diff --git a/external-libs/build.mk b/external-libs/build.mk
index 7c694bbb..9dfa0bce 100644
--- a/external-libs/build.mk
+++ b/external-libs/build.mk
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-TARGETS_external-libs = external-libs/$(OUTPUT_DIR)/libexternal.a
+TARGETS_external-libs = external-libs/$(OUTPUT_DIR)/$(call libname,external)
 INCLUDES_external-libs = external-libs/zlib external-libs/pcre
 
 SRCS_external-libs_zlib = \
@@ -29,9 +29,6 @@ external-libs/$(OUTPUT_DIR)/chartables.c: external-libs/$(OUTPUT_DIR)/$(call bin
 	external-libs/$(OUTPUT_DIR)/$(call binname,dftables) \
 		external-libs/$(OUTPUT_DIR)/chartables.c
 
-external-libs/$(OUTPUT_DIR)/$(call binname,dftables):
-	$(CC) -o $@ external-libs/pcre/dftables.c
-
 # -----
 
 OBJS_external-libs_zlib = $(call c_src_to_lobj,$(subst zlib/,,$(SRCS_external-libs_zlib)))
@@ -39,9 +36,6 @@ OBJS_external-libs_pcre = $(call c_src_to_lobj,$(subst pcre/,,$(SRCS_external-li
 
 OBJS_external-libs = $(OBJS_external-libs_zlib) $(OBJS_external-libs_pcre)
 
-x:
-	@echo $(call lobj_to_dep,$(OBJS_external-libs))
-
 ifeq ($(GENDEPS),1)
 -include $(call lobj_to_dep,$(OBJS_external-libs))
 endif
@@ -54,3 +48,12 @@ $(OBJS_external-libs_pcre): external-libs/$(OUTPUT_DIR)/%.$(LOBJ): external-libs
 
 $(TARGETS_external-libs): $(OBJS_external-libs)
 	$(call makeslib,$(OBJS_external-libs),$(TARGETS_external-libs))
+
+OBJS_dftables = $(call c_src_to_obj,external-libs/pcre/dftables.c)
+
+$(OBJS_dftables): external-libs/pcre/dftables.c
+	$(call c_compile,$<,)
+
+external-libs/$(OUTPUT_DIR)/$(call binname,dftables): LIBS=
+external-libs/$(OUTPUT_DIR)/$(call binname,dftables): $(OBJS_dftables)
+	$(call makebin,$(OBJS_dftables),$@)
diff --git a/make/mingw.mk b/make/mingw.mk
index 7ab66381..f0442c96 100644
--- a/make/mingw.mk
+++ b/make/mingw.mk
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ endef
 #                       1    2       3       4        5
 # Usage: $(call makelib,objs,library,current,revision,age)
 define makelib
-	echo `echo $(2) | sed -e 's,/lib\(.*\).a,/\1,'`$(3).dll
 	dlltool -l $(2) -D $$(basename `echo $(2) | sed -e 's,/lib\(.*\).a,/\1,'`$(3).dll) $(1); \
 	$(CXX) -shared -o `echo $(2) | sed -e 's,/lib\(.*\).a,/\1,'`$(3).dll \
 		$(1) $(LDFLAGS) $(LIBS)
diff --git a/make/msvc.mk b/make/msvc.mk
index de77e0fe..b60abc03 100644
--- a/make/msvc.mk
+++ b/make/msvc.mk
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ endef
 define c_compile
 	cl /nologo /Zi /Gy /EHsc /MD $(CPPFLAGS) $(CXXFLAGS) \
 		$(foreach I,$(2),-I$(I)) \
-		/c $(1) /Fo$(call src_to_obj,$(1))
+		/c $(1) /Fo$(call c_src_to_obj,$(1))
 endef
 
 libcompile = $(compile)
@@ -43,11 +43,10 @@ endef
 #                       1    2       3       4        5
 # Usage: $(call makelib,objs,library,current,revision,age)
 define makelib
-	dll=
-	cl /nologo /Zi /Gy /EHsc /MD /TP /GR /LD /Fe$(basename $(2))$(3).dll \
+	cl /nologo /Zi /Gy /EHsc /MD /LD /Fe$(basename $(2))$(3).dll $(1) \
 		/link /incremental:no \
 		$(foreach L,$(subst -L,,$(LDFLAGS)),/LIBPATH:$(L)) \
-		$(foreach L,$(subst -l,,$(LIBS)),$(L).lib) $(1)
+		$(foreach L,$(subst -l,,$(LIBS)),$(L).lib)
 	if [ -f $(basename $(2))$(3).dll.manifest ]; then \
 		mt.exe -nologo -manifest $(basename $(2))$(3).dll.manifest \
 			-outputresource:$(basename $(2))$(3).dll\;2; \
@@ -57,10 +56,10 @@ endef
 #                       1    2
 # Usage: $(call makebin,objs,binary)
 define makebin
-	cl /nologo /Zi /Gy /EHsc /MD /TP /GR /OUT:$(2) \
-		/link /incremental:no \
+	cl /nologo /Zi /Gy /EHsc /MD $(1) \
+		/link /incremental:no /OUT:$(2) \
 		$(foreach L,$(subst -L,,$(LDFLAGS)),/LIBPATH:$(L)) \
-		$(foreach L,$(subst -l,,$(LIBS)),$(L).lib) $(1)
+		$(foreach L,$(subst -l,,$(LIBS)),$(L).lib)
 	if [ -f $(2).manifest ]; then \
 		mt.exe -nologo -manifest $(2).manifest \
 			-outputresource:$(2)\;2; \
diff --git a/zlib-flate/build.mk b/zlib-flate/build.mk
index 87309a59..f4cca29d 100644
--- a/zlib-flate/build.mk
+++ b/zlib-flate/build.mk
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ ifeq ($(GENDEPS),1)
 -include $(call obj_to_dep,$(OBJS_zlib-flate))
 endif
 
-$(OBJS_zlib-flate): zlib-flate/$(OUTPUT_DIR)/%.o: zlib-flate/%.cc
+$(OBJS_zlib-flate): zlib-flate/$(OUTPUT_DIR)/%.$(OBJ): zlib-flate/%.cc
 	$(call compile,$<,$(INCLUDES_zlib-flate))
 
 zlib-flate/$(OUTPUT_DIR)/$(call binname,zlib-flate): $(OBJS_zlib-flate)