diff --git a/src/utils/conftree.cpp b/src/utils/conftree.cpp
index 7053c0b5..e5a33c57 100644
--- a/src/utils/conftree.cpp
+++ b/src/utils/conftree.cpp
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
  */
 #ifdef BUILDING_RECOLL
 #include "autoconfig.h"
-#include "transcode.h"
 #else
 #include "config.h"
 #endif
@@ -24,15 +23,10 @@
 #include "conftree.h"
 
 #include <ctype.h>
+#if defined(BUILDING_RECOLL) || !defined(_WIN32)
 #include <fnmatch.h>
-#ifdef _WIN32
-#include "safesysstat.h"
-#else
+#endif /* BUILDING_RECOLL */
 #include <stdlib.h>
-#include <sys/stat.h>
-#include <unistd.h>
-#include <pwd.h>
-#endif
 
 #include <algorithm>
 #include <cstring>
@@ -243,7 +237,7 @@ ConfSimple::ConfSimple(const char *fname, int readonly, bool tildexp,
     fstream input = path_open(fname, mode);
     if (!input.is_open()) {
         LOGDEB0("ConfSimple::ConfSimple: fstream(w)(" << fname << ", " << mode <<
-				") errno " << errno << "\n");
+                ") errno " << errno << "\n");
     }
 
     if (!readonly && !input.is_open()) {
@@ -255,13 +249,13 @@ ConfSimple::ConfSimple(const char *fname, int readonly, bool tildexp,
     }
 
     if (!input.is_open()) {
-		// Don't log ENOENT, this is common with some recoll config files
-		string reason;
-		catstrerror(&reason, nullptr, errno);
-		if (errno != 2) {
-			LOGERR("ConfSimple::ConfSimple: fstream(" << fname << ", " <<
-				   ios::in << ") " << reason << "\n");
-		}
+        // Don't log ENOENT, this is common with some recoll config files
+        string reason;
+        catstrerror(&reason, nullptr, errno);
+        if (errno != 2) {
+            LOGERR("ConfSimple::ConfSimple: fstream(" << fname << ", " <<
+                   ios::in << ") " << reason << "\n");
+        }
         status = STATUS_ERROR;
         return;
     }
@@ -285,9 +279,9 @@ ConfSimple::StatusCode ConfSimple::getStatus() const
 bool ConfSimple::sourceChanged() const
 {
     if (!m_filename.empty()) {
-        struct stat st;
-        if (stat(m_filename.c_str(), &st) == 0) {
-            if (m_fmtime != st.st_mtime) {
+        PathStat st;
+        if (path_fileprops(m_filename, &st) == 0) {
+            if (m_fmtime != st.pst_mtime) {
                 return true;
             }
         }
@@ -298,11 +292,11 @@ bool ConfSimple::sourceChanged() const
 bool ConfSimple::i_changed(bool upd)
 {
     if (!m_filename.empty()) {
-        struct stat st;
-        if (stat(m_filename.c_str(), &st) == 0) {
-            if (m_fmtime != st.st_mtime) {
+        PathStat st;
+        if (path_fileprops(m_filename, &st) == 0) {
+            if (m_fmtime != st.pst_mtime) {
                 if (upd) {
-                    m_fmtime = st.st_mtime;
+                    m_fmtime = st.pst_mtime;
                 }
                 return true;
             }
@@ -670,7 +664,14 @@ vector<string> ConfSimple::getNames(const string& sk, const char *pattern) const
     }
     mylist.reserve(ss->second.size());
     for (const auto& item : ss->second) {
-        if (pattern && 0 != fnmatch(pattern, item.first.c_str(), 0)) {
+        if (pattern &&
+#if defined(BUILDING_RECOLL) || !defined(_WIN32)
+            0 != fnmatch(pattern, item.first.c_str(), 0)
+#else
+            /* Default to no match: yields easier to spot errors */
+            1
+#endif
+        ) {
             continue;
         }
         mylist.push_back(item.first);
diff --git a/src/utils/conftree.h b/src/utils/conftree.h
index e12b9d75..f8797c71 100644
--- a/src/utils/conftree.h
+++ b/src/utils/conftree.h
@@ -49,7 +49,6 @@
  * (useful to have central/personal config files).
  */
 
-#include <time.h>
 #include <algorithm>
 #include <map>
 #include <string>
@@ -219,7 +218,8 @@ public:
     /** Print all values to stdout */
     virtual void showall() const override;
 
-    /** Return all names in given submap. */
+    /** Return all names in given submap. On win32, the pattern thing
+        only works in recoll builds */
     virtual std::vector<std::string> getNames(
         const std::string& sk, const char *pattern = 0) const override;
 
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@ protected:
 private:
     // Set if we're working with a file
     std::string m_filename;
-    time_t      m_fmtime;
+    int64_t     m_fmtime;
     // Configuration data submaps (one per subkey, the main data has a
     // null subkey)
     std::map<std::string, std::map<std::string, std::string> > m_submaps;
@@ -492,6 +492,8 @@ public:
         return m_confs.front()->holdWrites(on);
     }
 
+    /** Return all names in given submap. On win32, the pattern thing
+        only works in recoll builds */
     virtual std::vector<std::string> getNames(
         const std::string& sk, const char *pattern = 0) const override {
         return getNames1(sk, pattern, false);
diff --git a/src/utils/execmd.cpp b/src/utils/execmd.cpp
index 6fb4b861..590b910a 100644
--- a/src/utils/execmd.cpp
+++ b/src/utils/execmd.cpp
@@ -1063,7 +1063,7 @@ void ReExec::init(int argc, char *args[])
 
 void ReExec::insertArgs(const vector<string>& args, int idx)
 {
-    vector<string>::iterator it, cit;
+    vector<string>::iterator it;
     unsigned int cmpoffset = (unsigned int) - 1;
 
     if (idx == -1 || string::size_type(idx) >= m_argv.size()) {
diff --git a/src/utils/netcon.cpp b/src/utils/netcon.cpp
index f8cae81c..ae28f208 100644
--- a/src/utils/netcon.cpp
+++ b/src/utils/netcon.cpp
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@
 #endif
 
 #include <map>
+#include <algorithm>
 
 #ifdef MDU_INCLUDE_LOG
 #include MDU_INCLUDE_LOG
@@ -59,6 +60,10 @@
 
 using namespace std;
 
+#ifndef PRETEND_USE
+#define PRETEND_USE(expr) ((void)(expr))
+#endif
+
 #ifndef SOCKLEN_T
 #define SOCKLEN_T socklen_t
 #endif
@@ -81,12 +86,7 @@ static const int zero = 0;
     LOGERR(who << ": "  << call << "("  << spar << ") errno " <<  \
            errno << " ("  << strerror(errno) << ")\n")
 #endif
-#ifndef MIN
-#define MIN(a,b) ((a)<(b)?(a):(b))
-#endif
-#ifndef MAX
-#define MAX(a,b) ((a)>(b)?(a):(b))
-#endif
+
 #ifndef freeZ
 #define freeZ(X) if (X) {free(X);X=0;}
 #endif
@@ -276,11 +276,11 @@ int SelectLoop::doLoop()
                     pll->m_wantedEvents << "\n");
             if (pll->m_wantedEvents & Netcon::NETCONPOLL_READ) {
                 FD_SET(fd, &rd);
-                nfds = MAX(nfds, fd + 1);
+                nfds = std::max(nfds, fd + 1);
             }
             if (pll->m_wantedEvents & Netcon::NETCONPOLL_WRITE) {
                 FD_SET(fd, &wd);
-                nfds = MAX(nfds, fd + 1);
+                nfds = std::max(nfds, fd + 1);
             }
         }
 
@@ -708,7 +708,7 @@ void NetconData::cancelReceive()
         // We can't do a thing about the ::write return value, the
         // following nonsense is for cancelling warnings
         int ret = ::write(m_wkfds[1], "!", 1);
-        ret = ret;
+        PRETEND_USE(ret);
     }
 }
 
@@ -727,7 +727,7 @@ int NetconData::receive(char *buf, int cnt, int timeo)
     // Get whatever might have been left in the buffer by a previous
     // getline, except if we're called to fill the buffer of course
     if (m_buf && m_bufbytes > 0 && (buf < m_buf || buf > m_buf + m_bufsize)) {
-        fromibuf = MIN(m_bufbytes, cnt);
+        fromibuf = std::min(m_bufbytes, cnt);
         memcpy(buf, m_bufbase, fromibuf);
         m_bufbytes -= fromibuf;
         m_bufbase += fromibuf;
@@ -750,7 +750,7 @@ int NetconData::receive(char *buf, int cnt, int timeo)
             LOGDEB2("NetconData::receive: cancel fd " << m_wkfds[0] << endl);
             FD_SET(m_wkfds[0], &rd);
         }
-        int nfds = MAX(m_fd, m_wkfds[0]) + 1;
+        int nfds = std::max(m_fd, m_wkfds[0]) + 1;
 
         int ret = select(nfds, &rd, 0, 0, &tv);
         LOGDEB2("NetconData::receive: select returned " << ret << endl);
@@ -760,7 +760,7 @@ int NetconData::receive(char *buf, int cnt, int timeo)
             // We can't do a thing about the return value, the
             // following nonsense is for cancelling warnings
             int ret = ::read(m_wkfds[0], b, 100);
-            ret = ret;
+            PRETEND_USE(ret);
             return Cancelled;
         }
 
@@ -834,7 +834,7 @@ int NetconData::getline(char *buf, int cnt, int timeo)
     for (;;) {
         // Transfer from buffer. Have to take a lot of care to keep counts and
         // pointers consistant in all end cases
-        int maxtransf = MIN(m_bufbytes, cnt - 1);
+        int maxtransf = std::min(m_bufbytes, cnt - 1);
         int nn = maxtransf;
         LOGDEB2("Before loop, bufbytes " << m_bufbytes << ", maxtransf " <<
                 maxtransf << ", nn: " << nn << "\n");
diff --git a/src/utils/pathut.cpp b/src/utils/pathut.cpp
index 150bbc7d..b7d0da59 100644
--- a/src/utils/pathut.cpp
+++ b/src/utils/pathut.cpp
@@ -45,19 +45,63 @@
 #include "config.h"
 #endif
 
-#include <stdio.h>
-#include <math.h>
-#include <errno.h>
+#include "pathut.h"
+
+#include <cstdlib>
+#include <cstring>
 #include <dirent.h>
+#include <errno.h>
 #include <fstream>
+#include <iostream>
+#include <math.h>
+#include <regex>
+#include <set>
+#include <sstream>
+#include <stack>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <vector>
+#include <fcntl.h>
+
+#ifndef PRETEND_USE
+#define PRETEND_USE(expr) ((void)(expr))
+#endif
 
 #ifdef _WIN32
 
-#include "safefcntl.h"
-#include "safeunistd.h"
-#include "safewindows.h"
-#include "safesysstat.h"
-#include "transcode.h"
+#if !defined(S_IFLNK)
+#define S_IFLNK 0
+#endif
+
+#ifndef _MSC_VER
+#undef WINVER
+#define WINVER 0x0601
+#undef _WIN32_WINNT
+#define _WIN32_WINNT 0x0601
+#define LOGFONTW void
+#endif
+
+#ifndef NOMINMAX
+#define NOMINMAX
+#endif
+#define WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN
+#define NOGDI
+#define MAXPATHLEN PATH_MAX
+
+#include <windows.h>
+#include <io.h>
+
+#include <sys/stat.h>
+#ifndef S_ISDIR
+# define S_ISDIR(ST_MODE) (((ST_MODE) & _S_IFMT) == _S_IFDIR)
+#endif
+#ifndef S_ISREG
+# define S_ISREG(ST_MODE) (((ST_MODE) & _S_IFMT) == _S_IFREG)
+#endif
+
+#include <direct.h>
+
+#include <Shlobj.h>
+#include <Stringapiset.h>
 
 #define STAT _wstati64
 #define LSTAT _wstati64
@@ -72,9 +116,10 @@
 #define OPEN ::_wopen
 #define UNLINK _wunlink
 
+#define ftruncate _chsize_s
+
 #else /* !_WIN32 -> */
 
-#include <fcntl.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <sys/param.h>
 #include <pwd.h>
@@ -99,16 +144,6 @@
 
 #endif /* !_WIN32 */
 
-#include <cstdlib>
-#include <cstring>
-#include <iostream>
-#include <sstream>
-#include <stack>
-#include <set>
-#include <vector>
-#include <regex>
-
-#include "pathut.h"
 #include "smallut.h"
 #ifdef MDU_INCLUDE_LOG
 #include MDU_INCLUDE_LOG
@@ -119,8 +154,69 @@
 using namespace std;
 
 #ifdef _WIN32
-//#include <shlobj_core.h>
-#include <Shlobj.h>
+
+bool wchartoutf8(const wchar_t *in, std::string& out)
+{
+    out.clear();
+    if (nullptr == in) {
+        return true;
+    }
+    size_t wlen = wcslen(in);
+    const UINT codePageUtf8 = CP_UTF8;
+    const DWORD flags = MB_ERR_INVALID_CHARS;
+    int bytes = ::WideCharToMultiByte(
+        codePageUtf8, flags, in, wlen, nullptr, 0, nullptr, nullptr);
+    if (bytes <= 0) {
+        std::cerr << "wchartoutf8: CONVERSION ERROR\n";
+        return false;
+    }
+    char *cp = (char *)malloc(bytes+1);
+    if (nullptr == cp) {
+        std::cerr << "wchartoutf8: MALLOC FAILED\n";
+        return false;
+    }
+    bytes = ::WideCharToMultiByte(
+        codePageUtf8, flags, in, wlen, cp, bytes, nullptr, nullptr);
+    if (bytes <= 0) {
+        std::cerr << "wchartoutf8: CONVERSION ERROR\n";
+        free(cp);
+        return false;
+    }
+    cp[bytes] = 0;
+    out = cp;
+    free(cp);
+    return true;
+}
+
+bool utf8towchar(const std::string& in, wchar_t *out, size_t obytescap)
+{
+    size_t wcharsavail = obytescap / sizeof(wchar_t);
+    if (nullptr == out || wcharsavail < 1) {
+        return false;
+    }
+    out[0] = 0;
+
+    const UINT codePageUtf8 = CP_UTF8;
+    const DWORD flags = MB_ERR_INVALID_CHARS;
+    int wcharcnt = MultiByteToWideChar(
+        codePageUtf8, flags, in.c_str(), in.size(), nullptr, 0);
+    if (wcharcnt <= 0) {
+        std::cerr << "utf8towchar: CONVERSION ERROR\n";
+        return false;
+    }
+    if (wcharcnt + 1 >  int(wcharsavail)) {
+        std::cerr << "utf8towchar: NOT ENOUGH SPACE\n";
+        return false;
+    }
+    wcharcnt = MultiByteToWideChar(
+        codePageUtf8, flags, in.c_str(), in.size(), out, wcharsavail);
+    if (wcharcnt <= 0) {
+        std::cerr << "utf8towchar: CONVERSION ERROR\n";
+        return false;
+    }
+    out[wcharcnt] = 0;
+    return true;
+}
 
 /// Convert \ separators to /
 void path_slashize(string& s)
diff --git a/src/utils/pathut.h b/src/utils/pathut.h
index e0716748..16d825f9 100644
--- a/src/utils/pathut.h
+++ b/src/utils/pathut.h
@@ -109,6 +109,8 @@ extern bool path_readable(const std::string& path);
 extern std::string path_PATHsep();
 
 #ifdef _WIN32
+extern bool wchartoutf8(const wchar_t *in, std::string& out);
+extern bool utf8towchar(const std::string& in, wchar_t *out, size_t obytescap);
 #define SYSPATH(PATH, SPATH) wchar_t PATH ## _buf[2048];      \
     utf8towchar(PATH, PATH ## _buf, 2048);                    \
     wchar_t *SPATH = PATH ## _buf;
diff --git a/src/utils/readfile.cpp b/src/utils/readfile.cpp
index 326737d5..1cc1dac9 100644
--- a/src/utils/readfile.cpp
+++ b/src/utils/readfile.cpp
@@ -563,7 +563,7 @@ bool file_scan(const string& fn, FileScanDo* doer, int64_t startoffs,
     
     FileScanSourceFile source(doer, fn, startoffs, cnttoread, reason);
     FileScanUpstream *up = &source;
-    up = up;
+    PRETEND_USE(up);
     
 #if defined(READFILE_ENABLE_ZLIB)
     GzFilter gzfilter;
@@ -637,7 +637,7 @@ bool string_scan(const char *data, size_t cnt, FileScanDo* doer,
 {
     FileScanSourceBuffer source(doer, data, cnt, reason);
     FileScanUpstream *up = &source;
-    up = up;
+    PRETEND_USE(up);
     
 #ifdef READFILE_ENABLE_MD5
     string digest;
diff --git a/src/utils/smallut.h b/src/utils/smallut.h
index b6ea7fae..7e142945 100644
--- a/src/utils/smallut.h
+++ b/src/utils/smallut.h
@@ -18,9 +18,8 @@
 #ifndef _SMALLUT_H_INCLUDED_
 #define _SMALLUT_H_INCLUDED_
 
-#include <sys/types.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
-
+#include <time.h>
 #include <string>
 #include <vector>
 #include <map>