diff --git a/FL/Fl_System_Driver.H b/FL/Fl_System_Driver.H
index bf11d440c..819bd0cd8 100644
--- a/FL/Fl_System_Driver.H
+++ b/FL/Fl_System_Driver.H
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #define FL_SYSTEM_DRIVER_H
 
 #include <FL/Fl_Export.H>
+#include <stdarg.h>
 
 #ifdef __APPLE__
 typedef struct CGContext* Fl_Offscreen;
@@ -51,13 +52,14 @@ typedef struct _XRegion *Fl_Region;
 #endif // __APPLE__
 
 /**
- \brief A base class for platform specific window handling code.
+ \brief A base class for platform-specific system operations.
   */
 class FL_EXPORT Fl_System_Driver {
 protected:
   Fl_System_Driver();
 public:
   virtual ~Fl_System_Driver();
+  // copy the implementation in Fl_XXX_System_Driver.cxx to the corresponding file for the new platform
   static Fl_System_Driver *driver();
   static const int flNoValue;
   static const int flWidthValue;
@@ -66,10 +68,23 @@ public:
   static const int flYValue;
   static const int flXNegative;
   static const int flYNegative;
+  // implement if the system adds unwanted program argument(s)
   virtual int single_arg(const char *arg) { return 0; }
+  // implement if the system adds unwanted program argument pair(s)
   virtual int arg_and_value(const char *name, const char *value) { return 0; }
+  // implement to process the -display argument
   virtual void display_arg(const char *arg) { }
+  // default implementation should be enough
   virtual int XParseGeometry(const char*, int*, int*, unsigned int*, unsigned int*);
+  static void warning(const char* format, ...);
+  // implement to set the default effect of Fl::warning()
+  virtual void warning(const char* format, va_list args);
+  static void error(const char* format, ...);
+  // implement to set the default effect of Fl::error()
+  virtual void error(const char* format, va_list args);
+  static void fatal(const char* format, ...);
+  // implement to set the default effect of Fl::error()
+  virtual void fatal(const char* format, va_list args);
 };
 
 #endif // FL_SYSTEM_DRIVER_H
diff --git a/src/Fl_System_Driver.cxx b/src/Fl_System_Driver.cxx
index 711d9abaa..9a372885d 100644
--- a/src/Fl_System_Driver.cxx
+++ b/src/Fl_System_Driver.cxx
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@
 
 #include <FL/Fl_System_Driver.H>
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdarg.h>
 
 const int Fl_System_Driver::flNoValue =	    0x0000;
 const int Fl_System_Driver::flWidthValue =  0x0004;
@@ -38,6 +40,46 @@ Fl_System_Driver::~Fl_System_Driver()
 {
 }
 
+void Fl_System_Driver::warning(const char* format, ...) {
+  va_list args;
+  va_start(args, format);
+  driver()->warning(format, args);
+  va_end(args);
+}
+
+void Fl_System_Driver::warning(const char* format, va_list args) {
+  vfprintf(stderr, format, args);
+  fputc('\n', stderr);
+  fflush(stderr);
+}
+
+void Fl_System_Driver::error(const char* format, ...) {
+  va_list args;
+  va_start(args, format);
+  driver()->error(format, args);
+  va_end(args);
+}
+
+void Fl_System_Driver::error(const char *format, va_list args) {
+  vfprintf(stderr, format, args);
+  fputc('\n', stderr);
+  fflush(stderr);
+}
+
+void Fl_System_Driver::fatal(const char* format, ...) {
+  va_list args;
+  va_start(args, format);
+  driver()->fatal(format, args);
+  va_end(args);
+}
+
+void Fl_System_Driver::fatal(const char *format, va_list args) {
+  vfprintf(stderr, format, args);
+  fputc('\n', stderr);
+  fflush(stderr);
+  exit(1);
+}
+
 /* the following function was stolen from the X sources as indicated. */
 
 /* Copyright 	Massachusetts Institute of Technology  1985, 1986, 1987 */
diff --git a/src/Fl_abort.cxx b/src/Fl_abort.cxx
index a54004155..f0125e905 100644
--- a/src/Fl_abort.cxx
+++ b/src/Fl_abort.cxx
@@ -16,83 +16,15 @@
 //     http://www.fltk.org/str.php
 //
 
-// This method is in its own source file so that stdlib and stdio
-// do not need to be included in Fl.cxx:
 // You can also override this by redefining all of these.
 
 #include <FL/Fl.H>
-#include <stdio.h>
-#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <FL/Fl_System_Driver.H>
 #include <stdarg.h>
-#include "flstring.h"
 
-#if defined(WIN32) || defined(__APPLE__) // PORTME: Fl_Screen_Driver - native message box
-#elif defined(FL_PORTING)
-#  pragma message "FL_PORTING: use native message box below if one is available"
-#else
-#endif
-
-#ifdef WIN32
-#  include <windows.h>
-
-static void warning(const char *, ...) {
-  // Show nothing for warnings under WIN32...
-}
-
-static void error(const char *format, ...) {
-  va_list args;
-  char buf[1024];
-  va_start(args, format);
-  vsnprintf(buf, 1024, format, args);
-  va_end(args);
-  MessageBox(0,buf,"Error",MB_ICONEXCLAMATION|MB_SYSTEMMODAL);
-}
-
-static void fatal(const char *format, ...) {
-  va_list args;
-  char buf[1024];
-  va_start(args, format);
-  vsnprintf(buf, 1024, format, args);
-  va_end(args);
-  MessageBox(0,buf,"Error",MB_ICONSTOP|MB_SYSTEMMODAL);
-  ::exit(1);
-}
-
-#else
-
-static void warning(const char *format, ...) {
-  va_list args;
-  va_start(args, format);
-  vfprintf(stderr, format, args);
-  va_end(args);
-  fputc('\n', stderr);
-  fflush(stderr);
-}
-
-static void error(const char *format, ...) {
-  va_list args;
-  va_start(args, format);
-  vfprintf(stderr, format, args);
-  va_end(args);
-  fputc('\n', stderr);
-  fflush(stderr);
-}
-
-static void fatal(const char *format, ...) {
-  va_list args;
-  va_start(args, format);
-  vfprintf(stderr, format, args);
-  va_end(args);
-  fputc('\n', stderr);
-  fflush(stderr);
-  ::exit(1);
-}
-
-#endif
-
-void (*Fl::warning)(const char* format, ...) = ::warning;
-void (*Fl::error)(const char* format, ...) = ::error;
-void (*Fl::fatal)(const char* format, ...) = ::fatal;
+void (*Fl::warning)(const char* format, ...) = Fl_System_Driver::warning;
+void (*Fl::error)(const char* format, ...) = Fl_System_Driver::error;
+void (*Fl::fatal)(const char* format, ...) = Fl_System_Driver::fatal;
 
 //
 // End of "$Id$".
diff --git a/src/drivers/WinAPI/Fl_WinAPI_System_Driver.H b/src/drivers/WinAPI/Fl_WinAPI_System_Driver.H
index d213fd4af..c937c97da 100644
--- a/src/drivers/WinAPI/Fl_WinAPI_System_Driver.H
+++ b/src/drivers/WinAPI/Fl_WinAPI_System_Driver.H
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 #define FL_WINAPI_SYSTEM_DRIVER_H
 
 #include <FL/Fl_System_Driver.H>
+#include <stdarg.h>
 
 /*
  Move everything here that manages the system interface.
@@ -41,6 +42,9 @@
 class Fl_WinAPI_System_Driver : public Fl_System_Driver
 {
 public:
+  virtual void warning(const char *format, va_list args);
+  virtual void error(const char *format, va_list args);
+  virtual void fatal(const char *format, va_list args);
 };
 
 #endif // FL_WINAPI_SYSTEM_DRIVER_H
diff --git a/src/drivers/WinAPI/Fl_WinAPI_System_Driver.cxx b/src/drivers/WinAPI/Fl_WinAPI_System_Driver.cxx
index b3678c097..8ea6113a0 100644
--- a/src/drivers/WinAPI/Fl_WinAPI_System_Driver.cxx
+++ b/src/drivers/WinAPI/Fl_WinAPI_System_Driver.cxx
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@
 
 #include "../../config_lib.h"
 #include "Fl_WinAPI_System_Driver.H"
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <windows.h>
 
 #if !defined(FL_DOXYGEN)
 const char* fl_local_alt   = "Alt";
@@ -32,6 +34,24 @@ Fl_System_Driver *Fl_System_Driver::driver() {
   return d;
 }
 
+void Fl_WinAPI_System_Driver::warning(const char *format, va_list args) {
+  // Show nothing for warnings under WIN32...
+}
+
+void Fl_WinAPI_System_Driver::error(const char *format, va_list args) {
+  char buf[1024];
+  vsnprintf(buf, 1024, format, args);
+  MessageBox(0,buf,"Error",MB_ICONEXCLAMATION|MB_SYSTEMMODAL);
+}
+
+void Fl_WinAPI_System_Driver::fatal(const char *format, va_list args) {
+  char buf[1024];
+  vsnprintf(buf, 1024, format, args);
+  MessageBox(0,buf,"Error",MB_ICONSTOP|MB_SYSTEMMODAL);
+  ::exit(1);
+}
+
+
 //
 // End of "$Id$".
 //