diff --git a/paramiko/agent.py b/paramiko/agent.py
index 85d7df8..dc192d3 100644
--- a/paramiko/agent.py
+++ b/paramiko/agent.py
@@ -55,20 +55,27 @@ class Agent:
         @raise SSHException: if an SSH agent is found, but speaks an
             incompatible protocol
         """
+        self.keys = ()
         if ('SSH_AUTH_SOCK' in os.environ) and (sys.platform != 'win32'):
             conn = socket.socket(socket.AF_UNIX, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
             conn.connect(os.environ['SSH_AUTH_SOCK'])
             self.conn = conn
-            ptype, result = self._send_message(chr(SSH2_AGENTC_REQUEST_IDENTITIES))
-            if ptype != SSH2_AGENT_IDENTITIES_ANSWER:
-                raise SSHException('could not get keys from ssh-agent')
-            keys = []
-            for i in range(result.get_int()):
-                keys.append(AgentKey(self, result.get_string()))
-                result.get_string()
-            self.keys = tuple(keys)
+        elif sys.platform == 'win32':
+            import win_pageant
+            if win_pageant.can_talk_to_agent():
+                self.conn = win_pageant.PageantConnection()
         else:
-            self.keys = ()
+            # no agent support
+            return
+            
+        ptype, result = self._send_message(chr(SSH2_AGENTC_REQUEST_IDENTITIES))
+        if ptype != SSH2_AGENT_IDENTITIES_ANSWER:
+            raise SSHException('could not get keys from ssh-agent')
+        keys = []
+        for i in range(result.get_int()):
+            keys.append(AgentKey(self, result.get_string()))
+            result.get_string()
+        self.keys = tuple(keys)
 
     def close(self):
         """
diff --git a/paramiko/win_pageant.py b/paramiko/win_pageant.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e5ef815
--- /dev/null
+++ b/paramiko/win_pageant.py
@@ -0,0 +1,128 @@
+# Copyright (C) 2005 John Arbash-Meinel <john@arbash-meinel.com>
+#
+# This file is part of paramiko.
+#
+# Paramiko is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the
+# terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by the Free
+# Software Foundation; either version 2.1 of the License, or (at your option)
+# any later version.
+#
+# Paramiko is distrubuted in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY
+# WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR
+# A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU Lesser General Public License for more
+# details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License
+# along with Paramiko; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
+# 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307  USA.
+
+"""
+Functions for communicating with Pageant, the basic windows ssh agent program.
+"""
+
+import os
+import struct
+
+# if you're on windows, you should have these, i guess?
+try:
+    import win32ui
+    import win32api
+    import win32con
+    import mmapfile
+    _has_win32all = True
+except ImportError:
+    _has_win32all = False
+
+
+try:
+    import ctypes
+    _has_ctypes = True
+except ImportError:
+    _has_ctypes = False
+else:
+    class _COPYDATASTRUCT(ctypes.Structure):
+        """This is a mapping to the Win32 COPYDATASTRUCT.
+
+        typedef struct tagCOPYDATASTRUCT {
+            ULONG_PTR dwData;
+            DWORD cbData;
+            PVOID lpData;
+        } COPYDATASTRUCT, *PCOPYDATASTRUCT;
+        """
+        _fields_ = [ ('dwData', ctypes.c_ulong) #I think this is right
+                   , ('cbData', ctypes.c_ulong)
+                   , ('lpData', ctypes.c_void_p)
+                   ]
+
+
+_AGENT_COPYDATA_ID = 0x804e50ba
+_AGENT_MAX_MSGLEN = 8192
+
+
+def can_talk_to_agent():
+    """
+    Check to see if there is a "Pageant" agent we can talk to.
+
+    This checks both if we have the required libraries (win32all)
+    and if there is a Pageant currently running.
+    """
+    if not _has_win32all or not _has_ctypes:
+        return False
+    hwnd = win32ui.FindWindow('Pageant', 'Pageant')
+    if not hwnd:
+        return False
+    return True
+
+
+def _query_pageant(msg):
+    hwnd = win32ui.FindWindow('Pageant', 'Pageant')
+    if not hwnd:
+        # Raise a failure to connect exception
+        return None
+
+    # I have a feeling that GetCurrentThreadId is just a
+    # way to ensure that we have a unique map name
+    mapname = 'PageantRequest%08x' % (win32api.GetCurrentThreadId())
+    # Created a named memory map
+    map = mmapfile.mmapfile('', mapname, _AGENT_MAX_MSGLEN)
+    try:
+        map.write(msg)
+
+        cds = _COPYDATASTRUCT(_AGENT_COPYDATA_ID, 1 + len(mapname), ctypes.c_char_p(mapname))
+
+        response = hwnd.SendMessage(win32con.WM_COPYDATA, None, ctypes.byref(cds))
+        if response > 0:
+            retlen = 4 + struct.unpack('i', map.read(4))
+            return map.read(retlen)
+
+        return None
+    finally:
+        # This may be done automatically.
+        map.close()
+
+
+class PageantConnection (object):
+    """
+    Mock "connection" to an agent which roughly approximates the behavior of
+    a unix local-domain socket (as used by Agent).  Requests are sent to the
+    pageant daemon via special Windows magick, and responses are buffered back
+    for subsequent reads.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self):
+        self._response = None
+    
+    def send(self, data):
+        self._response = _query_pageant(data)
+    
+    def recv(self, n):
+        if self._response is None:
+            return ''
+        ret = self._response[:n]
+        self._response = self._response[n:]
+        if self._response == '':
+            self._response = None
+        return ret
+
+    def close(self):
+        pass