diff --git a/build_msvc/common.vcxproj b/build_msvc/common.vcxproj
index c7c20622e..a9fb0c891 100644
--- a/build_msvc/common.vcxproj
+++ b/build_msvc/common.vcxproj
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
       <AdditionalOptions>/utf-8 %(AdditionalOptions)</AdditionalOptions>
       <DisableSpecificWarnings>4018;4244;4267;4715;4805;</DisableSpecificWarnings>
       <TreatWarningAsError>true</TreatWarningAsError>
+      <PreprocessorDefinitions>_WIN32_WINNT=0x0601;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
     </ClCompile>
   </ItemDefinitionGroup>
 </Project>
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index c4b1d63bf..8d7334ab6 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -485,7 +485,7 @@ case $host in
        AC_MSG_ERROR("windres not found")
      fi
 
-     CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS -D_MT -DWIN32 -D_WINDOWS -DBOOST_THREAD_USE_LIB"
+     CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS -D_MT -DWIN32 -D_WINDOWS -DBOOST_THREAD_USE_LIB -D_WIN32_WINNT=0x0601"
      LEVELDB_TARGET_FLAGS="-DOS_WINDOWS"
      if test "x$CXXFLAGS_overridden" = "xno"; then
        CXXFLAGS="$CXXFLAGS -w"
diff --git a/src/compat.h b/src/compat.h
index 7b164d563..68f6eb692 100644
--- a/src/compat.h
+++ b/src/compat.h
@@ -11,10 +11,6 @@
 #endif
 
 #ifdef WIN32
-#ifdef _WIN32_WINNT
-#undef _WIN32_WINNT
-#endif
-#define _WIN32_WINNT 0x0501
 #ifndef WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN
 #define WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN 1
 #endif
diff --git a/src/qt/guiutil.cpp b/src/qt/guiutil.cpp
index 71e987c8f..ba0a5abdf 100644
--- a/src/qt/guiutil.cpp
+++ b/src/qt/guiutil.cpp
@@ -21,10 +21,6 @@
 #include <util/system.h>
 
 #ifdef WIN32
-#ifdef _WIN32_WINNT
-#undef _WIN32_WINNT
-#endif
-#define _WIN32_WINNT 0x0501
 #ifdef _WIN32_IE
 #undef _WIN32_IE
 #endif
diff --git a/src/support/lockedpool.cpp b/src/support/lockedpool.cpp
index 627018083..5c2050e4a 100644
--- a/src/support/lockedpool.cpp
+++ b/src/support/lockedpool.cpp
@@ -10,10 +10,6 @@
 #endif
 
 #ifdef WIN32
-#ifdef _WIN32_WINNT
-#undef _WIN32_WINNT
-#endif
-#define _WIN32_WINNT 0x0501
 #define WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN 1
 #ifndef NOMINMAX
 #define NOMINMAX
diff --git a/src/util/system.cpp b/src/util/system.cpp
index 06317a3a9..789dcfaba 100644
--- a/src/util/system.cpp
+++ b/src/util/system.cpp
@@ -44,11 +44,6 @@
 #pragma warning(disable:4717)
 #endif
 
-#ifdef _WIN32_WINNT
-#undef _WIN32_WINNT
-#endif
-#define _WIN32_WINNT 0x0501
-
 #ifdef _WIN32_IE
 #undef _WIN32_IE
 #endif