diff --git a/src/msw/app.cpp b/src/msw/app.cpp
index 7af9c7108a..ec3c4c0124 100644
--- a/src/msw/app.cpp
+++ b/src/msw/app.cpp
@@ -871,6 +871,7 @@ int wxApp::GetComCtl32Version()
         // if so, then we can check for the version
         if ( dllComCtl32.IsLoaded() )
         {
+#ifdef DLLVER_PLATFORM_WINDOWS
             // try to use DllGetVersion() if available in _headers_
             wxDYNLIB_FUNCTION( DLLGETVERSIONPROC, DllGetVersion, dllComCtl32 );
             if ( pfnDllGetVersion )
@@ -892,6 +893,7 @@ int wxApp::GetComCtl32Version()
                                         dvi.dwMinorVersion;
                 }
             }
+#endif
 
             // if DllGetVersion() is unavailable either during compile or
             // run-time, try to guess the version otherwise
diff --git a/src/msw/basemsw.cpp b/src/msw/basemsw.cpp
index 6120c9e472..76cbb8ad4b 100644
--- a/src/msw/basemsw.cpp
+++ b/src/msw/basemsw.cpp
@@ -28,6 +28,10 @@
 #endif //WX_PRECOMP
 
 #include "wx/apptrait.h"
+// MBN: this is a workaround for MSVC 5: if it is not #included in
+// some wxBase file, wxRecursionGuard methods won't be exported from
+// wxBase.dll, and MSVC 5 will give linker errors
+#include "wx/recguard.h"
 
 #include "wx/msw/private.h"