diff --git a/.appveyor.yml b/.appveyor.yml
index 4d2cb81d2..8602293f7 100644
--- a/.appveyor.yml
+++ b/.appveyor.yml
@@ -48,8 +48,7 @@ install:
       }
       else
       {
-        $env:PILLOW_DEPS = "C:\pillow-depends\"
-        c:\python37\python.exe c:\pillow\winbuild\build_prepare.py
+        c:\python37\python.exe c:\pillow\winbuild\build_prepare.py -v --depends=C:\pillow-depends\
         c:\pillow\winbuild\build\build_dep_all.cmd
         $host.SetShouldExit(0)
       }
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-windows.yml b/.github/workflows/test-windows.yml
index fe958ad5a..fe0fdc04c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test-windows.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-windows.yml
@@ -66,12 +66,9 @@ jobs:
         ..\pillow-depends\gs950w32.exe /S
         Write-Host "::add-path::C:\Program Files (x86)\gs\gs9.50\bin"
 
-        $env:PILLOW_DEPS = "$env:RUNNER_WORKSPACE\pillow-depends\"
         xcopy /s ..\pillow-depends\test_images\* $env:GITHUB_WORKSPACE\tests\images\
 
-        $env:PYTHON=$env:pythonLocation
-        cd $env:GITHUB_WORKSPACE/winbuild/
-        & python.exe $env:GITHUB_WORKSPACE\winbuild\build_prepare.py
+        & python.exe $env:GITHUB_WORKSPACE\winbuild\build_prepare.py -v --depends=$env:RUNNER_WORKSPACE\pillow-depends\ --python=$env:pythonLocation
       shell: pwsh
 
     - name: Build dependencies / libjpeg-turbo
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index b55b1de62..1236b5df5 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ _LIB_IMAGING = (
     "codec_fd",
 )
 
-DEBUG = True
+DEBUG = False
 
 
 class DependencyException(Exception):
diff --git a/winbuild/README.md b/winbuild/README.md
index dabbc359a..45c37e4cb 100644
--- a/winbuild/README.md
+++ b/winbuild/README.md
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ The following is a simplified version of the script used on AppVeyor:
 ```
 set PYTHON=C:\Python35\bin
 cd /D C:\Pillow\winbuild
-C:\Python37\bin\python.exe build_prepare.py
+C:\Python37\bin\python.exe build_prepare.py -v --depends=C:\pillow-depends
 build\build_dep_all.cmd
 build\build_pillow.cmd install
 cd ..
diff --git a/winbuild/build.rst b/winbuild/build.rst
index f47efb363..465bc2591 100644
--- a/winbuild/build.rst
+++ b/winbuild/build.rst
@@ -23,18 +23,20 @@ Compilers
 
 Download and install:
 
-* `Microsoft Visual Studio 2017 or newer (with C++ component)
-  <https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/vs/older-downloads/>`_
+* `Microsoft Visual Studio 2017 or newer or Build Tools for Visual Studio 2017 or newer
+  <https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/downloads/>`_
+  (MSVC C++ build tools, and any Windows SDK version required)
 
-* `CMake 3.13 or newer
-  <https://cmake.org/download/>`_
+* `CMake 3.13 or newer <https://cmake.org/download/>`_
+  (also available as Visual Studio component C++ CMake tools for Windows)
 
 * `NASM <https://www.nasm.us/pub/nasm/releasebuilds/?C=M;O=D>`_
 
 Any version of Visual Studio 2017 or newer should be supported,
-including Visual Studio 2017 Community.
+including Visual Studio 2017 Community, or Build Tools for Visual Studio 2019.
 
-Paths to CMake and NASM must be added to the ``PATH`` environment variable.
+Paths to CMake (if standalone) and NASM must be added to the ``PATH`` environment variable.
+Visual Studio is found automatically with ``vswhere.exe``.
 
 Build configuration
 -------------------
@@ -47,7 +49,7 @@ behaviour of ``build_prepare.py``:
   ``build_prepare.py`` will be used. If only ``PYTHON`` is set,
   ``EXECUTABLE`` defaults to ``python.exe``.
 * ``ARCHITECTURE`` is used to select a ``x86`` or ``x64`` build. By default,
-  ``x86`` is used, unless ``PYTHON`` contains ``x64``, in which case ``x64``
+  uses same architecture as the version of Python used to run ``build_prepare.py``.
   is used.
 * ``PILLOW_BUILD`` can be used to override the ``winbuild\build`` directory
   path, used to store generated build scripts and compiled libraries.
@@ -55,6 +57,17 @@ behaviour of ``build_prepare.py``:
 * ``PILLOW_DEPS`` points to the directory used to store downloaded
   dependencies. By default ``winbuild\depends`` is used.
 
+``build_prepare.py`` also supports the following command line parameters:
+
+* ``-v`` will print generated scripts.
+* ``--no-imagequant`` will skip GPL-licensed ``libimagequant`` optional dependency
+* ``--no-raqm`` will skip optional dependency Raqm (which itself depends on
+  LGPL-licensed ``fribidi``).
+* ``--python=<path>`` and ``--executable=<exe>`` override ``PYTHON`` and ``EXECUTABLE``.
+* ``--architecture=<arch>`` overrides ``ARCHITECTURE``.
+* ``--dir=<path>`` and ``--depends=<path>`` override ``PILLOW_BUILD``
+  and ``PILLOW_DEPS``.
+
 Dependencies
 ------------
 
@@ -93,7 +106,7 @@ The following is a simplified version of the script used on AppVeyor:
 
     set PYTHON=C:\Python35\bin
     cd /D C:\Pillow\winbuild
-    C:\Python37\bin\python.exe build_prepare.py
+    C:\Python37\bin\python.exe build_prepare.py -v --depends=C:\pillow-depends
     build\build_dep_all.cmd
     build\build_pillow.cmd install
     cd ..
diff --git a/winbuild/build_prepare.py b/winbuild/build_prepare.py
index e56b71eb4..475982da2 100644
--- a/winbuild/build_prepare.py
+++ b/winbuild/build_prepare.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import os
 import shutil
+import struct
 import subprocess
 import sys
 
@@ -176,6 +177,8 @@ deps = {
             r"builds\windows\vc2010\freetype.vcxproj": {
                 # freetype setting is /MD for .dll and /MT for .lib, we need /MD
                 "<RuntimeLibrary>MultiThreaded</RuntimeLibrary>": "<RuntimeLibrary>MultiThreadedDLL</RuntimeLibrary>",  # noqa E501
+                # freetype doesn't specify SDK version, MSBuild may guess incorrectly
+                '<PropertyGroup Label="Globals">': '<PropertyGroup Label="Globals">\n    <WindowsTargetPlatformVersion>$(WindowsSDKVersion)</WindowsTargetPlatformVersion>',  # noqa E501
             }
         },
         "build": [
@@ -389,8 +392,9 @@ def write_script(name, lines):
     print("Writing " + name)
     with open(name, "w") as f:
         f.write("\n\r".join(lines))
-    for line in lines:
-        print("    " + line)
+    if verbose:
+        for line in lines:
+            print("    " + line)
 
 
 def get_footer(dep):
@@ -438,6 +442,8 @@ def build_dep(name):
 def build_dep_all():
     lines = ["@echo on"]
     for dep_name in deps:
+        if dep_name in disabled:
+            continue
         lines.append(r'cmd.exe /c "{{build_dir}}\{}"'.format(build_dep(dep_name)))
         lines.append("if errorlevel 1 echo Build failed! && exit /B 1")
     lines.append("@echo All Pillow dependencies built successfully!")
@@ -459,6 +465,28 @@ def build_pillow():
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
+    verbose = False
+    disabled = []
+    for arg in sys.argv[1:]:
+        if arg == "-v":
+            verbose = True
+        elif arg == "--no-imagequant":
+            disabled += ["libimagequant"]
+        elif arg == "--no-raqm":
+            disabled += ["harfbuzz", "fribidi", "libraqm"]
+        elif arg.startswith("--depends="):
+            os.environ["PILLOW_DEPS"] = arg[10:]
+        elif arg.startswith("--python="):
+            os.environ["PYTHON"] = arg[9:]
+        elif arg.startswith("--executable="):
+            os.environ["EXECUTABLE"] = arg[13:]
+        elif arg.startswith("--architecture="):
+            os.environ["ARCHITECTURE"] = arg[15:]
+        elif arg.startswith("--dir="):
+            os.environ["PILLOW_BUILD"] = arg[6:]
+        else:
+            raise ValueError("Unknown parameter: " + arg)
+
     # winbuild directory
     winbuild_dir = os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__))
 
@@ -477,7 +505,7 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
 
     # use ARCHITECTURE or PYTHON to select architecture
     architecture = os.environ.get(
-        "ARCHITECTURE", "x64" if "x64" in python_dir else "x86"
+        "ARCHITECTURE", "x86" if struct.calcsize("P") == 4 else "x64"
     )
     arch_prefs = architectures[architecture]
     print("Target Architecture:", architecture)
@@ -528,5 +556,7 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
         "header": sum([header, msvs["header"], ["@echo on"]], []),
     }
 
+    print()
+
     build_dep_all()
     build_pillow()