diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index d07946b0..15367662 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -57,7 +57,9 @@ if(MSVC)
 else()
 endif()
 
-# TODO why do I need to do this? why doesn't target_link_libraries() work?
+# problem:
+# - target_link_libraries() only supports - for flags
+# - but cmake only doesn't generate the manifest if the flag has a /
 macro(_target_link_options_private _target)
 	foreach(_opt IN LISTS ${ARGN})
 		set_property(TARGET ${_target} APPEND_STRING PROPERTY
@@ -120,3 +122,4 @@ macro(_add_exec _name)
 	endif()
 endmacro()
 add_subdirectory("test")
+add_subdirectory("examples")
diff --git a/examples/CMakeLists.txt b/examples/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3a9ec4c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+# 3 june 2016
+
+if(WIN32)
+	set(_EXAMPLE_RESOURCES_RC resources.rc)
+endif()
+
+macro(_add_example _name)
+	_add_exec(${_name} ${ARGN})
+	# because Microsoft's toolchain is dumb
+	if(MSVC)
+		set_property(TARGET ${_name} APPEND_STRING PROPERTY
+			LINK_FLAGS " /ENTRY:mainCRTStartup")
+	endif()
+endmacro()
+
+_add_example(controlgallery
+	controlgallery/main.c
+	${_EXAMPLE_RESOURCES_RC}
+)
+
+_add_example(histogram
+	histogram/main.c
+	${_EXAMPLE_RESOURCES_RC}
+)
+
+_add_example(cpp-multithread
+	cpp-multithread/main.cpp
+	${_EXAMPLE_RESOURCES_RC}
+)
+if(NOT WIN32)
+	target_link_libraries(cpp-multithread pthread)
+endif()
+
+add_custom_target(examples
+	DEPENDS
+		controlgallery
+		histogram
+		cpp-multithread)