diff --git a/maven-embedder/src/bin/mvn.bat b/maven-embedder/src/bin/mvn.bat
index b259853481..8212583b13 100644
--- a/maven-embedder/src/bin/mvn.bat
+++ b/maven-embedder/src/bin/mvn.bat
@@ -37,6 +37,9 @@
 @REM enable echoing my setting MAVEN_BATCH_ECHO to 'on'
 @if "%MAVEN_BATCH_ECHO%" == "on"  echo %MAVEN_BATCH_ECHO%
 
+@REM set %HOME% to equivalent of $HOME
+if "%HOME%" == "" (set HOME=%HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%)
+
 @REM Execute a user defined script before this one
 if exist "%HOME%\mavenrc_pre.bat" call "%HOME%\mavenrc_pre.bat"