diff --git a/include/exiv2/exiv2.hpp b/include/exiv2/exiv2.hpp
index 193989df..9930b8b3 100644
--- a/include/exiv2/exiv2.hpp
+++ b/include/exiv2/exiv2.hpp
@@ -31,46 +31,46 @@
 
 // *****************************************************************************
 // included header files
-#include "datasets.hpp"
-#include "basicio.hpp"
-#include "bmpimage.hpp"
-#include "convert.hpp"
-#include "cr2image.hpp"
-#include "crwimage.hpp"
-#include "easyaccess.hpp"
-#include "epsimage.hpp"
-#include "error.hpp"
-#include "exif.hpp"
-#include "futils.hpp"
-#include "gifimage.hpp"
-#include "http.hpp"
-#include "image.hpp"
-#include "ini.hpp"
-#include "iptc.hpp"
-#include "jp2image.hpp"
-#include "jpgimage.hpp"
-#include "metadatum.hpp"
-#include "mrwimage.hpp"
-#include "orfimage.hpp"
-#include "pgfimage.hpp"
+#include "exiv2/datasets.hpp"
+#include "exiv2/basicio.hpp"
+#include "exiv2/bmpimage.hpp"
+#include "exiv2/convert.hpp"
+#include "exiv2/cr2image.hpp"
+#include "exiv2/crwimage.hpp"
+#include "exiv2/easyaccess.hpp"
+#include "exiv2/epsimage.hpp"
+#include "exiv2/error.hpp"
+#include "exiv2/exif.hpp"
+#include "exiv2/futils.hpp"
+#include "exiv2/gifimage.hpp"
+#include "exiv2/http.hpp"
+#include "exiv2/image.hpp"
+#include "exiv2/ini.hpp"
+#include "exiv2/iptc.hpp"
+#include "exiv2/jp2image.hpp"
+#include "exiv2/jpgimage.hpp"
+#include "exiv2/metadatum.hpp"
+#include "exiv2/mrwimage.hpp"
+#include "exiv2/orfimage.hpp"
+#include "exiv2/pgfimage.hpp"
 #ifdef   EXV_HAVE_LIBZ
-#include "pngimage.hpp"
+#include "exiv2/pngimage.hpp"
 #endif
-#include "preview.hpp"
-#include "properties.hpp"
-#include "psdimage.hpp"
-#include "rafimage.hpp"
-#include "rw2image.hpp"
+#include "exiv2/preview.hpp"
+#include "exiv2/properties.hpp"
+#include "exiv2/psdimage.hpp"
+#include "exiv2/rafimage.hpp"
+#include "exiv2/rw2image.hpp"
 #if EXV_USE_SSH == 1
-#include "ssh.hpp"
+#include "exiv2/ssh.hpp"
 #endif
-#include "tags.hpp"
-#include "tgaimage.hpp"
-#include "tiffimage.hpp"
-#include "types.hpp"
-#include "value.hpp"
-#include "version.hpp"
-#include "xmp.hpp"
-#include "xmpsidecar.hpp"
+#include "exiv2/tags.hpp"
+#include "exiv2/tgaimage.hpp"
+#include "exiv2/tiffimage.hpp"
+#include "exiv2/types.hpp"
+#include "exiv2/value.hpp"
+#include "exiv2/version.hpp"
+#include "exiv2/xmp.hpp"
+#include "exiv2/xmpsidecar.hpp"
 
 #endif                                  // #ifndef EXIV2_HPP_
diff --git a/include/exiv2/exv_msvc-webready.h b/include/exiv2/exv_msvc-webready.h
index 7721fdc2..ac4dd409 100644
--- a/include/exiv2/exv_msvc-webready.h
+++ b/include/exiv2/exv_msvc-webready.h
@@ -25,13 +25,13 @@
 #define EXV_PACKAGE_NAME "exiv2"
 
 /* Define to the full name and version of this package. */
-#define EXV_PACKAGE_STRING "exiv2 0.25"
+#define EXV_PACKAGE_STRING "exiv2 0.26"
 
 /* Define to the one symbol short name of this package. */
 #define EXV_PACKAGE_TARNAME "exiv2"
 
 /* Define to the version of this package. */
-#define EXV_PACKAGE_VERSION "0.25"
+#define EXV_PACKAGE_VERSION "0.26"
 
 /* Define to `int' if <sys/types.h> does not define pid_t. */
 typedef int pid_t;
diff --git a/include/exiv2/exv_msvc.h b/include/exiv2/exv_msvc.h
index b335ced4..2381dac7 100644
--- a/include/exiv2/exv_msvc.h
+++ b/include/exiv2/exv_msvc.h
@@ -171,13 +171,13 @@
 #define EXV_PACKAGE_NAME "exiv2"
 
 /* Define to the full name and version of this package. */
-#define EXV_PACKAGE_STRING "exiv2 0.25"
+#define EXV_PACKAGE_STRING "exiv2 0.26"
 
 /* Define to the one symbol short name of this package. */
 #define EXV_PACKAGE_TARNAME "exiv2"
 
 /* Define to the version of this package. */
-#define EXV_PACKAGE_VERSION "0.25"
+#define EXV_PACKAGE_VERSION "0.26"
 
 /* Define to 1 if you have the ANSI C header files. */
 #define STDC_HEADERS 1
diff --git a/include/exiv2/rwlock.hpp b/include/exiv2/rwlock.hpp
index 04afe457..68b88305 100644
--- a/include/exiv2/rwlock.hpp
+++ b/include/exiv2/rwlock.hpp
@@ -22,9 +22,11 @@
 #ifndef RW_LOCK_HPP
 #define RW_LOCK_HPP
 
-#ifdef _MSC_VER
+#if defined(_MSC_VER) || defined(__CYGWIN__) || defined(__MINGW__)
 #include <windows.h>
-#else
+#endif
+
+#ifndef  _MSC_VER
 #include <pthread.h>
 #endif
 
diff --git a/src/basicio.cpp b/src/basicio.cpp
index 95589cd2..63d54602 100644
--- a/src/basicio.cpp
+++ b/src/basicio.cpp
@@ -72,7 +72,6 @@ EXIV2_RCSID("@(#) $Id$")
 #if defined(__MINGW__) || (defined(WIN32) && !defined(__CYGWIN))
 // Windows doesn't provide nlink_t
 typedef short nlink_t;
-# include <windows.h>
 # include <io.h>
 #endif
 
diff --git a/src/convert.cpp b/src/convert.cpp
index 26a5fd8b..025228c9 100644
--- a/src/convert.cpp
+++ b/src/convert.cpp
@@ -51,10 +51,6 @@ EXIV2_RCSID("@(#) $Id$")
 #endif
 #include <cstring>
 
-#if defined WIN32 && !defined __CYGWIN__
-# include <windows.h>
-#endif
-
 #ifdef EXV_HAVE_ICONV
 # include <iconv.h>
 # include <errno.h>
diff --git a/src/exiv2app.hpp b/src/exiv2app.hpp
index affbcb80..3fcf4e80 100644
--- a/src/exiv2app.hpp
+++ b/src/exiv2app.hpp
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@
 #include <exiv2/exiv2.hpp>
 
 #include "utils.hpp"
-#include "types.hpp"
 
 // + standard includes
 #include <string>
@@ -55,9 +54,7 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <string.h>
-#if defined(__CYGWIN__) || defined(__MINGW__)
-#include <windows.h>
-#else
+#if !defined(__CYGWIN__) && !defined(__MINGW__)
 #include <sys/select.h>
 #endif
 #endif
diff --git a/src/http.cpp b/src/http.cpp
index 86b7ebb7..43c98a22 100644
--- a/src/http.cpp
+++ b/src/http.cpp
@@ -57,7 +57,6 @@
 // platform specific code
 #if defined(WIN32) || defined(_MSC_VER) || defined(__MINGW__)
 #include <string.h>
-#include <windows.h>
 #include <io.h>
 #ifndef  __MINGW__
 #define  snprintf sprintf_s
diff --git a/src/jpgimage.cpp b/src/jpgimage.cpp
index 9afcb58b..ca61c347 100644
--- a/src/jpgimage.cpp
+++ b/src/jpgimage.cpp
@@ -35,9 +35,7 @@ EXIV2_RCSID("@(#) $Id$")
 #include "error.hpp"
 #include "futils.hpp"
 
-#ifdef WIN32
-#include <windows.h>
-#else
+#ifndef WIN32
 #define BYTE   char
 #define USHORT uint16_t
 #define ULONG  uint32_t
diff --git a/src/makernote.cpp b/src/makernote.cpp
index 4816f88c..316d8d15 100644
--- a/src/makernote.cpp
+++ b/src/makernote.cpp
@@ -53,7 +53,6 @@ EXIV2_RCSID("@(#) $Id$")
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <pwd.h>
 #else
-#include <windows.h>
 #include <shlobj.h>
   /* older SDKs not have these */
 # ifndef CSIDL_MYMUSIC
diff --git a/src/types.cpp b/src/types.cpp
index df509703..85852557 100644
--- a/src/types.cpp
+++ b/src/types.cpp
@@ -35,9 +35,6 @@ EXIV2_RCSID("@(#) $Id$")
 #include "i18n.h"                               // for _exvGettext
 
 // + standard includes
-#ifdef EXV_UNICODE_PATH
-# include <windows.h> // for MultiByteToWideChar etc
-#endif
 #include <string>
 #include <iostream>
 #include <iomanip>
diff --git a/src/version.cpp b/src/version.cpp
index 45e218f9..b4f39e16 100644
--- a/src/version.cpp
+++ b/src/version.cpp
@@ -146,7 +146,6 @@ namespace Exiv2 {
 
 // platform specific support for dumpLibraryInfo
 #if defined(WIN32)
-# include <windows.h>
 # include <psapi.h>
 
 // tell MSVC to link psapi.