diff --git a/tools/utils_maintenance/autopep8_format_paths.py b/tools/utils_maintenance/autopep8_format_paths.py
index 42e319ca209..18cfd83e14a 100755
--- a/tools/utils_maintenance/autopep8_format_paths.py
+++ b/tools/utils_maintenance/autopep8_format_paths.py
@@ -30,6 +30,14 @@ from typing import (
 VERSION_MIN = (1, 6, 0)
 VERSION_MAX_RECOMMENDED = (1, 6, 0)
 AUTOPEP8_FORMAT_CMD = "autopep8"
+AUTOPEP8_FORMAT_DEFAULT_ARGS = (
+    # Operate on all directories recursively.
+    "--recursive",
+    # Update the files in-place.
+    "--in-place",
+    # Auto-detect the number of jobs to use.
+    "--jobs=0",
+)
 
 BASE_DIR = os.path.normpath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "..", ".."))
 os.chdir(BASE_DIR)
@@ -119,13 +127,9 @@ def autopep8_ensure_version(autopep8_format_cmd_argument: str) -> Optional[Tuple
 def autopep8_format(files: List[str]) -> bytes:
     cmd = [
         AUTOPEP8_FORMAT_CMD,
-        # Operate on all directories recursively.
-        "--recursive",
-        # Update the files in-place.
-        "--in-place",
-        # Auto-detect the number of jobs to use.
-        "--jobs=0",
-    ] + files
+        *AUTOPEP8_FORMAT_DEFAULT_ARGS,
+        *files
+    ]
 
     # Support executing from the module directory because Blender does not distribute the command.
     if cmd[0].endswith(".py"):
@@ -134,6 +138,23 @@ def autopep8_format(files: List[str]) -> bytes:
     return subprocess.check_output(cmd, stderr=subprocess.STDOUT)
 
 
+def autopep8_format_no_subprocess(files: List[str]) -> None:
+    cmd = [
+        AUTOPEP8_FORMAT_CMD,
+        *AUTOPEP8_FORMAT_DEFAULT_ARGS,
+        *files
+    ]
+
+    if not os.path.exists(AUTOPEP8_FORMAT_CMD):
+        print("Unable to find:", AUTOPEP8_FORMAT_CMD)
+        return
+
+    sys.argv[:] = cmd
+    global_namespace = {"__file__": AUTOPEP8_FORMAT_CMD, "__name__": "__main__"}
+    with open(AUTOPEP8_FORMAT_CMD, encoding="utf-8") as file_handle:
+        exec(compile(file_handle.read(), AUTOPEP8_FORMAT_CMD, 'exec'), global_namespace)
+
+
 def argparse_create() -> argparse.ArgumentParser:
 
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
@@ -154,6 +175,17 @@ def argparse_create() -> argparse.ArgumentParser:
         ),
         required=False,
     )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--no-subprocess",
+        dest="no_subprocess",
+        default=False,
+        action='store_true',
+        help=(
+            "Don't use a sub-process, load autopep8 into this instance of Python. "
+            "Works around 8191 argument length limit on WIN32."
+        ),
+        required=False,
+    )
     parser.add_argument(
         "--autopep8-command",
         dest="autopep8_command",
@@ -214,6 +246,10 @@ def main() -> None:
     if not files:
         return
 
+    if args.no_subprocess:
+        autopep8_format_no_subprocess(files)
+        return
+
     autopep8_format(files)