diff --git a/include/global.h b/include/global.h
index 9dba1ed81..3c5b55242 100644
--- a/include/global.h
+++ b/include/global.h
@@ -69,6 +69,8 @@ typedef xchar	boolean;		/* 0 or 1 */
 # define UNICODE_DRAWING	/* store drawing symbols in wchar_t data type     */
 # define UNICODE_WIDEWINPORT	/* store and render wide chars in window port     */
 /*# define UNICODE_PLAYERTEXT*/	/* not implemented - player input in wide chars */
+#include <limits.h>
+#include <wchar.h>
 #else
 # undef UNICODE_DRAWING
 # undef UNICODE_WIDEWINPORT
diff --git a/include/tradstdc.h b/include/tradstdc.h
index 02a75bc39..56d0d6717 100644
--- a/include/tradstdc.h
+++ b/include/tradstdc.h
@@ -264,7 +264,14 @@ typedef genericptr genericptr_t;	/* (void *) or (char *) */
 #  define SHORT_P int
 #  define BOOLEAN_P int
 #  define ALIGNTYP_P int
-#  define NHWCHAR_P int
+#  if defined(UNICODE_WIDEWINPORT) && defined(WCHAR_MAX)
+#   if WCHAR_MAX >= INT_MAX
+#    define NHWCHAR_P nhwchar
+#   endif
+#  endif
+#  ifndef NHWCHAR_P
+#   define NHWCHAR_P int
+#  endif
 # else
    /* Neither widened nor unwidened prototypes.  Argument list expansion
     * by FDECL/VDECL always empty; all xxx_P vanish so defs aren't needed. */