diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index d2778450..a24f4e42 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -69,3 +69,4 @@ test/metaflac-test-files/out.meta
 test/metaflac.flac
 test/picture.diff
 test/picture.log
+.dirstamp
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index bda568f0..12e29070 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -124,16 +124,19 @@ case "$host" in
 esac
 AM_CONDITIONAL(FLaC__CPU_PPC_SPE, test "x$abi_spe" = xtrue)
 
+os_is_windows=no
 case "$host" in
 	*-*-cygwin|*mingw*|*emx*)
 		# define this variable for enabling strict exports with libtool; for now, it's supported by Win32 and OS/2
 		LT_NO_UNDEFINED="-no-undefined"
+		os_is_windows=yes
 		;;
 	*)
 		LT_NO_UNDEFINED=
 		;;
 esac
 AC_SUBST(LT_NO_UNDEFINED)
+AM_CONDITIONAL(OS_IS_WINDOWS, test "x$os_is_windows" = xyes)
 
 case "$host" in
 	*-pc-linux-gnu)
diff --git a/include/share/compat.h b/include/share/compat.h
index 214990c2..cf83bfe5 100644
--- a/include/share/compat.h
+++ b/include/share/compat.h
@@ -141,7 +141,8 @@
 #  endif
 #endif /* defined _MSC_VER */
 
-#ifdef FLAC__STRINGS_IN_UTF8 /* all char* strings are in UTF-8 format. Added to support Unicode files on Windows */
+#ifdef _WIN32
+/* All char* strings are in UTF-8 format. Added to support Unicode files on Windows */
 #include "share/win_utf8_io.h"
 
 #define flac_printf printf_utf8
diff --git a/include/share/win_utf8_io.h b/include/share/win_utf8_io.h
index caf7cf92..598f187f 100644
--- a/include/share/win_utf8_io.h
+++ b/include/share/win_utf8_io.h
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#ifdef FLAC__STRINGS_IN_UTF8
+#ifdef _WIN32
 
 #ifndef flac__win_utf8_io_h
 #define flac__win_utf8_io_h
diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index e833eb39..22615d78 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@ CPPLIBS_DIRS = libFLAC++ test_libFLAC++
 endif
 
 SUBDIRS = \
-	libFLAC \
 	share \
+	libFLAC \
 	flac \
 	metaflac \
 	monkeys_audio_utilities \
diff --git a/src/flac/iffscan.c b/src/flac/iffscan.c
index cf0fb936..2a8a0ce4 100644
--- a/src/flac/iffscan.c
+++ b/src/flac/iffscan.c
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	size_t i;
 	FLAC__uint32 size;
 
-#ifdef FLAC__STRINGS_IN_UTF8
+#ifdef _WIN32
 	if (get_utf8_argv(&argc, &argv) != 0) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "%ERROR: failed to convert command line parameters to UTF-8\n");
 		return 1;
diff --git a/src/flac/main.c b/src/flac/main.c
index 7bbe460e..62e54a45 100644
--- a/src/flac/main.c
+++ b/src/flac/main.c
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	_response(&argc, &argv);
 	_wildcard(&argc, &argv);
 #endif
-#ifdef FLAC__STRINGS_IN_UTF8
+#ifdef _WIN32
 	if (get_utf8_argv(&argc, &argv) != 0) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: failed to convert command line parameters to UTF-8\n");
 		return 1;
diff --git a/src/flac/vorbiscomment.c b/src/flac/vorbiscomment.c
index db6d9ade..5a9f619f 100644
--- a/src/flac/vorbiscomment.c
+++ b/src/flac/vorbiscomment.c
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ static FLAC__bool set_vc_field(FLAC__StreamMetadata *block, const Argument_VcFie
 	}
 	else {
 		FLAC__bool needs_free = false;
-#ifdef FLAC__STRINGS_IN_UTF8 /* everything in UTF-8 already. Must not alter */
+#ifdef _WIN32 /* everything in UTF-8 already. Must not alter */
 		entry.entry = (FLAC__byte *)field->field;
 #else
 		if(raw) {
diff --git a/src/libFLAC/Makefile.am b/src/libFLAC/Makefile.am
index 7928abfd..aa0b8b63 100644
--- a/src/libFLAC/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/libFLAC/Makefile.am
@@ -82,7 +82,11 @@ endif
 endif
 endif
 
-libFLAC_la_LIBADD = $(LOCAL_EXTRA_LIBADD) @OGG_LIBS@ -lm
+if OS_IS_WINDOWS
+win_utf8_lib = $(top_builddir)/src/share/win_utf8_io/libwin_utf8_io.la
+endif
+
+libFLAC_la_LIBADD = $(win_utf8_lib) $(LOCAL_EXTRA_LIBADD) @OGG_LIBS@ -lm
 
 SUBDIRS = $(ARCH_SUBDIRS) include .
 
@@ -106,6 +110,7 @@ extra_ogg_sources = \
 	ogg_helper.c \
 	ogg_mapping.c
 endif
+
 # see 'http://www.gnu.org/software/libtool/manual/libtool.html#Libtool-versioning' for numbering convention
 libFLAC_la_LDFLAGS = -version-info 11:0:3 $(LOCAL_EXTRA_LDFLAGS) @LT_NO_UNDEFINED@
 
diff --git a/src/metaflac/main.c b/src/metaflac/main.c
index e85d1c29..03e42c7a 100644
--- a/src/metaflac/main.c
+++ b/src/metaflac/main.c
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	_response(&argc, &argv);
 	_wildcard(&argc, &argv);
 #endif
-#ifdef FLAC__STRINGS_IN_UTF8
+#ifdef _WIN32
 	if (get_utf8_argv(&argc, &argv) != 0) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "%ERROR: failed to convert command line parameters to UTF-8\n");
 		return 1;
diff --git a/src/metaflac/operations_shorthand_vorbiscomment.c b/src/metaflac/operations_shorthand_vorbiscomment.c
index 61537bf5..3d381a57 100644
--- a/src/metaflac/operations_shorthand_vorbiscomment.c
+++ b/src/metaflac/operations_shorthand_vorbiscomment.c
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ FLAC__bool set_vc_field(const char *filename, FLAC__StreamMetadata *block, const
 	}
 	else {
 		FLAC__bool needs_free = false;
-#ifdef FLAC__STRINGS_IN_UTF8 /* do not convert anything or things will break */
+#ifdef _WIN32 /* do not convert anything or things will break */
 		entry.entry = (FLAC__byte *)field->field;
 #else
 		if(raw) {
diff --git a/src/share/Makefile.am b/src/share/Makefile.am
index 8c325889..bb66122c 100644
--- a/src/share/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/share/Makefile.am
@@ -45,10 +45,18 @@ noinst_LTLIBRARIES = \
 	getopt/libgetopt.la \
 	grabbag/libgrabbag.la \
 	utf8/libutf8.la \
+	win_utf8_io/libwin_utf8_io.la \
 	replaygain_analysis/libreplaygain_analysis.la \
 	replaygain_synthesis/libreplaygain_synthesis.la
 
 
+if OS_IS_WINDOWS
+win_utf8_io_libwin_utf8_io_la_SOURCES =	win_utf8_io/win_utf8_io.c
+else
+win_utf8_io_libwin_utf8_io_la_SOURCES =
+endif
+
+
 getopt_libgetopt_la_SOURCES = getopt/getopt.c getopt/getopt1.c
 
 grabbag_libgrabbag_la_SOURCES = \
@@ -64,8 +72,7 @@ utf8_libutf8_la_SOURCES = \
 	utf8/charset.c \
 	utf8/charset.h \
 	utf8/iconvert.c \
-	utf8/utf8.c \
-	win_utf8_io/win_utf8_io.c
+	utf8/utf8.c
 
 replaygain_analysis_libreplaygain_analysis_la_SOURCES = replaygain_analysis/replaygain_analysis.c
 
diff --git a/src/share/win_utf8_io/win_utf8_io.c b/src/share/win_utf8_io/win_utf8_io.c
index 0699f19c..12cfd977 100644
--- a/src/share/win_utf8_io/win_utf8_io.c
+++ b/src/share/win_utf8_io/win_utf8_io.c
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-#ifdef FLAC__STRINGS_IN_UTF8
 
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <sys/stat.h>
@@ -12,6 +11,7 @@
 #include "share/win_utf8_io.h"
 
 /* convert WCHAR stored Unicode string to UTF-8. Caller is responsible for freeing memory */
+static
 char *utf8_from_wchar(const wchar_t *wstr)
 {
 	char *utf8str;
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ char *utf8_from_wchar(const wchar_t *wstr)
 }
 
 /* convert UTF-8 back to WCHAR. Caller is responsible for freeing memory */
+static
 wchar_t *wchar_from_utf8(const char *str)
 {
 	wchar_t *widestr;
@@ -256,5 +257,3 @@ int rename_utf8(const char *oldname, const char *newname)
 
 	return ret;
 }
-
-#endif
diff --git a/src/test_libFLAC/Makefile.am b/src/test_libFLAC/Makefile.am
index e6136e7a..cd754727 100644
--- a/src/test_libFLAC/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/test_libFLAC/Makefile.am
@@ -22,12 +22,17 @@ EXTRA_DIST = \
 AM_CPPFLAGS = -I$(top_builddir) -I$(srcdir)/include -I$(top_srcdir)/include -I$(top_srcdir)/src/libFLAC/include
 
 noinst_PROGRAMS = test_libFLAC
+
+if OS_IS_WINDOWS
+win_utf8_lib = $(top_builddir)/src/share/win_utf8_io/libwin_utf8_io.la
+endif
+
 test_libFLAC_LDADD = \
 	$(top_builddir)/src/share/grabbag/libgrabbag.la \
 	$(top_builddir)/src/share/replaygain_analysis/libreplaygain_analysis.la \
 	$(top_builddir)/src/test_libs_common/libtest_libs_common.la \
 	$(top_builddir)/src/libFLAC/libFLAC-static.la \
-	@OGG_LIBS@ \
+	$(win_utf8_lib) @OGG_LIBS@ \
 	-lm
 
 test_libFLAC_SOURCES = \
diff --git a/src/test_streams/Makefile.am b/src/test_streams/Makefile.am
index de0d6935..7942dc57 100644
--- a/src/test_streams/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/test_streams/Makefile.am
@@ -24,6 +24,10 @@ noinst_PROGRAMS = test_streams
 test_streams_SOURCES = \
 	main.c
 
-test_streams_LDADD =  $(top_builddir)/src/share/grabbag/libgrabbag.la -lm
+if OS_IS_WINDOWS
+win_utf8_lib = $(top_builddir)/src/share/win_utf8_io/libwin_utf8_io.la
+endif
+
+test_streams_LDADD = $(win_utf8_lib) $(top_builddir)/src/share/grabbag/libgrabbag.la -lm
 
 CLEANFILES = test_streams.exe