diff --git a/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/Editor.hs b/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/Editor.hs
index 188ea7e825c..b4bf40c422f 100644
--- a/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/Editor.hs
+++ b/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/Editor.hs
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import Safe
 import System.Environment
 import System.Exit
 import System.FilePath
+import System.Info (os)
 import System.Process
 
 import Hledger
@@ -123,13 +124,17 @@ editFileAtPositionCommand mpos f = do
   return $ unwords $ cmd:args
 
 -- | Get the user's preferred edit command. This is the value of the
--- $HLEDGER_UI_EDITOR environment variable, or of $EDITOR, or a
--- default ("emacsclient -a '' -nw", which starts/connects to an emacs
--- daemon in terminal mode).
+-- $HLEDGER_UI_EDITOR environment variable, or of $EDITOR, or an OS-specific default.
+--
+-- For non-windows machines that would be "emacsclient -a '' -nw",
+-- which starts/connects to an emacs daemon in terminal mode.
+--
+-- For windows the default is a plain "notepad.exe"
 getEditCommand :: IO String
 getEditCommand = do
   hledger_ui_editor_env <- lookupEnv "HLEDGER_UI_EDITOR"
   editor_env            <- lookupEnv "EDITOR"
-  let Just cmd = hledger_ui_editor_env <|> editor_env <|> Just "emacsclient -a '' -nw"
+  let defaultEditor = Just $ if os == "mingw32" then "notepad.exe" else "emacsclient -a '' -nw"
+  let Just cmd = hledger_ui_editor_env <|> editor_env <|> defaultEditor
   return cmd
 
diff --git a/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/Main.hs b/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/Main.hs
index 8dd9d7f369f..628815cc6f2 100644
--- a/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/Main.hs
+++ b/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/Main.hs
@@ -20,7 +20,8 @@ import Data.List (find)
 import Data.List.Extra (nubSort)
 import Data.Maybe (fromMaybe)
 import qualified Data.Text as T
-import Graphics.Vty (mkVty, Mode (Mouse), Vty (outputIface), Output (setMode))
+import Graphics.Vty (Mode (Mouse), Vty (outputIface), Output (setMode))
+import Graphics.Vty.CrossPlatform (mkVty)
 import Lens.Micro ((^.))
 import System.Directory (canonicalizePath)
 import System.Environment (withProgName)
diff --git a/hledger-ui/hledger-ui.cabal b/hledger-ui/hledger-ui.cabal
index 30b46e597fd..7bf5c958b98 100644
--- a/hledger-ui/hledger-ui.cabal
+++ b/hledger-ui/hledger-ui.cabal
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ library
       ansi-terminal >=0.9
     , async
     , base >=4.14 && <4.19
-    , brick >=1.5 && <2
+    , brick >=2.1.1 && <2.2
     , cmdargs >=0.8
     , containers >=0.5.9
     , data-default
@@ -95,14 +95,16 @@ library
     , text-zipper >=0.4
     , time >=1.5
     , transformers
-    , unix
     , vector
-    , vty >=5.15 && <6
+    , vty ==6.1.*
+    , vty-crossplatform >=0.4.0.0 && <0.5.0.0
   default-language: Haskell2010
   if os(windows)
-    buildable: False
+    build-depends:
+        vty-windows >=0.2.0.1 && <0.3.0.0
   else
-    buildable: True
+    build-depends:
+        unix
 
 executable hledger-ui
   main-is: hledger-ui.hs
@@ -116,9 +118,5 @@ executable hledger-ui
       base >=4.14 && <4.19
     , hledger-ui
   default-language: Haskell2010
-  if os(windows)
-    buildable: False
-  else
-    buildable: True
   if flag(threaded)
     ghc-options: -threaded
diff --git a/hledger-ui/package.yaml b/hledger-ui/package.yaml
index c2243ead9dc..0ba59b685e7 100644
--- a/hledger-ui/package.yaml
+++ b/hledger-ui/package.yaml
@@ -51,7 +51,6 @@ ghc-options:
 dependencies:
 - base >=4.14 && <4.19
 
-when:
  # curses is required to build terminfo for vty for hledger-ui.
  # On POSIX systems it might be not present.
  # On windows it's very likely not present, but possibly it could be.
@@ -61,12 +60,10 @@ when:
  #  curses
  #    default: True
  #    description:
- # For now, just don't build hledger-ui on windows
- - condition: os(windows)
-   then:
-     buildable: false
-   else:
-     buildable: true
+ #
+ # note on windows: the vty-windows (and hence hledger-ui) will reliably work only on the newer backends
+ # like Windows Terminal.
+ # mintty-based backends (default for cygwin/gitbash/msys2) are not supported (yet)
 
 library:
   source-dirs: .
@@ -101,10 +98,16 @@ library:
   - time >=1.5
   - transformers
   - vector
-  # not installable on windows, cf buildable flag below
-  - brick >=1.5 && <2
-  - vty >=5.15 && <6
-  - unix
+  - brick >=2.1.1 && <2.2
+  - vty >=6.1 && <6.2
+  - vty-crossplatform >= 0.4.0.0 && < 0.5.0.0
+  when:
+    - condition: os(windows)
+      then:
+        dependencies: vty-windows >= 0.2.0.1 && < 0.3.0.0
+      else:
+        dependencies: unix
+
 
 executables:
   hledger-ui:
diff --git a/stack.yaml b/stack.yaml
index 2058862ebd2..54d645999dd 100644
--- a/stack.yaml
+++ b/stack.yaml
@@ -31,3 +31,10 @@ nix:
 # #  "$targets": -Werror
 # #  "$everything": -O2
 # #  some-package: -DSOME_CPP_FLAG
+extra-deps:
+  - vty-windows-0.2.0.1
+  - vty-crossplatform-0.4.0.0
+  - brick-2.1.1
+  - vty-6.1
+  - vty-unix-0.2.0.0
+
diff --git a/stack9.4.yaml b/stack9.4.yaml
index 63f490401eb..b6b1888cb6d 100644
--- a/stack9.4.yaml
+++ b/stack9.4.yaml
@@ -8,8 +8,12 @@ packages:
 - hledger-ui
 - hledger-web
 
-# extra-deps:
-
+extra-deps:
+  - vty-windows-0.2.0.1
+  - vty-crossplatform-0.4.0.0
+  - brick-2.1.1
+  - vty-6.1
+  - vty-unix-0.2.0.0
 nix:
   pure: false
   packages: [perl gmp ncurses zlib]