diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index df5246b3bc..15270dad32 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ all:
 	rm -rf vc/
 	git clone --depth 1 --quiet https://github.com/vlang/vc
 ifdef WIN32
-	$(CC) -std=gnu11 -DUNICODE -D_UNICODE -w -o v0.exe vc/v_win.c
+	$(CC) -std=gnu11 -w -o v0.exe vc/v_win.c
 	./v0.exe -o v.exe compiler
 else
 	$(CC) -std=gnu11 -o v vc/v.c -lm
diff --git a/compiler/cc.v b/compiler/cc.v
index 702982734a..ec37539979 100644
--- a/compiler/cc.v
+++ b/compiler/cc.v
@@ -173,9 +173,6 @@ fn (v mut V) cc() {
 		a << '-lm'
 	}
 	
-	if v.os == .windows {
-		a << '-DUNICODE -D_UNICODE'
-	}
 	args := a.join(' ')
 	cmd := '${v.pref.ccompiler} $args'
 	// Run
@@ -292,7 +289,7 @@ fn (c mut V) cc_windows_cross() {
 	obj_name = obj_name.replace('.exe', '')
 	obj_name = obj_name.replace('.o.o', '.o')
 	include := '-I $winroot/include '
-	cmd := 'clang -o $obj_name -w $include -DUNICODE -D_UNICODE -m32 -c -target x86_64-win32 $ModPath/$c.out_name_c'
+	cmd := 'clang -o $obj_name -w $include -m32 -c -target x86_64-win32 $ModPath/$c.out_name_c'
 	if c.pref.show_c_cmd {
 			println(cmd)
 	}
diff --git a/compiler/cheaders.v b/compiler/cheaders.v
index 6c7fb6bbe0..9715ed8213 100644
--- a/compiler/cheaders.v
+++ b/compiler/cheaders.v
@@ -49,6 +49,8 @@ CommonCHeaders = '
 
 #ifdef _WIN32
 #define WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN
+#define _UNICODE
+#define UNICODE
 #include <windows.h>
 
 // must be included after <windows.h>
diff --git a/compiler/main.v b/compiler/main.v
index ce8bd0d7d6..41386bd367 100644
--- a/compiler/main.v
+++ b/compiler/main.v
@@ -333,12 +333,10 @@ fn (v mut V) generate_main() {
 		// vlib can't have `init_consts()`
 		cgen.genln('void init_consts() {
 #ifdef _WIN32
-#ifndef _BOOTSTRAP_NO_UNICODE_STREAM
 _setmode(_fileno(stdout), _O_U8TEXT);
 SetConsoleMode(GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE), ENABLE_PROCESSED_OUTPUT | 0x0004);
 // ENABLE_VIRTUAL_TERMINAL_PROCESSING
 #endif
-#endif
 g_str_buf=malloc(1000);
 $consts_init_body
 }')
diff --git a/compiler/msvc.v b/compiler/msvc.v
index 84393dc020..60f80da54f 100644
--- a/compiler/msvc.v
+++ b/compiler/msvc.v
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ pub fn (v mut V) cc_msvc() {
 	// -w: no warnings
 	// 2 unicode defines
 	// /Fo sets the object file name - needed so we can clean up after ourselves properly
-	mut a := ['-w', '/we4013', '/volatile:ms', '/D_UNICODE', '/DUNICODE', '/Fo"$out_name_obj"']
+	mut a := ['-w', '/we4013', '/volatile:ms', '/Fo"$out_name_obj"']
 
 	if v.pref.is_prod {
 		a << '/O2'
@@ -430,7 +430,7 @@ fn build_thirdparty_obj_file_with_msvc(path string) {
 
 	//println('cfiles: $cfiles')
 
-	cmd := '""$msvc.full_cl_exe_path" /volatile:ms /Z7 $include_string /c $cfiles /Fo"$obj_path" /D_UNICODE /DUNICODE"'
+	cmd := '""$msvc.full_cl_exe_path" /volatile:ms /Z7 $include_string /c $cfiles /Fo"$obj_path""'
 	//NB: the quotes above ARE balanced.
 	println('thirdparty cmd line: $cmd')
 	res := os.exec(cmd) or {
diff --git a/make.bat b/make.bat
index 842ab61dfb..0672c7c72e 100644
--- a/make.bat
+++ b/make.bat
@@ -28,15 +28,15 @@ if not exist "%gccpath%" (
     goto:msvcstrap
 )
 
-gcc -std=gnu11 -DUNICODE -D_UNICODE -w -o v2.exe vc\v_win.c
-if %ERRORLEVEL% GEQ 1 (
+gcc -DUNICODE -D_UNICODE -std=gnu11 -w -o v2.exe vc\v_win.c
+if %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 (
     echo gcc failed to compile - Create an issue at 'https://github.com/vlang'
     exit /b 1
 )
 
 echo Building v.v...
 v2.exe -o v.exe compiler
-if %ERRORLEVEL% GEQ 1 (
+if %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 (
     echo v.exe failed to compile itself - Create an issue at 'https://github.com/vlang'
     exit /b 1
 )
@@ -60,16 +60,15 @@ if exist "%InstallDir%\Common7\Tools\vsdevcmd.bat" (
     goto :nocompiler
 )
 
-cl.exe /nologo /w /volatile:ms /D_UNICODE /DUNICODE /Fo.v.c.obj /O2 /MD vc\v_win.c user32.lib kernel32.lib advapi32.lib shell32.lib /link /NOLOGO /OUT:v2.exe /INCREMENTAL:NO
-
-if %ERRORLEVEL% GEQ 1 (
+cl.exe -DUNICODE -D_UNICODE /nologo /w /volatile:ms /Fo.v.c.obj /O2 /MD vc\v_win.c user32.lib kernel32.lib advapi32.lib shell32.lib /link /NOLOGO /OUT:v2.exe /INCREMENTAL:NO
+if %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 (
     echo cl.exe failed to build V
     goto :compileerror
 )
 
 echo rebuild from source
 v2.exe -os msvc -o v.exe compiler
-if %ERRORLEVEL% GEQ 1 (
+if %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 (
     echo V failed to build itself
     goto :compileerror
 )