diff --git a/conda_build/build.py b/conda_build/build.py
index 7daacc99a4..0f90ea29ef 100644
--- a/conda_build/build.py
+++ b/conda_build/build.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 from .conda_interface import get_index
 from .conda_interface import PY3
 from .conda_interface import fetch_index
-from .conda_interface import prefix_placeholder, linked, move_to_trash, symlink_conda
+from .conda_interface import prefix_placeholder, linked, symlink_conda
 from .conda_interface import Locked
 from .conda_interface import url_path
 from .conda_interface import Resolve, MatchSpec, NoPackagesFound
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
 from conda_build.scripts import create_entry_points, prepend_bin_path
 from conda_build.post import (post_process, post_build,
                               fix_permissions, get_build_metadata)
-from conda_build.utils import rm_rf, _check_call, on_win, codec
+from conda_build.utils import rm_rf, _check_call, on_win, codec, move_to_trash
 from conda_build.index import update_index
 from conda_build.create_test import (create_files, create_shell_files,
                                      create_py_files, create_pl_files)
@@ -394,11 +394,11 @@ def create_env(prefix, specs, clear_cache=True, debug=False):
         cc.pkgs_dirs = cc.pkgs_dirs[:1]
         actions = plan.install_actions(prefix, index, specs)
         plan.display_actions(actions, index)
-        plan.execute_actions(actions, index, verbose=debug)
+
         if on_win:
-            os.environ = {k.encode(codec) if hasattr(k, 'encode') else k:
-                            v.encode(codec) if hasattr(v, 'encode') else v
-                            for k, v in os.environ.items()}
+            for k, v in os.environ.items():
+                os.environ[k] = str(v)
+        plan.execute_actions(actions, index, verbose=debug)
 
         os.environ['PATH'] = old_path
 
@@ -823,7 +823,7 @@ def test(m, move_broken=True, activate=True, debug=False):
                     tf.write("{shell_path} -x -e {test_file}\n".format(shell_path=shell_path,
                                                                        test_file=test_file))
         if on_win:
-            cmd = [env["COMSPEC"], "/d", "/c", test_script]
+            cmd = ['cmd.exe', "/d", "/c", test_script]
         else:
             cmd = [shell_path, '-x', '-e', test_script]
         try:
diff --git a/conda_build/conda_interface.py b/conda_build/conda_interface.py
index cb9bdde6d3..80ebd2d0eb 100644
--- a/conda_build/conda_interface.py
+++ b/conda_build/conda_interface.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
                           text_type)  # NOQA
 from conda.connection import CondaSession  # NOQA
 from conda.fetch import TmpDownload, download, fetch_index, handle_proxy_407  # NOQA
-from conda.install import (delete_trash, is_linked, linked, linked_data, move_to_trash,  # NOQA
+from conda.install import (delete_trash, is_linked, linked, linked_data, move_path_to_trash,  # NOQA
                            prefix_placeholder, rm_rf, symlink_conda)  # NOQA
 from conda.lock import Locked  # NOQA
 from conda.misc import untracked, walk_prefix  # NOQA
diff --git a/conda_build/render.py b/conda_build/render.py
index b2e81f20ad..2b95bf266a 100644
--- a/conda_build/render.py
+++ b/conda_build/render.py
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
 import yaml
 
 from .conda_interface import PY3
-from .conda_interface import move_to_trash, rm_rf
 from .conda_interface import Locked
 
 from conda_build import exceptions, utils
@@ -129,9 +128,9 @@ def render_recipe(recipe_path, no_download_source, verbose, dirty=False):
         if not dirty:
             if sys.platform == 'win32':
                 if isdir(source.WORK_DIR):
-                    move_to_trash(source.WORK_DIR, '')
+                    utils.move_to_trash(source.WORK_DIR, '')
             else:
-                rm_rf(source.WORK_DIR)
+                utils.rm_rf(source.WORK_DIR)
 
             assert not isdir(source.WORK_DIR), ("Failed to clean work directory.  Please close open"
                                         " programs/terminals/folders and try again.")
diff --git a/conda_build/utils.py b/conda_build/utils.py
index 9179152ad3..15596ca841 100644
--- a/conda_build/utils.py
+++ b/conda_build/utils.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 import fnmatch
 from locale import getpreferredencoding
+import logging
 import os
 import sys
 import shutil
@@ -23,6 +24,7 @@
 
 codec = getpreferredencoding() or 'utf-8'
 on_win = sys.platform == "win32"
+log = logging.getLogger(__file__)
 
 
 def find_recipe(path):
@@ -257,3 +259,8 @@ def get_site_packages(prefix):
     else:
         sp = os.path.join(prefix, 'lib', 'python%s' % sys.version[:3], 'site-packages')
     return sp
+
+
+def move_to_trash(path, placeholder=""):
+    from .conda_interface import move_path_to_trash as trash
+    return trash(path)
diff --git a/conda_build/windows.py b/conda_build/windows.py
index 86f0101778..a63aaa8dbb 100644
--- a/conda_build/windows.py
+++ b/conda_build/windows.py
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ def build_vcvarsall_vs_path(version):
 
     flatversion = str(version).replace('.', '')
     vstools = "VS{0}COMNTOOLS".format(flatversion)
-    
+
     if vstools in os.environ:
         return os.path.join(os.environ[vstools], '..\\..\\VC\\vcvarsall.bat')
     else:
@@ -223,6 +223,6 @@ def build(m, bld_bat, dirty=False, activate=True):
             fo.write("REM ===== end generated header =====\n")
             fo.write(data)
 
-        cmd = [os.environ['COMSPEC'], '/c', 'bld.bat']
+        cmd = ['cmd.exe', '/c', 'bld.bat']
         _check_call(cmd, cwd=src_dir)
         fix_staged_scripts()