diff --git a/Quake/Makefile.w32 b/Quake/Makefile.w32
index ba8686af..a2f28de7 100644
--- a/Quake/Makefile.w32
+++ b/Quake/Makefile.w32
@@ -68,6 +68,8 @@ endif
 
 ifeq ($(USE_SDL2),1)
 CFLAGS += -DUSE_SDL2
+# for compatibility with old sdks
+CFLAGS += -DNO_WINSDKVER_H
 endif
 
 # default to our local SDL[2] for build
diff --git a/Quake/Makefile.w64 b/Quake/Makefile.w64
index 58282506..35ebfb87 100644
--- a/Quake/Makefile.w64
+++ b/Quake/Makefile.w64
@@ -66,6 +66,8 @@ endif
 
 ifeq ($(USE_SDL2),1)
 CFLAGS += -DUSE_SDL2
+# for compatibility with old sdks
+CFLAGS += -DNO_WINSDKVER_H
 endif
 
 # default to our local SDL[2] for build
diff --git a/Quake/Makefile.wat b/Quake/Makefile.wat
index f581882c..ba408bd9 100644
--- a/Quake/Makefile.wat
+++ b/Quake/Makefile.wat
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ SDL_LIBS = ../Windows/SDL/watcom/SDL.lib
 SDL_CFLAGS = -I../Windows/SDL2/include
 SDL_LIBS = ../Windows/SDL2/watcom/SDL2.lib
 CFLAGS += -DUSE_SDL2
+CFLAGS += -DNO_WINSDKVER_H
 !endif
 
 !ifeq WINSOCK2 1
@@ -128,7 +129,7 @@ all: quakespasm.exe
 SDL_win32_main.obj: ../Windows/SDL/main/SDL_win32_main.c
 	wcc386 $(CFLAGS_BASE) $(SDL_CFLAGS) -fo=$^@ $<
 SDL_windows_main.obj: ../Windows/SDL2/main/SDL_windows_main.c
-	wcc386 $(CFLAGS_BASE) $(SDL_CFLAGS) -I../Windows/SDL2/main -fo=$^@ $<
+	wcc386 $(CFLAGS_BASE) $(SDL_CFLAGS) -DNO_WINSDKVER_H -I../Windows/SDL2/main -fo=$^@ $<
 quakespasm.res: ../Windows/QuakeSpasm.rc
 	wrc -q -r -bt=nt -I../Windows -fo=$^@ $<
 
diff --git a/Windows/CodeBlocks/QuakeSpasm-SDL2.cbp b/Windows/CodeBlocks/QuakeSpasm-SDL2.cbp
index 643cc803..66441ae0 100644
--- a/Windows/CodeBlocks/QuakeSpasm-SDL2.cbp
+++ b/Windows/CodeBlocks/QuakeSpasm-SDL2.cbp
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 		<Compiler>
 			<Add option="-Wall" />
 			<Add option="-DUSE_SDL2" />
+			<Add option="-DNO_WINSDKVER_H" />
 			<Add option="-DUSE_CODEC_MP3" />
 			<Add option="-DUSE_CODEC_VORBIS" />
 			<Add option="-DUSE_CODEC_WAVE" />
diff --git a/Windows/VisualStudio/quakespasm-sdl2.vcproj b/Windows/VisualStudio/quakespasm-sdl2.vcproj
index 2c61dd10..f3c561ec 100644
--- a/Windows/VisualStudio/quakespasm-sdl2.vcproj
+++ b/Windows/VisualStudio/quakespasm-sdl2.vcproj
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@
 				Name="VCCLCompilerTool"
 				Optimization="0"
 				AdditionalIncludeDirectories="..\SDL2\include;..\codecs\include;..\misc\include;..\..\Quake"
-				PreprocessorDefinitions="WIN32;_DEBUG;_WINDOWS;_CRT_NONSTDC_NO_DEPRECATE;_CRT_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS;_WINSOCK_DEPRECATED_NO_WARNINGS;USE_SDL2;USE_CODEC_MP3;USE_CODEC_VORBIS;USE_CODEC_WAVE;USE_CODEC_FLAC;USE_CODEC_OPUS;USE_CODEC_MIKMOD;USE_CODEC_UMX"
+				PreprocessorDefinitions="WIN32;_DEBUG;_WINDOWS;_CRT_NONSTDC_NO_DEPRECATE;_CRT_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS;_WINSOCK_DEPRECATED_NO_WARNINGS;USE_SDL2;NO_WINSDKVER_H;USE_CODEC_MP3;USE_CODEC_VORBIS;USE_CODEC_WAVE;USE_CODEC_FLAC;USE_CODEC_OPUS;USE_CODEC_MIKMOD;USE_CODEC_UMX"
 				MinimalRebuild="true"
 				BasicRuntimeChecks="3"
 				RuntimeLibrary="3"
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@
 				Optimization="2"
 				EnableIntrinsicFunctions="true"
 				AdditionalIncludeDirectories="..\SDL2\include;..\codecs\include;..\misc\include;..\..\Quake"
-				PreprocessorDefinitions="WIN32;NDEBUG;_WINDOWS;_CRT_NONSTDC_NO_DEPRECATE;_CRT_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS;_WINSOCK_DEPRECATED_NO_WARNINGS;USE_SDL2;USE_CODEC_MP3;USE_CODEC_VORBIS;USE_CODEC_WAVE;USE_CODEC_FLAC;USE_CODEC_OPUS;USE_CODEC_MIKMOD;USE_CODEC_UMX"
+				PreprocessorDefinitions="WIN32;NDEBUG;_WINDOWS;_CRT_NONSTDC_NO_DEPRECATE;_CRT_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS;_WINSOCK_DEPRECATED_NO_WARNINGS;USE_SDL2;NO_WINSDKVER_H;USE_CODEC_MP3;USE_CODEC_VORBIS;USE_CODEC_WAVE;USE_CODEC_FLAC;USE_CODEC_OPUS;USE_CODEC_MIKMOD;USE_CODEC_UMX"
 				RuntimeLibrary="2"
 				EnableFunctionLevelLinking="true"
 				UsePrecompiledHeader="0"
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@
 				Name="VCCLCompilerTool"
 				Optimization="0"
 				AdditionalIncludeDirectories="..\SDL2\include;..\codecs\include;..\misc\include;..\..\Quake"
-				PreprocessorDefinitions="WIN32;_DEBUG;_WINDOWS;_USE_WINSOCK2;_CRT_NONSTDC_NO_DEPRECATE;_CRT_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS;_WINSOCK_DEPRECATED_NO_WARNINGS;USE_SDL2;USE_CODEC_MP3;USE_CODEC_VORBIS;USE_CODEC_WAVE;USE_CODEC_FLAC;USE_CODEC_OPUS;USE_CODEC_MIKMOD;USE_CODEC_UMX"
+				PreprocessorDefinitions="WIN32;_DEBUG;_WINDOWS;_USE_WINSOCK2;_CRT_NONSTDC_NO_DEPRECATE;_CRT_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS;_WINSOCK_DEPRECATED_NO_WARNINGS;USE_SDL2;NO_WINSDKVER_H;USE_CODEC_MP3;USE_CODEC_VORBIS;USE_CODEC_WAVE;USE_CODEC_FLAC;USE_CODEC_OPUS;USE_CODEC_MIKMOD;USE_CODEC_UMX"
 				MinimalRebuild="true"
 				BasicRuntimeChecks="3"
 				RuntimeLibrary="3"
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@
 				Optimization="2"
 				EnableIntrinsicFunctions="true"
 				AdditionalIncludeDirectories="..\SDL2\include;..\codecs\include;..\misc\include;..\..\Quake"
-				PreprocessorDefinitions="WIN32;NDEBUG;_WINDOWS;_USE_WINSOCK2;_CRT_NONSTDC_NO_DEPRECATE;_CRT_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS;_WINSOCK_DEPRECATED_NO_WARNINGS;USE_SDL2;USE_CODEC_MP3;USE_CODEC_VORBIS;USE_CODEC_WAVE;USE_CODEC_FLAC;USE_CODEC_OPUS;USE_CODEC_MIKMOD;USE_CODEC_UMX"
+				PreprocessorDefinitions="WIN32;NDEBUG;_WINDOWS;_USE_WINSOCK2;_CRT_NONSTDC_NO_DEPRECATE;_CRT_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS;_WINSOCK_DEPRECATED_NO_WARNINGS;USE_SDL2;NO_WINSDKVER_H;USE_CODEC_MP3;USE_CODEC_VORBIS;USE_CODEC_WAVE;USE_CODEC_FLAC;USE_CODEC_OPUS;USE_CODEC_MIKMOD;USE_CODEC_UMX"
 				RuntimeLibrary="2"
 				EnableFunctionLevelLinking="true"
 				UsePrecompiledHeader="0"