diff --git a/engine/client/quakedef.h b/engine/client/quakedef.h
index 7c57f5b4b..f023ff747 100644
--- a/engine/client/quakedef.h
+++ b/engine/client/quakedef.h
@@ -186,11 +186,18 @@ extern "C" {
 
 
 #ifdef _WIN32
+#if (_MSC_VER >= 1400)
+//with MSVC 8, use MS extensions
+#define snprintf sprintf_s
+#define vsnprintf(a, b, c, d) vsnprintf_s(a, b, _TRUNCATE, c, d)
+#else
 //msvc crap
 #define snprintf linuxlike_snprintf
 int VARGS linuxlike_snprintf(char *buffer, int size, const char *format, ...);
 #define vsnprintf linuxlike_vsnprintf
 int VARGS linuxlike_vsnprintf(char *buffer, int size, const char *format, va_list argptr);
+#endif
+
 
 #define _vsnprintf unsafe_vsnprintf
 #define _snprintf unsafe_snprintf
diff --git a/engine/sw/r_draw.c b/engine/sw/r_draw.c
index 07bc48e2c..8eea4a4d4 100644
--- a/engine/sw/r_draw.c
+++ b/engine/sw/r_draw.c
@@ -137,11 +137,11 @@ void R_LoadSkyBox (void)
 	char	pathname[MAX_QPATH];
 	for (i=0 ; i<6 ; i++)
 	{
-		_snprintf (pathname, MAX_QPATH-1, "env/%s%s.tga", skyname, suf[r_skysideimage[i]]);
+		snprintf (pathname, MAX_QPATH-1, "env/%s%s.tga", skyname, suf[r_skysideimage[i]]);
 		r_skytexinfo[i].texture = Mod_LoadWall (pathname);	//preferable
 		if (!r_skytexinfo[i].texture)
 		{
-			_snprintf (pathname, MAX_QPATH-1, "env/%s%s.pcx", skyname, suf[r_skysideimage[i]]);
+			snprintf (pathname, MAX_QPATH-1, "env/%s%s.pcx", skyname, suf[r_skysideimage[i]]);
 			r_skytexinfo[i].texture = Mod_LoadWall (pathname);	//q2 fall back
 		}
 		if (!r_skytexinfo[i].texture)
diff --git a/engine/sw/sw_draw.c b/engine/sw/sw_draw.c
index 90fb10e71..16b752b1a 100644
--- a/engine/sw/sw_draw.c
+++ b/engine/sw/sw_draw.c
@@ -108,11 +108,11 @@ mpic_t	*SWDraw_SafeCachePic (char *extpath)
 		qbyte *file, *image;
 		int width;
 		int height;
-		_snprintf(alternatename, MAX_QPATH-1,"pics/%s.pcx", path);
+		snprintf(alternatename, MAX_QPATH-1,"pics/%s.pcx", path);
 		file = COM_LoadMallocFile(alternatename);
 		if (!file)
 		{
-			_snprintf(alternatename, MAX_QPATH-1,"%s.pcx", path);
+			snprintf(alternatename, MAX_QPATH-1,"%s.pcx", path);
 			file = COM_LoadMallocFile(alternatename);
 		}
 		if (file)
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ mpic_t	*SWDraw_SafeCachePic (char *extpath)
 		qbyte *file, *image;
 		int width;
 		int height;
-		_snprintf(alternatename, MAX_QPATH-1,"%s.jpg", path);
+		snprintf(alternatename, MAX_QPATH-1,"%s.jpg", path);
 
 		file = COM_LoadMallocFile(alternatename);
 		if (file)
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ mpic_t	*SWDraw_SafeCachePic (char *extpath)
 		qbyte *file, *image;
 		int width;
 		int height;
-		_snprintf(alternatename, MAX_QPATH-1,"%s.tga", path);
+		snprintf(alternatename, MAX_QPATH-1,"%s.tga", path);
 
 		file = COM_LoadMallocFile(alternatename);
 		if (file)
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ mpic_t	*SWDraw_SafeCachePic (char *extpath)
 //
 // load the pic from disk
 //
-	_snprintf(alternatename, MAX_QPATH-1,"%s.lmp", path);
+	snprintf(alternatename, MAX_QPATH-1,"%s.lmp", path);
 	COM_LoadCacheFile (alternatename, &pic->cache);
 	
 	dat = pic->cache.data;