diff --git a/ports/windows/.appveyor.yml b/ports/windows/.appveyor.yml
index d412e0f168..e249aafdf8 100644
--- a/ports/windows/.appveyor.yml
+++ b/ports/windows/.appveyor.yml
@@ -5,6 +5,10 @@ skip_tags: true
 environment:
   # Python version used
   MICROPY_CPYTHON3: c:/python38/python.exe
+  # The variants.
+  matrix:
+    - PyVariant: dev
+    - PyVariant: standard
 
 init:
   # Set build version number to commit to be travis-like
@@ -18,6 +22,12 @@ platform:
 - x86
 - x64
 
+matrix:
+  # One debug build is enough.
+  exclude:
+    - configuration: Debug
+      PyVariant: dev
+
 before_build:
 - ps: |
     @"
@@ -36,6 +46,7 @@ build:
 
 test_script:
 - ps: |
+    $env:MICROPY_MICROPYTHON=(msbuild ports\windows\micropython.vcxproj /nologo /v:m /t:ShowTargetPath).Trim()
     cd (Join-Path $env:APPVEYOR_BUILD_FOLDER 'tests')
     & $env:MICROPY_CPYTHON3 run-tests.py
     if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) {
@@ -58,7 +69,7 @@ after_test:
     $env:MSYSTEM = if ($platform -eq 'x86') {'MINGW32'} else {'MINGW64'}
     $env:CHERE_INVOKING = 'enabled_from_arguments'
     cd (Join-Path $env:APPVEYOR_BUILD_FOLDER 'ports/windows')
-    C:\msys64\usr\bin\bash.exe -l -c "make -B -j4 V=1"
+    C:\msys64\usr\bin\bash.exe -l -c "make -B -j4 V=1 VARIANT=$($env:PyVariant)"
     if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) {
       throw "$env:MSYSTEM build exited with code $LASTEXITCODE"
     }
@@ -68,7 +79,7 @@ after_test:
       throw "$env:MSYSTEM mpy_cross build exited with code $LASTEXITCODE"
     }
     cd (Join-Path $env:APPVEYOR_BUILD_FOLDER 'ports/windows')
-    C:\msys64\usr\bin\bash.exe -l -c "make V=1 test_full"
+    C:\msys64\usr\bin\bash.exe -l -c "make V=1 test_full VARIANT=$($env:PyVariant)"
     if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) {
       & $env:MICROPY_CPYTHON3 run-tests.py --print-failures
       throw "Test failure"
diff --git a/ports/windows/msvc/common.props b/ports/windows/msvc/common.props
index ab9b055def..7d608a3798 100644
--- a/ports/windows/msvc/common.props
+++ b/ports/windows/msvc/common.props
@@ -42,6 +42,11 @@
     <QstrDependencies Include="$(PyVariantDir)mpconfigvariant.h"/>
   </ItemGroup>
 
+  <!-- Helper for getting resulting executable path since it depends on other properties. -->
+  <Target Name="ShowTargetPath">
+    <Message Text="$(TargetPath)" Importance="high"/>
+  </Target>
+
   <!-- Copy PyOutputFiles to their target destination.
        To force this when switching between platforms/configurations which are already up-to-date (and as such,
        for which a build wouldn't even start because all outputs are effectively newer than the inputs)