip -o $(PDCDIST).zip
+	if not exist $(PDCDIST)\*.* mkdir $(PDCDIST)
+	tar -C $(PDCDIST) --strip-components=1 -xvf $(CURLPDCDST).zip
+	if exist $(CURLPDCDST).zip del $(CURLPDCDST).zip
+	cd ..\sys\windows\vs\fetchprereq
+	@echo $(PDCDIST) has been fetched into $(LIBDIR)\$(PDCDIST)
+
+..\..\..\..\include\nhlua.h:
+	@echo  /* nhlua.h - generated by Makefile from fetchprereq.nmake */ > $@
+	@echo #include "lua.h" >> $@
+	@echo LUA_API int   (lua_error) (lua_State *L) NORETURN; >> $@
+	@echo #include "lualib.h" >> $@
+	@echo #include "lauxlib.h" >> $@
+	@echo /*nhlua.h*/ >> $@
+
+libdir: 
+	@if not exist $(LIBDIR)\*.* echo creating directory $(LIB:\=/)
+	@if not exist $(LIBDIR)\*.* mkdir $(LIBDIR)
+
+clean:
+
+rebuild:
+
diff --git a/sys/windows/vs/FetchPrereq/fetchprereq.vcxproj b/sys/windows/vs/FetchPrereq/fetchprereq.vcxproj
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..31e6b7dd0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sys/windows/vs/FetchPrereq/fetchprereq.vcxproj
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+<Project DefaultTargets="Build" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
+  <ItemGroup Label="ProjectConfigurations">
+    <ProjectConfiguration Include="Debug|Win32">
+      <Configuration>Debug</Configuration>
+      <Platform>Win32</Platform>
+    </ProjectConfiguration>
+    <ProjectConfiguration Include="Release|Win32">
+      <Configuration>Release</Configuration>
+      <Platform>Win32</Platform>
+    </ProjectConfiguration>
+    <ProjectConfiguration Include="Debug|x64">
+      <Configuration>Debug</Configuration>
+      <Platform>x64</Platform>
+    </ProjectConfiguration>
+    <ProjectConfiguration Include="Release|x64">
+      <Configuration>Release</Configuration>
+      <Platform>x64</Platform>
+    </ProjectConfiguration>
+  </ItemGroup>
+  <Import Project="..\config.props" />
+  <Import Project="..\dirs.props" />
+  <Import Project="..\default.props" />
+  <Import Project="..\NetHackProperties.props" />
+  <Import Project="..\console.props" />
+  <Import Project="..\common.props" />
+  <Import Project="..\files.props" />
+  <PropertyGroup Label="Globals">
+    <VCProjectVersion>17.0</VCProjectVersion>
+    <ProjectGuid>{503AE687-C33A-45ED-93AA-83967E176D67}</ProjectGuid>
+    <Keyword>Win32Proj</Keyword>
+    <WindowsTargetPlatformVersion>10.0.22621.0</WindowsTargetPlatformVersion>
+  </PropertyGroup>
+  <Import Project="$(VCTargetsPath)\Microsoft.Cpp.Default.props" />
+  <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Debug|Win32'" Label="Configuration">
+    <ConfigurationType>Makefile</ConfigurationType>
+    <UseDebugLibraries>true</UseDebugLibraries>
+  </PropertyGroup>
+  <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Release|Win32'" Label="Configuration">
+    <ConfigurationType>Makefile</ConfigurationType>
+    <UseDebugLibraries>false</UseDebugLibraries>
+  </PropertyGroup>
+  <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Debug|x64'" Label="Configuration">
+    <ConfigurationType>Makefile</ConfigurationType>
+    <UseDebugLibraries>true</UseDebugLibraries>
+  </PropertyGroup>
+  <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Release|x64'" Label="Configuration">
+    <ConfigurationType>Makefile</ConfigurationType>
+    <UseDebugLibraries>false</UseDebugLibraries>
+  </PropertyGroup>
+  <Import Project="$(VCTargetsPath)\Microsoft.Cpp.props" />
+  <ImportGroup Label="ExtensionSettings">
+  </ImportGroup>
+  <ImportGroup Label="Shared">
+  </ImportGroup>
+  <ImportGroup Label="PropertySheets">
+    <Import Project="$(UserRootDir)\Microsoft.Cpp.$(Platform).user.props" Condition="exists('$(UserRootDir)\Microsoft.Cpp.$(Platform).user.props')" Label="LocalAppDataPlatform" />
+  </ImportGroup>
+  <PropertyGroup Label="UserMacros" />
+  <PropertyGroup Condition="!Exists('$(LibDir)pdcurses') OR !Exists('$(LibDir)lua-5.4.6')">
+    <NMakeBuildCommandLine>pushd $(vsDir)fetchprereq %26%26 nmake -F fetchprereq.nmake %26%26 popd</NMakeBuildCommandLine>
+    <NMakeCleanCommandLine>pushd $(vsDir)fetchprereq %26%26 nmake -F fetchprereq.nmake clean %26%26 popd</NMakeCleanCommandLine>
+    <NMakeReBuildCommandLine>pushd $(vsDir)fetchprereq %26%26 nmake -F fetchprereq.nmake rebuild %26%26 popd</NMakeReBuildCommandLine>
+    <NMakePreprocessorDefinitions>_DEBUG;$(NMakePreprocessorDefinitions)</NMakePreprocessorDefinitions>
+  </PropertyGroup>
+  <Import Project="$(VCTargetsPath)\Microsoft.Cpp.targets" />
+  <ImportGroup Label="ExtensionTargets">
+  </ImportGroup>
+</Project>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/sys/windows/vs/dirs.props b/sys/windows/vs/dirs.props
index ce7236230..dc3f7ca7b 100644
--- a/sys/windows/vs/dirs.props
+++ b/sys/windows/vs/dirs.props
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
 <Project ToolsVersion="4.0" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
-  <PropertyGroup>
+    <PropertyGroup>
+    <LUA_VERSION>5.4.6</LUA_VERSION>
     <RootDir>$(MSBuildProjectDirectory)\..\..\..\..\</RootDir>
-    <vsDir>$(RootDir)sys\windows\vs\</vsDir>
     <BinDir>$(RootDir)binary\$(Configuration)\$(Platform)\</BinDir>
     <ObjDir>$(ProjectDir)obj\$(Configuration)\$(Platform)\$(TargetName)\</ObjDir>
     <SymbolsDir>$(ProjectDir)symbols\$(Configuration)\$(Platform)\$(TargetName)\</SymbolsDir>
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
     <UtilDir>$(RootDir)util\</UtilDir>
     <SysShareDir>$(RootDir)sys\share\</SysShareDir>
     <SysWindDir>$(RootDir)sys\windows\</SysWindDir>
+    <vsDir>$(SysWindDir)vs\</vsDir>
     <WinShareDir>$(RootDir)win\share\</WinShareDir>
     <WinTtyDir>$(RootDir)win\tty\</WinTtyDir>
     <WinWin32Dir>$(RootDir)win\win32\</WinWin32Dir>
@@ -27,20 +28,14 @@
     <IntDir>$(ObjDir)</IntDir>
     <WinCursDir>$(RootDir)win\curses\</WinCursDir>
     <SubmodulesDir>$(RootDir)submodules\</SubmodulesDir>
-    <LuaDir>$(SubmodulesDir)lua\</LuaDir>
+    <LuaDir>$(LibDir)lua-$(LUA_VERSION)\src\</LuaDir>
   </PropertyGroup>
-  <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(PDCURSESMOD)'=='' AND Exists('$(SubmodulesDir)PDCursesMod')">
-    <PDCURSESMOD>$(SubmodulesDir)PDCursesMod\</PDCURSESMOD>
+  <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(PDCURSESMOD)'=='' AND Exists('$(LibDir)pdcursesmod\curses.h')">
+    <PDCURSESMOD>$(LibDir)pdcursesmod\</PDCURSESMOD>
     <PDCURSES>$(PDCURSESMOD)</PDCURSES>
   </PropertyGroup>
-  <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(PDCURSESMOD)'=='' AND Exists('$(LibDir)PDCursesMod')">
-    <PDCURSESMOD>$(LibDir)PDCursesMod\</PDCURSESMOD>
+  <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(PDCURSESMOD)'=='' AND Exists('$(SubmodulesDir)pdcursesmod\curses.h')">
+    <PDCURSESMOD>$(SubmodulesDir)pdcursesmod\</PDCURSESMOD>
     <PDCURSES>$(PDCURSESMOD)</PDCURSES>
   </PropertyGroup>
-  <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(PDCURSES)'=='' AND '$(PDCURSESMOD)'=='' AND Exists('$(SubmodulesDir)PDCurses')">
-    <PDCURSES>$(SubmodulesDir)PDCurses\</PDCURSES>
-  </PropertyGroup>
-  <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(PDCURSES)'=='' AND '$(PDCURSESMOD)'=='' AND Exists('$(LibDir)PDCurses')">
-    <PDCURSES>$(LibDir)PDCurses\</PDCURSES>
-  </PropertyGroup>
 </Project>