diff --git a/make/compiler_flags b/make/compiler_flags
index 60ede66b68c..929647ee77d 100644
--- a/make/compiler_flags
+++ b/make/compiler_flags
@@ -1,3 +1,11 @@
+# Find files subroutine for different operating system
+# This is recursive version of the makefiles wildcard function
+findfiles = $(foreach d,$(wildcard $(addsuffix *,$(1))),$(call findfiles,$(d)/,$(2)) $(wildcard $(d)/$(2)))
+
+ifneq ($(OS),Windows_NT)
+GENERATE_DISTRIBUTION_TESTS=true
+endif
+
 # Detect operating system, set default compiler, and detect compiler type
 # The defaults are configured for the compilers we test:
 # https://github.com/stan-dev/stan/wiki/Supported-C---Compilers-and-Language-Features
diff --git a/make/libraries b/make/libraries
index 5f38b06a20a..c50b9793dcb 100644
--- a/make/libraries
+++ b/make/libraries
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ $(SUNDIALS)/lib/libsundials_nvecserial.a: $(SUNDIALS_NVECSERIAL)
 
 LIBSUNDIALS := $(SUNDIALS)/lib/libsundials_nvecserial.a $(SUNDIALS)/lib/libsundials_cvodes.a $(SUNDIALS)/lib/libsundials_idas.a $(SUNDIALS)/lib/libsundials_kinsol.a
 
-STAN_SUNDIALS_HEADERS := $(shell find $(MATH)stan -name *cvodes*.hpp) $(shell find $(MATH)stan -name *idas*.hpp) $(shell find $(MATH)stan -name *kinsol*.hpp)
+STAN_SUNDIALS_HEADERS :=  $(call findfiles,$(MATH)stan,*cvodes*.hpp) $(call findfiles,$(MATH)stan,*idas*.hpp) $(call findfiles,$(MATH)stan,*kinsol*.hpp)
 $(STAN_SUNDIALS_HEADERS) : $(LIBSUNDIALS)
 
 clean-sundials:
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ $(BOOST)/stage/lib/libboost_mpi.dylib: $(BOOST)/stage/lib/mpi.so $(BOOST)/stage/
 	install_name_tool -change libboost_serialization.dylib @rpath/libboost_serialization.dylib "$(BOOST)/stage/lib/libboost_mpi.dylib"
 	install_name_tool -id @rpath/libboost_mpi.dylib "$(BOOST)/stage/lib/libboost_mpi.dylib"
 
-MPI_TEMPLATE_INSTANTIATION_CPP := $(shell find $(MATH)stan -type f -name 'mpi_*_inst.cpp') $(shell find $(MATH)stan -type f -name 'mpi_*_def.cpp')
+MPI_TEMPLATE_INSTANTIATION_CPP := $(call findfiles,$(MATH)stan,mpi_*_inst.cpp) $(call findfiles,$(MATH)stan,mpi_*_def.cpp)
 MPI_TEMPLATE_INSTANTIATION := $(MPI_TEMPLATE_INSTANTIATION_CPP:%.cpp=%.o)
 
 $(MPI_TEMPLATE_INSTANTIATION) : CXXFLAGS += -fPIC
diff --git a/make/tests b/make/tests
index 0b0095ebf68..25344579189 100644
--- a/make/tests
+++ b/make/tests
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ test/unit/multiple_translation_units_test$(EXE): test/unit/libmultiple.so
 # CVODES tests
 ##
 
-CVODES_TESTS := $(subst .cpp,$(EXE),$(shell find test -name *cvodes*_test.cpp) $(shell find test -name *_bdf_*_test.cpp) $(shell find test -name *_adams_*_test.cpp))
+CVODES_TESTS := $(subst .cpp,$(EXE),$(call findfiles,test,*cvodes*_test.cpp) $(call findfiles,test,*_bdf_*_test.cpp) $(call findfiles,test,*_adams_*_test.cpp))
 $(CVODES_TESTS) : $(LIBSUNDIALS)
 
 
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ $(CVODES_TESTS) : $(LIBSUNDIALS)
 # IDAS tests
 ##
 
-IDAS_TESTS := $(subst .cpp,$(EXE),$(shell find test -name *idas*_test.cpp) $(shell find test -name *_dae*_test.cpp))
+IDAS_TESTS := $(subst .cpp,$(EXE),$(call findfiles,test,*idas*_test.cpp) $(call findfiles,test,*_dae*_test.cpp))
 $(IDAS_TESTS) : $(LIBSUNDIALS)
 
 
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ $(IDAS_TESTS) : $(LIBSUNDIALS)
 # KINSOL tests
 ##
 
-ALGEBRA_SOLVER_TESTS := $(subst .cpp,$(EXE),$(shell find test -name *algebra_solver*_test.cpp))
+ALGEBRA_SOLVER_TESTS := $(subst .cpp,$(EXE),$(call findfiles,test,*algebra_solver*_test.cpp))
 $(ALGEBRA_SOLVER_TESTS) : $(LIBSUNDIALS)
 
 
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ $(ALGEBRA_SOLVER_TESTS) : $(LIBSUNDIALS)
 # Target to verify header files within Stan has
 # enough include calls
 ##
-HEADER_TESTS := $(addsuffix -test,$(shell find stan -name '*.hpp' -type f))
+HEADER_TESTS := $(addsuffix -test,$(call findfiles,stan,*.hpp))
 
 ifeq ($(OS),Windows_NT)
   DEV_NULL = nul
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ test/dummy.cpp:
 .PHONY: test-headers
 test-headers: $(HEADER_TESTS)
 
+ifdef GENERATE_DISTRIBUTION_TESTS
 ############################################################
 ##
 # Test generator for distribution tests
@@ -108,3 +109,4 @@ LIST_OF_GENERATED_TESTS := $(shell find test/prob -type f -name '*_test.hpp' | s
 
 .PHONY: generate-tests
 generate-tests: $(LIST_OF_GENERATED_TESTS)
+endif
diff --git a/makefile b/makefile
index 96d19852704..cba287ce86e 100644
--- a/makefile
+++ b/makefile
@@ -98,15 +98,15 @@ doxygen:
 .PHONY: clean clean-doxygen clean-deps clean-all
 clean:
 	@echo '  removing test executables'
-	$(shell find test -type f -name "*_test$(EXE)" -exec rm {} +)
-	$(shell find test -type f -name "*_test.d" -exec rm {} +)
-	$(shell find test -type f -name "*_test.d.*" -exec rm {} +)
-	$(shell find test -type f -name "*_test.xml" -exec rm {} +)
-	$(shell find test -type f -name "*.o" -exec rm {} +)
-	$(RM) $(wildcard $(GTEST)/src/gtest-all.o)
+	@$(RM) $(call findfiles,test,*_test$(EXE))
+	@$(RM) $(call findfiles,test,*_test.d)
+	@$(RM) $(call findfiles,test,*_test.d.*)
+	@$(RM) $(call findfiles,test,*_test.xml)
+	@$(RM) $(call findfiles,test,*.o)
+	@$(RM) $(wildcard $(GTEST)/src/gtest-all.o)
 	@echo '  removing generated test files'
-	$(RM) $(wildcard test/prob/generate_tests$(EXE))
-	$(shell find test/prob -name '*_generated_*_test.cpp' -type f -exec rm {} +)
+	@$(RM) $(wildcard test/prob/generate_tests$(EXE))
+	@$(RM) $(call findfiles,test/prob,*_generated_*_test.cpp)
 
 clean-doxygen:
 	@echo '  removing doxygen'
@@ -114,9 +114,13 @@ clean-doxygen:
 
 clean-deps:
 	@echo '  removing dependency files'
-	$(shell find stan test lib -type f -name '*.d' -exec rm {} +)
-	$(shell find stan test lib -type f -name '*.d.*' -exec rm {} +)
-	$(shell find stan  -type f -name '*.dSYM' -exec rm {} +)
+	@$(RM) $(call findfiles,stan,*.d)
+	@$(RM) $(call findfiles,test,*.d)
+	@$(RM) $(call findfiles,lib,*.d)
+	@$(RM) $(call findfiles,stan,*.d.*)
+	@$(RM) $(call findfiles,test,*.d.*)
+	@$(RM) $(call findfiles,lib,*.d.*)
+	@$(RM) $(call findfiles,stan,*.dSYM)
 
 clean-all: clean clean-doxygen clean-deps clean-libraries