diff --git a/src/osd/windows/drawdd.c b/src/osd/windows/drawdd.c
index 6cf429af5d7..f6938db47c8 100644
--- a/src/osd/windows/drawdd.c
+++ b/src/osd/windows/drawdd.c
@@ -7,9 +7,6 @@
 //
 //============================================================
 
-// needed for multimonitor
-#define _WIN32_WINNT 0x501
-
 // standard windows headers
 #define WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN
 #include <windows.h>
diff --git a/src/osd/windows/input.c b/src/osd/windows/input.c
index 7bac5c97ab1..5b15b161183 100644
--- a/src/osd/windows/input.c
+++ b/src/osd/windows/input.c
@@ -10,9 +10,6 @@
 // For testing purposes: force DirectInput
 #define FORCE_DIRECTINPUT	0
 
-// Needed for RAW Input
-#define _WIN32_WINNT 0x501
-
 // standard windows headers
 #define WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN
 #include <windows.h>
diff --git a/src/osd/windows/ledutil.c b/src/osd/windows/ledutil.c
index 4539c8838e7..ffdd9ae3abe 100644
--- a/src/osd/windows/ledutil.c
+++ b/src/osd/windows/ledutil.c
@@ -29,9 +29,6 @@
 //
 //============================================================
 
-// Needed for RAW Input
-#define _WIN32_WINNT 0x501
-
 // standard windows headers
 #define WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN
 #include <windows.h>
diff --git a/src/osd/windows/main.c b/src/osd/windows/main.c
index 5ddd301ec9d..ff054f21ef4 100644
--- a/src/osd/windows/main.c
+++ b/src/osd/windows/main.c
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@
 //============================================================
 
 // standard windows headers
-#define _WIN32_WINNT 0x0400
 #define WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN
 #include <windows.h>
 #include <tchar.h>
diff --git a/src/osd/windows/video.c b/src/osd/windows/video.c
index a9768956617..bbc5463561f 100644
--- a/src/osd/windows/video.c
+++ b/src/osd/windows/video.c
@@ -7,9 +7,6 @@
 //
 //============================================================
 
-// needed for multimonitor
-#define _WIN32_WINNT 0x501
-
 // standard windows headers
 #define WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN
 #include <windows.h>
diff --git a/src/osd/windows/winalloc.c b/src/osd/windows/winalloc.c
index da9a4fbb71d..536442a22b9 100644
--- a/src/osd/windows/winalloc.c
+++ b/src/osd/windows/winalloc.c
@@ -7,8 +7,6 @@
 //
 //============================================================
 
-#define _WIN32_WINNT 0x0400
-
 // standard windows headers
 #define WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN
 #include <windows.h>
@@ -28,6 +26,8 @@
 //  CONSTANTS
 //============================================================
 
+#define OVERRIDE_STANDARD_CALLS		(0)
+
 #define PAGE_SIZE		4096
 #define COOKIE_VAL		0x11335577
 
@@ -193,10 +193,12 @@ void *malloc_file_line(size_t size, const char *file, int line)
 //  malloc - override for the malloc() function
 //============================================================
 
+#if OVERRIDE_STANDARD_CALLS
 void *CLIB_DECL malloc(size_t size)
 {
 	return malloc_file_line(size, NULL, 0);
 }
+#endif
 
 
 //============================================================
@@ -221,10 +223,12 @@ void *calloc_file_line(size_t size, size_t count, const char *file, int line)
 //  calloc - override for the calloc() function
 //============================================================
 
+#if OVERRIDE_STANDARD_CALLS
 void *CLIB_DECL calloc(size_t size, size_t count)
 {
 	return calloc_file_line(size, count, NULL, 0);
 }
+#endif
 
 
 //============================================================
@@ -232,10 +236,12 @@ void *CLIB_DECL calloc(size_t size, size_t count)
 //  which is called by beginthreadex
 //============================================================
 
+#if OVERRIDE_STANDARD_CALLS
 void *CLIB_DECL _calloc_crt(size_t size, size_t count)
 {
 	return calloc_file_line(size, count, NULL, 0);
 }
+#endif
 
 
 //============================================================
@@ -298,17 +304,20 @@ void *realloc_file_line(void *memory, size_t size, const char *file, int line)
 //  realloc - override for the realloc() function
 //============================================================
 
+#if OVERRIDE_STANDARD_CALLS
 void *CLIB_DECL realloc(void *memory, size_t size)
 {
 	return realloc_file_line(memory, size, NULL, 0);
 }
+#endif
 
 
 //============================================================
-//  free - override for the free() function
+//  free_file_line - debugging version of free which
+//  accepts filename and line number
 //============================================================
 
-void CLIB_DECL free(void *memory)
+void CLIB_DECL free_file_line(void *memory, const char *file, int line)
 {
 	memory_entry *entry;
 
@@ -346,11 +355,24 @@ void CLIB_DECL free(void *memory)
 }
 
 
+//============================================================
+//  free - override for the free() function
+//============================================================
+
+#if OVERRIDE_STANDARD_CALLS
+void CLIB_DECL free(void *memory)
+{
+	free_file_line(memory, NULL, 0);
+}
+#endif
+
+
 //============================================================
 //  _msize - internal MSVC routine that returns the size of
 //  a memory block
 //============================================================
 
+#if OVERRIDE_STANDARD_CALLS
 size_t CLIB_DECL _msize(void *memory)
 {
 	size_t result;
@@ -376,6 +398,7 @@ size_t CLIB_DECL _msize(void *memory)
 	}
 	return result;
 }
+#endif
 
 
 //============================================================
diff --git a/src/osd/windows/window.c b/src/osd/windows/window.c
index c37ae256774..f8ebe6377ab 100644
--- a/src/osd/windows/window.c
+++ b/src/osd/windows/window.c
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@
 #define LOG_TEMP_PAUSE		0
 
 // Needed for RAW Input
-#define _WIN32_WINNT 0x501
 #define WM_INPUT 0x00FF
 
 // standard windows headers
diff --git a/src/osd/windows/windows.mak b/src/osd/windows/windows.mak
index 5d1c8a18683..e8a63a9d6ed 100644
--- a/src/osd/windows/windows.mak
+++ b/src/osd/windows/windows.mak
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ OBJDIRS += $(WINOBJ)
 
 RC = @windres --use-temp-file
 
-RCDEFS = -DNDEBUG -D_WIN32_IE=0x0400
+RCDEFS = -DNDEBUG -D_WIN32_IE=0x0501
 
 RCFLAGS = -O coff -I $(WINSRC) -I $(WINOBJ)
 
@@ -198,7 +198,11 @@ endif
 LIBS += -luser32 -lgdi32 -lddraw -ldsound -ldinput -ldxguid -lwinmm -ladvapi32 -lcomctl32 -lshlwapi
 
 ifdef PTR64
+ifdef MSVC_BUILD
 LIBS += -lbufferoverflowu
+else
+DEFS += -D_COM_interface=struct
+endif
 endif
 
 
diff --git a/src/osd/windows/winmain.c b/src/osd/windows/winmain.c
index ae95b62bfc0..dbf7d46c82e 100644
--- a/src/osd/windows/winmain.c
+++ b/src/osd/windows/winmain.c
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@
 //============================================================
 
 // standard windows headers
-#define _WIN32_WINNT 0x0501
 #define WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN
 #include <windows.h>
 #include <commctrl.h>
diff --git a/src/osd/windows/winmisc.c b/src/osd/windows/winmisc.c
index 6de35997b7c..28806f5d5c7 100644
--- a/src/osd/windows/winmisc.c
+++ b/src/osd/windows/winmisc.c
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@
 //============================================================
 
 // standard windows headers
-#define _WIN32_WINNT 0x0400
 #define WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN
 #include <windows.h>
 #include <tchar.h>
diff --git a/src/osd/windows/winprefix.h b/src/osd/windows/winprefix.h
index 2cec16b2529..751db05d404 100644
--- a/src/osd/windows/winprefix.h
+++ b/src/osd/windows/winprefix.h
@@ -7,13 +7,16 @@
 //
 //============================================================
 
+#define _WIN32_WINNT 0x0501
+
 #ifdef MALLOC_DEBUG
 #include <stdlib.h>
 
-// override malloc to track file/line
-void* malloc_file_line(size_t size, const char *file, int line);
-void* calloc_file_line(size_t size, size_t count, const char *FILE, int line);
-void * realloc_file_line(void *memory, size_t size, const char *file, int line);
+// override malloc/calloc/realloc/free to track file/line
+void *malloc_file_line(size_t size, const char *file, int line);
+void *calloc_file_line(size_t size, size_t count, const char *FILE, int line);
+void *realloc_file_line(void *memory, size_t size, const char *file, int line);
+void free_file_line(void *memory, const char *file, int line);
 
 #undef malloc
 #define malloc(x) malloc_file_line(x, __FILE__, __LINE__)
@@ -21,6 +24,8 @@ void * realloc_file_line(void *memory, size_t size, const char *file, int line);
 #define calloc(x,y) calloc_file_line(x, y, __FILE__, __LINE__)
 #undef realloc
 #define realloc(x,y) realloc_file_line(x, y, __FILE__, __LINE__)
+#undef free
+#define free(x) free_file_line(x, __FILE__, __LINE__)
 #endif
 
 #ifdef _MSC_VER
@@ -32,7 +37,9 @@ void *__cdecl _alloca(size_t);
 #endif
 
 #ifdef __GNUC__
+#ifndef alloca
 #define alloca	__builtin_alloca
 #endif
+#endif
 
 #define PATH_SEPARATOR		"\\"
diff --git a/src/osd/windows/winsync.c b/src/osd/windows/winsync.c
index f3c5b6ee809..bce3f7cd480 100644
--- a/src/osd/windows/winsync.c
+++ b/src/osd/windows/winsync.c
@@ -8,9 +8,6 @@
 //============================================================
 
 // standard windows headers
-#ifndef _WIN32_WINNT
-#define _WIN32_WINNT 0x0400
-#endif
 #define WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN
 #include <windows.h>
 
diff --git a/src/osd/windows/winutf8.c b/src/osd/windows/winutf8.c
index b7fe5bc762b..3d363f93b8c 100644
--- a/src/osd/windows/winutf8.c
+++ b/src/osd/windows/winutf8.c
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@
 //============================================================
 
 // standard windows headers
-#define _WIN32_WINNT 0x0400
 #define WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN
 #include <windows.h>
 #include <shellapi.h>
diff --git a/src/osd/windows/winutil.c b/src/osd/windows/winutil.c
index 450b99f34b2..a0546830e79 100644
--- a/src/osd/windows/winutil.c
+++ b/src/osd/windows/winutil.c
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@
 //============================================================
 
 // standard windows headers
-#define _WIN32_WINNT 0x0400
 #define WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN
 #include <windows.h>
 
diff --git a/src/osd/windows/winwork.c b/src/osd/windows/winwork.c
index df22753f6cb..016f4bee05c 100644
--- a/src/osd/windows/winwork.c
+++ b/src/osd/windows/winwork.c
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@
 //============================================================
 
 // standard windows headers
-#define _WIN32_WINNT 0x0400
 #define WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN
 #include <windows.h>
 #include <process.h>