diff --git a/builds/msvc/c_local_lat/c_local_lat.vcproj b/builds/msvc/c_local_lat/c_local_lat.vcproj
index bacaadb1..a8d9a8df 100644
--- a/builds/msvc/c_local_lat/c_local_lat.vcproj
+++ b/builds/msvc/c_local_lat/c_local_lat.vcproj
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@
 			UniqueIdentifier="{4FC737F1-C7A5-4376-A066-2A32D752A2FF}"
 			>
 			<File
-				RelativePath="..\..\..\perf\local_lat.c"
+				RelativePath="..\..\..\perf\local_lat.cpp"
 				>
 			</File>
 		</Filter>
diff --git a/builds/msvc/c_local_thr/c_local_thr.vcproj b/builds/msvc/c_local_thr/c_local_thr.vcproj
index 578de42b..38425cce 100644
--- a/builds/msvc/c_local_thr/c_local_thr.vcproj
+++ b/builds/msvc/c_local_thr/c_local_thr.vcproj
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@
 			UniqueIdentifier="{4FC737F1-C7A5-4376-A066-2A32D752A2FF}"
 			>
 			<File
-				RelativePath="..\..\..\perf\local_thr.c"
+				RelativePath="..\..\..\perf\local_thr.cpp"
 				>
 			</File>
 		</Filter>
diff --git a/builds/msvc/c_remote_lat/c_remote_lat.vcproj b/builds/msvc/c_remote_lat/c_remote_lat.vcproj
index 3a4c94f8..5bce7e97 100644
--- a/builds/msvc/c_remote_lat/c_remote_lat.vcproj
+++ b/builds/msvc/c_remote_lat/c_remote_lat.vcproj
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@
 			UniqueIdentifier="{4FC737F1-C7A5-4376-A066-2A32D752A2FF}"
 			>
 			<File
-				RelativePath="..\..\..\perf\remote_lat.c"
+				RelativePath="..\..\..\perf\remote_lat.cpp"
 				>
 			</File>
 		</Filter>
diff --git a/builds/msvc/c_remote_thr/c_remote_thr.vcproj b/builds/msvc/c_remote_thr/c_remote_thr.vcproj
index cd71d7c8..10895491 100644
--- a/builds/msvc/c_remote_thr/c_remote_thr.vcproj
+++ b/builds/msvc/c_remote_thr/c_remote_thr.vcproj
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@
 			UniqueIdentifier="{4FC737F1-C7A5-4376-A066-2A32D752A2FF}"
 			>
 			<File
-				RelativePath="..\..\..\perf\remote_thr.c"
+				RelativePath="..\..\..\perf\remote_thr.cpp"
 				>
 			</File>
 		</Filter>
diff --git a/builds/msvc/libzmq/libzmq.vcproj b/builds/msvc/libzmq/libzmq.vcproj
index 567ee5bc..a525d091 100644
--- a/builds/msvc/libzmq/libzmq.vcproj
+++ b/builds/msvc/libzmq/libzmq.vcproj
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
 			/>
 			<Tool
 				Name="VCCLCompilerTool"
-				AdditionalOptions="-DZMQ_BUILDING_LIBZMQ_WITH_MSVC"
+				AdditionalOptions="-DDLL_EXPORT"
 				Optimization="0"
 				MinimalRebuild="true"
 				BasicRuntimeChecks="3"
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@
 			/>
 			<Tool
 				Name="VCCLCompilerTool"
-				AdditionalOptions="-DZMQ_BUILDING_LIBZMQ_WITH_MSVC"
+				AdditionalOptions="-DDLL_EXPORT"
 				Optimization="2"
 				EnableIntrinsicFunctions="true"
 				RuntimeLibrary="2"
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index a196a359..b31f9d54 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -260,8 +260,15 @@ AC_CHECK_HEADERS(ifaddrs.h, [AC_DEFINE(ZMQ_HAVE_IFADDRS, 1, [Have ifaddrs.h head
 # Use c++ in subsequent tests
 AC_LANG(C++)
 
-# Optional stuff
-AC_CHECK_PROG(have_pkg_config, pkg-config, yes, no)
+# pkg-config is used if found, and is required for builds with OpenPGM.
+# However, we need to provide a way to disable it entirely when the user
+# knows what she's doing and it's use is undesirable, such as when 
+# cross-compiling.
+AC_ARG_WITH([pkg-config], [AS_HELP_STRING([--without-pkg-config], 
+    [do not use pkg-config [default=no]])])
+if test "x$with_pkg_config" != "xno"; then
+    AC_CHECK_PROG(have_pkg_config, pkg-config, yes, no)
+fi
 
 # Checks for typedefs, structures, and compiler characteristics.
 AC_HEADER_STDBOOL
@@ -328,15 +335,17 @@ if test "x$with_pgm_ext" != "xno"; then
     AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])
 
     #  Test if we have pkg-config
-    if test "x$have_pkg_config" != "xyes"; then
-        AC_MSG_ERROR([the --with-pgm option requires that pkg-config be installed.]);
+    if test "x$with_pkg_config" != "xno"; then
+        if test "x$have_pkg_config" != "xyes"; then
+            AC_MSG_ERROR([the --with-pgm option requires that pkg-config be installed.]);
+        fi
+
+        #  Check for OpenPGM dependencies
+        PKG_CHECK_MODULES([GLIB], [glib-2.0 gthread-2.0])
+        LIBZMQ_EXTRA_CXXFLAGS="${LIBZMQ_EXTRA_CXXFLAGS} ${GLIB_CFLAGS} "
+        LIBZMQ_EXTRA_LDFLAGS="${LIBZMQ_EXTRA_LDFLAGS} ${GLIB_LIBS} "
     fi
     
-    #  Check for OpenPGM dependencies
-    PKG_CHECK_MODULES([GLIB], [glib-2.0 gthread-2.0])
-    LIBZMQ_EXTRA_CXXFLAGS="${LIBZMQ_EXTRA_CXXFLAGS} ${GLIB_CFLAGS} "
-    LIBZMQ_EXTRA_LDFLAGS="${LIBZMQ_EXTRA_LDFLAGS} ${GLIB_LIBS} "
-    
     #  Gzip, Perl and Python are required duing PGM build
     AC_CHECK_PROG(have_gzip, gzip, yes, no)
     if test "x$have_gzip" != "xyes"; then
diff --git a/foreign/xmlParser/xmlParser.cpp b/foreign/xmlParser/xmlParser.cpp
index 48b02f97..70fe1d92 100644
--- a/foreign/xmlParser/xmlParser.cpp
+++ b/foreign/xmlParser/xmlParser.cpp
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@
 //#include <crtdbg.h>
 //#endif
 #define WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN
-#include <Windows.h> // to have IsTextUnicode, MultiByteToWideChar, WideCharToMultiByte to handle unicode files
+#include <windows.h> // to have IsTextUnicode, MultiByteToWideChar, WideCharToMultiByte to handle unicode files
                      // to have "MessageBoxA" to display error messages for openFilHelper
 #endif
 
diff --git a/include/zmq.h b/include/zmq.h
index 47d8359e..a7638aa1 100644
--- a/include/zmq.h
+++ b/include/zmq.h
@@ -30,13 +30,15 @@ extern "C" {
 #include "winsock2.h"
 #endif
 
-/*  Microsoft Visual Studio uses non-standard way to export/import symbols.   */
-#if defined ZMQ_BUILDING_LIBZMQ_WITH_MSVC
-#define ZMQ_EXPORT __declspec(dllexport)
-#elif defined _MSC_VER
-#define ZMQ_EXPORT __declspec(dllimport)
+/*  Win32 needs special handling for DLL exports                              */
+#if defined _WIN32
+#   if defined DLL_EXPORT
+#       define ZMQ_EXPORT __declspec(dllexport)
+#   else
+#       define ZMQ_EXPORT __declspec(dllimport)
+#   endif
 #else
-#define ZMQ_EXPORT
+#   define ZMQ_EXPORT
 #endif
 
 /******************************************************************************/
diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index ea7ce544..82777945 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ libzmq_la_SOURCES = app_thread.hpp \
     zmq_listener.cpp
 
 if ON_MINGW
-libzmq_la_LDFLAGS = -no-undefined -version-info @LTVER@ @LIBZMQ_EXTRA_LDFLAGS@
+libzmq_la_LDFLAGS = -no-undefined -avoid-version -version-info @LTVER@ @LIBZMQ_EXTRA_LDFLAGS@
 else
 libzmq_la_LDFLAGS = -version-info @LTVER@ @LIBZMQ_EXTRA_LDFLAGS@
 endif