diff --git a/sys/windows/vs/NetHack/NetHack.vcxproj b/sys/windows/vs/NetHack/NetHack.vcxproj
index a997957aa..933794140 100644
--- a/sys/windows/vs/NetHack/NetHack.vcxproj
+++ b/sys/windows/vs/NetHack/NetHack.vcxproj
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
       <FavorSizeOrSpeed>Speed</FavorSizeOrSpeed>
       <OmitFramePointers>true</OmitFramePointers>
       <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>$(WinWin32Dir);$(IncDir);$(SysWindDir);$(SysShareDir);$(WinShareDir);$(LuaDir);%(AdditionalIncludeDirectories)</AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
-      <PreprocessorDefinitions>WIN32CON;NO_TILE_C;DLB;SAFEPROCS;SND_LIB_WINDSOUND;USER_SOUNDS;_LIB;HAS_STDINT_H;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
+      <PreprocessorDefinitions>WIN32CON;NO_TILE_C;DLB;SAFEPROCS;SND_LIB_WINDSOUND;USER_SOUNDS;_LIB;HAS_STDINT_H;PDC_WIDE;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
     </ClCompile>
     <Link>
       <AdditionalDependencies>kernel32.lib;user32.lib;gdi32.lib;winspool.lib;comdlg32.lib;advapi32.lib;shell32.lib;ole32.lib;oleaut32.lib;uuid.lib;odbc32.lib;odbccp32.lib;winmm.lib;Winmm.lib;bcrypt.lib;%(AdditionalDependencies)</AdditionalDependencies>
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@
     <ClInclude Include="$(IncDir)config1.h" />
     <ClInclude Include="$(IncDir)context.h" />
     <ClInclude Include="$(IncDir)coord.h" />
-    <ClInclude Include="$(IncDir)cstd.h" />
+    <ClInclude Include="$(IncDir)cstd.h" />
     <ClInclude Include="$(IncDir)decl.h" />
     <ClInclude Include="$(IncDir)defsym.h" />
     <ClInclude Include="$(IncDir)display.h" />
@@ -286,4 +286,4 @@
   <Target Name="AfterRebuild">
     <MSBuild Projects="afternethack.proj" Targets="Build" Properties="Configuration=$(Configuration)" />
   </Target>
-</Project>
+</Project>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/sys/windows/vs/NetHackW/NetHackW.vcxproj b/sys/windows/vs/NetHackW/NetHackW.vcxproj
index c185cd1dc..cca094a7b 100644
--- a/sys/windows/vs/NetHackW/NetHackW.vcxproj
+++ b/sys/windows/vs/NetHackW/NetHackW.vcxproj
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
       <Optimization>Disabled</Optimization>
       <OmitFramePointers>true</OmitFramePointers>
       <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>$(WinWin32Dir);$(IncDir);$(SysWindDir);$(SysShareDir);$(WinShareDir);$(LuaDir);%(AdditionalIncludeDirectories)</AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
-      <PreprocessorDefinitions>TILES;_WINDOWS;DLB;MSWIN_GRAPHICS;SAFEPROCS;NOTTYGRAPHICS;SND_LIB_WINDSOUND;USER_SOUNDS;HAS_STDINT_H;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
+      <PreprocessorDefinitions>TILES;_WINDOWS;DLB;MSWIN_GRAPHICS;SAFEPROCS;NOTTYGRAPHICS;SND_LIB_WINDSOUND;USER_SOUNDS;HAS_STDINT_H;PDC_WIDE;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
       <DisableSpecificWarnings Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Debug|x64'">4820;4706;4244;4245;4100;4310</DisableSpecificWarnings>
       <DisableSpecificWarnings Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Release|x64'">4820;4706;4244;4245;4100;4310</DisableSpecificWarnings>
     </ClCompile>
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@
     <ClInclude Include="$(IncDir)config1.h" />
     <ClInclude Include="$(IncDir)context.h" />
     <ClInclude Include="$(IncDir)coord.h" />
-    <ClInclude Include="$(IncDir)cstd.h" />
+    <ClInclude Include="$(IncDir)cstd.h" />
     <ClInclude Include="$(IncDir)decl.h" />
     <ClInclude Include="$(IncDir)defsym.h" />
     <ClInclude Include="$(IncDir)dgn_file.h" />
@@ -316,4 +316,4 @@
   <Target Name="AfterRebuild">
     <MSBuild Projects="$(vsDir)NetHack\afternethack.proj" Targets="Build" Properties="Configuration=$(Configuration)" />
   </Target>
-</Project>
+</Project>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/sys/windows/vs/PDCurses/PDCurses.vcxproj b/sys/windows/vs/PDCurses/PDCurses.vcxproj
index 68e21a573..86325f8b5 100644
--- a/sys/windows/vs/PDCurses/PDCurses.vcxproj
+++ b/sys/windows/vs/PDCurses/PDCurses.vcxproj
@@ -90,14 +90,14 @@
   <ItemDefinitionGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Debug|Win32'">
     <ClCompile>
       <Optimization>Disabled</Optimization>
-      <PreprocessorDefinitions>WIN32;_DEBUG;_LIB;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
+      <PreprocessorDefinitions>WIN32;_DEBUG;_LIB;PDC_WIDE;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
       <RuntimeLibrary>MultiThreadedDebug</RuntimeLibrary>
     </ClCompile>
   </ItemDefinitionGroup>
   <ItemDefinitionGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Debug|x64'">
     <ClCompile>
       <Optimization>Disabled</Optimization>
-      <PreprocessorDefinitions>_DEBUG;_LIB;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
+      <PreprocessorDefinitions>_DEBUG;_LIB;PDC_WIDE;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
     </ClCompile>
   </ItemDefinitionGroup>
   <ItemDefinitionGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Release|Win32'">
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@
       <Optimization>MaxSpeed</Optimization>
       <FunctionLevelLinking>true</FunctionLevelLinking>
       <IntrinsicFunctions>true</IntrinsicFunctions>
-      <PreprocessorDefinitions>WIN32;NDEBUG;_LIB;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
+      <PreprocessorDefinitions>WIN32;NDEBUG;_LIB;PDC_WIDE;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
     </ClCompile>
     <Link>
       <EnableCOMDATFolding>true</EnableCOMDATFolding>
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@
       <Optimization>MaxSpeed</Optimization>
       <FunctionLevelLinking>true</FunctionLevelLinking>
       <IntrinsicFunctions>true</IntrinsicFunctions>
-      <PreprocessorDefinitions>NDEBUG;_LIB;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
+      <PreprocessorDefinitions>NDEBUG;_LIB;PDC_WIDE;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
     </ClCompile>
     <Link>
       <EnableCOMDATFolding>true</EnableCOMDATFolding>
@@ -125,4 +125,4 @@
     </Link>
   </ItemDefinitionGroup>
   <Import Project="$(VCTargetsPath)\Microsoft.Cpp.targets" />
-</Project>
\ No newline at end of file
+</Project>
diff --git a/win/curses/cursmain.c b/win/curses/cursmain.c
index 22329ea67..6c9aee69e 100644
--- a/win/curses/cursmain.c
+++ b/win/curses/cursmain.c
@@ -30,8 +30,12 @@ extern glyph_info mesg_gi;
 #define USE_CURSES_PUTMIXED
 #else  /* WIDE */
 #ifdef NH_PRAGMA_MESSAGE
+#ifdef _MSC_VER
+#pragma message ("Curses wide support not defined so NetHack curses message window functionality reduced")
+#else
 #pragma message "Curses wide support not defined so NetHack curses message window functionality reduced"
-#endif
+#endif /* _MSC_VER */
+#endif /* NH_PRAGMA_MESSAGE */
 #endif /* WIDE */
 #endif /* CURSES_GENL_PUTMIXED */