diff --git a/popover/main_windows.c b/popover/main_windows.c
index 0bf368f..24c941a 100644
--- a/popover/main_windows.c
+++ b/popover/main_windows.c
@@ -1,23 +1,5 @@
 // 9 october 2014
-#define UNICODE
-#define _UNICODE
-#define STRICT
-#define STRICT_TYPED_ITEMIDS
-// get Windows version right; right now Windows XP
-#define WINVER 0x0501
-#define _WIN32_WINNT 0x0501
-#define _WIN32_WINDOWS 0x0501		/* according to Microsoft's winperf.h */
-#define _WIN32_IE 0x0600			/* according to Microsoft's sdkddkver.h */
-#define NTDDI_VERSION 0x05010000	/* according to Microsoft's sdkddkver.h */
-#include <windows.h>
-#include <commctrl.h>
-#include <stdint.h>
-#include <uxtheme.h>
-#include <string.h>
-#include <wchar.h>
-#include <windowsx.h>
-#include <vsstyle.h>
-#include <vssym32.h>
+#include "../wininclude_windows.h"
 #include "popover.h"
 
 // #qo LIBS: user32 kernel32 gdi32
diff --git a/winapi_windows.h b/winapi_windows.h
index 651d7ca..13164d3 100644
--- a/winapi_windows.h
+++ b/winapi_windows.h
@@ -4,29 +4,7 @@
 #ifndef __GO_UI_WINAPI_WINDOWS_H__
 #define __GO_UI_WINAPI_WINDOWS_H__
 
-#define UNICODE
-#define _UNICODE
-#define STRICT
-#define STRICT_TYPED_ITEMIDS
-#define CINTERFACE
-#define COBJMACROS
-// get Windows version right; right now Windows XP
-#define WINVER 0x0501
-#define _WIN32_WINNT 0x0501
-#define _WIN32_WINDOWS 0x0501		/* according to Microsoft's winperf.h */
-#define _WIN32_IE 0x0600			/* according to Microsoft's sdkddkver.h */
-#define NTDDI_VERSION 0x05010000	/* according to Microsoft's sdkddkver.h */
-#include <windows.h>
-#include <commctrl.h>
-#include <stdint.h>
-#include <uxtheme.h>
-#include <string.h>
-#include <wchar.h>
-#include <windowsx.h>
-#include <vsstyle.h>
-#include <vssym32.h>
-#include <stdarg.h>
-#include <oleacc.h>
+#include "wininclude_windows.h"
 
 // if by some stroke of luck Go ever supports compiling with MSVC, this will need to change
 // noe that this has to come after the headers above because it's not predefined
diff --git a/wininclude_windows.h b/wininclude_windows.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..64e7caf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/wininclude_windows.h
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+// 6 january 2015
+#define UNICODE
+#define _UNICODE
+#define STRICT
+#define STRICT_TYPED_ITEMIDS
+#define CINTERFACE
+#define COBJMACROS
+// get Windows version right; right now Windows XP
+#define WINVER 0x0501
+#define _WIN32_WINNT 0x0501
+#define _WIN32_WINDOWS 0x0501		/* according to Microsoft's winperf.h */
+#define _WIN32_IE 0x0600			/* according to Microsoft's sdkddkver.h */
+#define NTDDI_VERSION 0x05010000	/* according to Microsoft's sdkddkver.h */
+#include <windows.h>
+#include <commctrl.h>
+#include <stdint.h>
+#include <uxtheme.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <wchar.h>
+#include <windowsx.h>
+#include <vsstyle.h>
+#include <vssym32.h>
+#include <stdarg.h>
+#include <oleacc.h>
diff --git a/wintable/main.c b/wintable/main.c
index 7ee7306..2674d66 100644
--- a/wintable/main.c
+++ b/wintable/main.c
@@ -1,26 +1,5 @@
 // 19 october 2014
-#define UNICODE
-#define _UNICODE
-#define STRICT
-#define STRICT_TYPED_ITEMIDS
-#define CINTERFACE
-#define COBJMACROS
-// get Windows version right; right now Windows XP
-#define WINVER 0x0501
-#define _WIN32_WINNT 0x0501
-#define _WIN32_WINDOWS 0x0501		/* according to Microsoft's winperf.h */
-#define _WIN32_IE 0x0600			/* according to Microsoft's sdkddkver.h */
-#define NTDDI_VERSION 0x05010000	/* according to Microsoft's sdkddkver.h */
-#include <windows.h>
-#include <commctrl.h>
-#include <stdint.h>
-#include <uxtheme.h>
-#include <string.h>
-#include <wchar.h>
-#include <windowsx.h>
-#include <vsstyle.h>
-#include <vssym32.h>
-#include <oleacc.h>
+#include "../wininclude_windows.h"
 
 // #qo LIBS: user32 kernel32 gdi32 comctl32 uxtheme ole32 oleaut32 oleacc uuid