diff --git a/makefile b/makefile
index 30e9b61708d..71bfff923af 100644
--- a/makefile
+++ b/makefile
@@ -143,9 +143,6 @@ BUILD_ZLIB = 1
 # (default is OPTIMIZE = 3 normally, or OPTIMIZE = 0 with symbols)
 # OPTIMIZE = 3
 
-# experimental: uncomment to compile everything as C++ for stricter type checking
-# CPP_COMPILE = 1
-
 
 ###########################################################################
 ##################   END USER-CONFIGURABLE OPTIONS   ######################
@@ -195,7 +192,7 @@ endif
 # compiler, linker and utilities
 AR = @ar
 CC = @gcc
-LD = @gcc
+LD = @g++
 MD = -mkdir$(EXE)
 RM = @rm -f
 
@@ -205,14 +202,14 @@ RM = @rm -f
 # form the name of the executable
 #-------------------------------------------------
 
-# debug builds just get the 'd' suffix and nothing more
-ifdef DEBUG
-DEBUGSUFFIX = d
+# 64-bit builds get a '64' suffix
+ifdef PTR64
+SUFFIX64 = 64
 endif
 
-# cpp builds get a 'pp' suffix
-ifdef CPP_COMPILE
-CPPSUFFIX = pp
+# debug builds just get the 'd' suffix and nothing more
+ifdef DEBUG
+SUFFIXDEBUG = d
 endif
 
 # the name is just 'target' if no subtarget; otherwise it is
@@ -223,8 +220,8 @@ else
 NAME = $(TARGET)$(SUBTARGET)
 endif
 
-# fullname is prefix+name+suffix+debugsuffix
-FULLNAME = $(PREFIX)$(NAME)$(CPPSUFFIX)$(SUFFIX)$(DEBUGSUFFIX)
+# fullname is prefix+name+suffix+suffix64+suffixdebug
+FULLNAME = $(PREFIX)$(NAME)$(SUFFIX)$(SUFFIX64)$(SUFFIXDEBUG)
 
 # add an EXE suffix to get the final emulator name
 EMULATOR = $(FULLNAME)$(EXE)
@@ -258,7 +255,7 @@ DEFS = -DCRLF=3
 endif
 
 # map the INLINE to something digestible by GCC
-DEFS += -DINLINE="static __inline__"
+DEFS += -DINLINE=inline
 
 # define LSB_FIRST if we are a little-endian target
 ifndef BIGENDIAN
@@ -298,11 +295,7 @@ CPPONLYFLAGS =
 
 # CFLAGS is defined based on C or C++ targets
 # (remember, expansion only happens when used, so doing it here is ok)
-ifdef CPP_COMPILE
 CFLAGS = $(CCOMFLAGS) $(CPPONLYFLAGS)
-else
-CFLAGS = $(CCOMFLAGS) $(CONLYFLAGS)
-endif
 
 # we compile C-only to C89 standard with GNU extensions
 # we compile C++ code to C++98 standard with GNU extensions
@@ -351,11 +344,6 @@ CONLYFLAGS += \
 	-Wbad-function-cast \
 	-Wstrict-prototypes
 
-# this warning is not supported on the os2 compilers
-ifneq ($(TARGETOS),os2)
-CONLYFLAGS += -Wdeclaration-after-statement
-endif
-
 
 
 #-------------------------------------------------
@@ -458,11 +446,13 @@ endif
 
 
 #-------------------------------------------------
-# 'all' target needs to go here, before the 
+# 'default' target needs to go here, before the 
 # include files which define additional targets
 #-------------------------------------------------
 
-all: maketree buildtools emulator tools
+default: maketree buildtools emulator
+
+all: default tools
 
 
 
diff --git a/src/emu/cpu/arm7/arm7core.c b/src/emu/cpu/arm7/arm7core.c
index 2a05d01541c..bf2b403db5e 100644
--- a/src/emu/cpu/arm7/arm7core.c
+++ b/src/emu/cpu/arm7/arm7core.c
@@ -793,7 +793,7 @@ static void HandleCoProcDT(arm_state *cpustate, UINT32 insn)
         SET_REGISTER(cpustate, rn, ornv);
 }
 
-static void HandleBranch(arm_state *cpustate, UINT32 insn)
+INLINE void HandleBranch(arm_state *cpustate, UINT32 insn)
 {
     UINT32 off = (insn & INSN_BRANCH) << 2;
 
diff --git a/src/emu/cpu/drcbec.c b/src/emu/cpu/drcbec.c
index 4c62f297178..73a05902c15 100644
--- a/src/emu/cpu/drcbec.c
+++ b/src/emu/cpu/drcbec.c
@@ -319,8 +319,7 @@ static const UINT32 condition_map[] =
 
 static UINT64 immediate_zero = 0;
 
-extern const drcbe_interface drcbe_c_be_interface;
-const drcbe_interface drcbe_c_be_interface =
+extern const drcbe_interface drcbe_c_be_interface =
 {
 	drcbec_alloc,
 	drcbec_free,
diff --git a/src/emu/cpu/drcbex64.c b/src/emu/cpu/drcbex64.c
index 5dd6e478bf7..463a38110c5 100644
--- a/src/emu/cpu/drcbex64.c
+++ b/src/emu/cpu/drcbex64.c
@@ -327,7 +327,7 @@ static void debug_log_hashjmp(int mode, offs_t pc);
 ***************************************************************************/
 
 /* globally-accessible interface to the backend */
-const drcbe_interface drcbe_x64_be_interface =
+extern const drcbe_interface drcbe_x64_be_interface =
 {
 	drcbex64_alloc,
 	drcbex64_free,
diff --git a/src/emu/cpu/drcbex86.c b/src/emu/cpu/drcbex86.c
index dac3280bb19..f97b5c640c0 100644
--- a/src/emu/cpu/drcbex86.c
+++ b/src/emu/cpu/drcbex86.c
@@ -226,8 +226,7 @@ static int ddivs(UINT64 *dstlo, UINT64 *dsthi, INT64 src1, INT64 src2);
 ***************************************************************************/
 
 /* globally-accessible interface to the backend */
-extern const drcbe_interface drcbe_x86_be_interface;
-const drcbe_interface drcbe_x86_be_interface =
+extern const drcbe_interface drcbe_x86_be_interface =
 {
 	drcbex86_alloc,
 	drcbex86_free,
diff --git a/src/emu/cpu/superfx/superfx.c b/src/emu/cpu/superfx/superfx.c
index 5959902ab78..b72dc72a369 100644
--- a/src/emu/cpu/superfx/superfx.c
+++ b/src/emu/cpu/superfx/superfx.c
@@ -381,7 +381,7 @@ INLINE void superfx_rambuffer_write(superfx_state *cpustate, UINT16 addr, UINT8
 	cpustate->ramdr = data;
 }
 
-static void superfx_rombuffer_sync(superfx_state *cpustate)
+INLINE void superfx_rombuffer_sync(superfx_state *cpustate)
 {
 	if(cpustate->romcl)
 	{
@@ -389,13 +389,13 @@ static void superfx_rombuffer_sync(superfx_state *cpustate)
 	}
 }
 
-static void superfx_rombuffer_update(superfx_state *cpustate)
+INLINE void superfx_rombuffer_update(superfx_state *cpustate)
 {
 	cpustate->sfr |= SUPERFX_SFR_R;
 	cpustate->romcl = cpustate->memory_access_speed;
 }
 
-static UINT8 superfx_rombuffer_read(superfx_state *cpustate)
+INLINE UINT8 superfx_rombuffer_read(superfx_state *cpustate)
 {
 	superfx_rombuffer_sync(cpustate);
 	return cpustate->romdr;
diff --git a/src/emu/driver.h b/src/emu/driver.h
index 41744efdd87..88fa88fbb68 100644
--- a/src/emu/driver.h
+++ b/src/emu/driver.h
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ struct _game_driver
 	GAMEL(YEAR,NAME,PARENT,MACHINE,INPUT,INIT,MONITOR,COMPANY,FULLNAME,FLAGS,((const char *)0))
 
 #define GAMEL(YEAR,NAME,PARENT,MACHINE,INPUT,INIT,MONITOR,COMPANY,FULLNAME,FLAGS,LAYOUT)	\
-const game_driver GAME_NAME(NAME) =			\
+extern const game_driver GAME_NAME(NAME) =			\
 {											\
 	__FILE__,								\
 	#PARENT,								\
diff --git a/src/osd/windows/input.c b/src/osd/windows/input.c
index f3649fcf0f3..47f7a96f800 100644
--- a/src/osd/windows/input.c
+++ b/src/osd/windows/input.c
@@ -1089,7 +1089,7 @@ static void dinput_init(running_machine *machine)
 	int didevtype_joystick = DI8DEVCLASS_GAMECTRL;
 
 	dinput_version = DIRECTINPUT_VERSION;
-	result = DirectInput8Create(GetModuleHandle(NULL), dinput_version, &IID_IDirectInput8, (void *)&dinput, NULL);
+	result = DirectInput8Create(GetModuleHandle(NULL), dinput_version, IID_IDirectInput8, (void **)&dinput, NULL);
 	if (result != DI_OK)
 	{
 		dinput_version = 0;
diff --git a/src/osd/windows/main.c b/src/osd/windows/main.c
index 01b9a6fe3d3..729b99b8316 100644
--- a/src/osd/windows/main.c
+++ b/src/osd/windows/main.c
@@ -61,28 +61,11 @@ extern int utf8_main(int argc, char *argv[]);
 #undef wmain
 #endif
 
-#ifdef __GNUC__
-int main(int argc, char **a_argv)
-#else // !__GNUC__
-int _tmain(int argc, TCHAR **argv)
-#endif // __GNUC__
+extern "C" int _tmain(int argc, TCHAR **argv)
 {
 	int i, rc;
 	char **utf8_argv;
 
-#ifdef __GNUC__
-	TCHAR **argv;
-#ifdef UNICODE
-	// MinGW doesn't support wmain() directly, so we have to jump through some hoops
-	extern void __wgetmainargs(int *argc, wchar_t ***wargv, wchar_t ***wenviron, int expand_wildcards, int *startupinfo);
-	WCHAR **wenviron;
-	int startupinfo;
-	__wgetmainargs(&argc, &argv, &wenviron, 0, &startupinfo);
-#else // !UNICODE
-	argv = a_argv;
-#endif // UNICODE
-#endif // __GNUC__
-
 #ifdef MALLOC_DEBUG
 {
 	extern int winalloc_in_main_code;
diff --git a/src/osd/windows/windows.mak b/src/osd/windows/windows.mak
index 483dee3597f..f830ba69c71 100644
--- a/src/osd/windows/windows.mak
+++ b/src/osd/windows/windows.mak
@@ -54,14 +54,6 @@
 # uncomment next line to use cygwin compiler
 # CYGWIN_BUILD = 1
 
-# uncomment next line to enable multi-monitor stubs on Windows 95/NT
-# you will need to find multimon.h and put it into your include
-# path in order to make this work
-# WIN95_MULTIMON = 1
-
-# uncomment next line to enable a Unicode build
-# UNICODE = 1
-
 # set this to the minimum Direct3D version to support (8 or 9)
 # DIRECT3D = 9
 
@@ -75,19 +67,6 @@
 ###########################################################################
 
 
-#-------------------------------------------------
-# overrides
-#-------------------------------------------------
-
-# turn on unicode for all 64-bit builds regardless
-ifndef UNICODE
-ifdef PTR64
-UNICODE = 1
-endif
-endif
-
-
-
 #-------------------------------------------------
 # object and source roots
 #-------------------------------------------------
@@ -155,18 +134,15 @@ LDFLAGS += /LTCG
 AR += /LTCG
 endif
 
+# disable warnings and link against bufferoverflowu for 64-bit targets
 ifdef PTR64
 CCOMFLAGS += /wd4267
+LIBS += -lbufferoverflowu
 endif
 
 # disable function pointer warnings in C++ which are evil to work around
 CPPONLYFLAGS += /wd4191 /wd4060 /wd4065 /wd4640
 
-# explicitly set the entry point for UNICODE builds
-ifdef UNICODE
-LDFLAGS += /ENTRY:wmainCRTStartup
-endif
-
 # add some VC++-specific defines
 DEFS += -D_CRT_SECURE_NO_DEPRECATE -D_CRT_NONSTDC_NO_DEPRECATE -DXML_STATIC -D__inline__=__inline -Dsnprintf=_snprintf
 
@@ -213,6 +189,10 @@ CURPATH = ./
 # define the x64 ABI to be Windows
 DEFS += -DX64_WINDOWS_ABI
 
+# enable UNICODE flags
+DEFS += -DUNICODE -D_UNICODE
+LDFLAGS += -municode
+
 # map all instances of "main" to "utf8_main"
 DEFS += -Dmain=utf8_main
 
@@ -222,11 +202,6 @@ DEFS += -DMALLOC_DEBUG
 LDFLAGS += -Wl,--allow-multiple-definition
 endif
 
-# enable UNICODE flags for unicode builds
-ifdef UNICODE
-DEFS += -DUNICODE -D_UNICODE
-endif
-
 
 
 #-------------------------------------------------
@@ -236,18 +211,14 @@ endif
 # add our prefix files to the mix
 CCOMFLAGS += -include $(WINSRC)/winprefix.h
 
-ifdef WIN95_MULTIMON
-CCOMFLAGS += -DWIN95_MULTIMON
+# for 32-bit apps, add unicows for Unicode support on Win9x
+ifndef PTR64
+LIBS += -lunicows
+LDFLAGS += -static-libgcc
 endif
 
 # add the windows libraries
-LIBS += -luser32 -lgdi32 -lddraw -ldsound -ldxguid -lwinmm -ladvapi32 -lcomctl32 -lshlwapi
-
-ifdef CPP_COMPILE
-ifndef MSVC_BUILD
-LIBS += -lsupc++
-endif
-endif
+LIBS += -luser32 -lgdi32 -lddraw -ldsound -ldxguid -lwinmm -ladvapi32 -lcomctl32 -lshlwapi -ldinput8
 
 ifeq ($(DIRECTINPUT),8)
 LIBS += -ldinput8
@@ -257,14 +228,6 @@ LIBS += -ldinput
 CCOMFLAGS += -DDIRECTINPUT_VERSION=0x0700
 endif
 
-ifdef PTR64
-ifdef MSVC_BUILD
-LIBS += -lbufferoverflowu
-else
-DEFS += -D_COM_interface=struct
-endif
-endif
-
 
 
 #-------------------------------------------------