diff --git a/build/appveyor/build-libevent.bat b/build/appveyor/build-libevent.bat
index 13c74ee..64b635b 100644
--- a/build/appveyor/build-libevent.bat
+++ b/build/appveyor/build-libevent.bat
@@ -17,14 +17,21 @@
 SET URLFILE=libevent-%LIBEVENT_VERSION%-stable.tar.gz
 SET URL=https://github.com/libevent/libevent/releases/download/release-%LIBEVENT_VERSION%-stable/%URLFILE%
 
-CD %WIN3P%                                       || EXIT /B
-appveyor DownloadFile %URL%                      || EXIT /B
-7z x %URLFILE% -so | 7z x -si -ttar > nul        || EXIT /B
+:: Download - support running a local build or a build in appveyor
+CD "%WIN3P%"                                     || EXIT /B
+IF "%APPVEYOR_BUILD_ID%" == "" (
+    curl -L -f -o "%URLFILE%" "%URL%"
+) ELSE (
+    appveyor DownloadFile "%URL%"
+)
+7z x "%URLFILE%" -so | 7z x -si -ttar > nul      || EXIT /B
 CD "libevent-%LIBEVENT_VERSION%-stable"          || EXIT /B
-nmake -f Makefile.nmake                          || EXIT /B
+nmake -f Makefile.nmake static_libs              || EXIT /B
+
+:: in libevent 2.0 there is no nmake subdirectory in WIN32-Code, but in 2.1 there is
 mkdir lib                                        || EXIT /B
 move *.lib lib\                                  || EXIT /B
-move WIN32-Code\event2\* include\event2\         || EXIT /B
+move WIN32-Code\event2\* include\event2\         || move WIN32-Code\nmake\event2\* include\event2\ || EXIT /B
 move *.h include\                                || EXIT /B
 
 ENDLOCAL