diff --git a/win32/README.txt b/win32/README.txt
index af0dc15c1..dc31e8b6d 100644
--- a/win32/README.txt
+++ b/win32/README.txt
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ PREFIX: Optional.  Base directory of where the third-party headers, libraries
 Explanation of options, set by <option>=1:
 ------------------------------------------
 GLIB: Enable GLib support in HarfBuzz, which also uses the GLib unicode
-      callback instead of the bundled UCDN unicode callback.  This requires the
+      callback if the bundled UCDN unicode callback is disabled.  This requires the
       GLib libraries, and is required for building all tool and test programs.
 
 GOBJECT: Enable building the HarfBuzz-GObject DLL, and thus implies GLib
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ CAIRO_FT: Enable the build of the hb-view tool, which makes use of Cairo, and
 
 GRAPHITE2: Enable the Graphite2 shaper, requires the SIL Graphite2 library.
 
-ICU: Enables the build of ICU Unicode functions. Requires the ICU libraries.
+ICU: Enables the build of ICU Unicode functions. Requires the ICU libraries.
 
 UNISCRIBE: Enable Uniscribe platform shaper support.
 
@@ -75,4 +75,4 @@ PYTHON: Full path to the Python interpretor to be used, if it is not in %PATH%.
 
 PERL: Full path to the PERL interpretor to be used, if it is not in %PATH%.
 
-LIBTOOL_DLL_NAME: Enable libtool-style DLL names.
\ No newline at end of file
+LIBTOOL_DLL_NAME: Enable libtool-style DLL names.
diff --git a/win32/config-msvc.mak b/win32/config-msvc.mak
index 4cffaeacc..285ad1406 100644
--- a/win32/config-msvc.mak
+++ b/win32/config-msvc.mak
@@ -129,6 +129,16 @@ HB_HEADERS = $(HB_HEADERS) $(HB_GRAPHITE2_headers)
 HB_DEP_LIBS = $(HB_DEP_LIBS) $(GRAPHITE2_LIB)
 !endif
 
+# Always enable UCDN unless explicitly disabled
+!if "$(NO_UCDN)" != "1"
+HB_DEFINES = $(HB_DEFINES) /DHAVE_UCDN=1
+HB_CFLAGS =		\
+	$(HB_CFLAGS)		\
+	$(HB_UCDN_CFLAGS)
+
+HB_SOURCES = $(HB_SOURCES) $(LIBHB_UCDN_sources) $(HB_UCDN_sources)
+!endif
+
 # Enable GLib if desired
 !if "$(GLIB)" == "1"
 HB_DEFINES = $(HB_DEFINES) /DHAVE_GLIB=1
@@ -164,16 +174,12 @@ HB_TESTS = \
 	$(CFG)\$(PLAT)\test-unicode.exe				\
 	$(CFG)\$(PLAT)\test-version.exe
 
-!elseif "$(ICU)" == "1"
+!else
+!if "$(ICU)" == "1"
 # use ICU for Unicode functions
 # and define some of the macros in GLib's msvc_recommended_pragmas.h
 # to reduce some unneeded build-time warnings
 HB_DEFINES = $(HB_DEFINES) /DHAVE_ICU=1 /DHAVE_ICU_BUILTIN=1
-HB_CFLAGS =	\
-	$(HB_CFLAGS)					\
-	/wd4244							\
-	/D_CRT_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS		\
-	/D_CRT_NONSTDC_NO_WARNINGS
 
 # We don't want ICU to re-define int8_t in VS 2008, will cause build breakage
 # as we define it in hb-common.h, and we ought to use the definitions there.
@@ -186,18 +192,14 @@ HB_HEADERS = $(HB_HEADERS) $(HB_ICU_headers)
 HB_DEP_LIBS = $(HB_DEP_LIBS) $(HB_ICU_DEP_LIBS)
 !endif
 
-!if "$(UCDN)" != "0"
 # Define some of the macros in GLib's msvc_recommended_pragmas.h
 # to reduce some unneeded build-time warnings
-HB_DEFINES = $(HB_DEFINES) /DHAVE_UCDN=1
 HB_CFLAGS =	\
-	$(HB_CFLAGS)					\
-	$(HB_UCDN_CFLAGS)				\
-	/wd4244							\
-	/D_CRT_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS		\
+	$(HB_CFLAGS)			\
+	/wd4244				\
+	/D_CRT_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS	\
 	/D_CRT_NONSTDC_NO_WARNINGS
 
-HB_SOURCES = $(HB_SOURCES) $(LIBHB_UCDN_sources) $(HB_UCDN_sources)
 !endif
 
 !if "$(UNISCRIBE)" == "1"
diff --git a/win32/config.h.win32.in b/win32/config.h.win32.in
index d45cefb5e..435c1bb29 100644
--- a/win32/config.h.win32.in
+++ b/win32/config.h.win32.in
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@
 #define HAVE_SYS_TYPES_H 1
 
 /* Have UCDN Unicode functions */
-#define HAVE_UCDN 1
+/* #undef HAVE_UCDN */
 
 /* Have Uniscribe library */
 /* #undef HAVE_UNISCRIBE */
diff --git a/win32/info-msvc.mak b/win32/info-msvc.mak
index 3ec11d4dc..9b92e0311 100644
--- a/win32/info-msvc.mak
+++ b/win32/info-msvc.mak
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@ INC_FEATURES = Fallback OT
 BUILT_TOOLS =
 BUILT_LIBRARIES = HarfBuzz
 
+!if "$(NO_UCDN)" != "1"
+UNICODE_IMPL = ucdn
+!else
 !if "$(GLIB)" == "1"
 UNICODE_IMPL = GLib
 INC_FEATURES = $(INC_FEATURES) GLib
@@ -13,8 +16,7 @@ BUILT_TOOLS = hb-view.exe $(BUILT_TOOLS)
 !endif
 !elseif "$(ICU)" == "1"
 UNICODE_IMPL = ICU
-!else
-UNICODE_IMPL = ucdn
+!endif
 !endif
 
 !if "$(FREETYPE)" == "1"
@@ -79,18 +81,18 @@ help:
 	@echo.
 	@echo OPTION: Optional, may be any of the following, use OPTION=1 to enable;
 	@echo multiple OPTION's may be used.  If no OPTION is specified, a default
-	@echo HarfBuzz DLL is built with OpenType and fallback support
-	@echo with a bundled Unicode implementation (UCDN).
+	@echo HarfBuzz DLL is built with OpenType and support with a bundled
+	@echo Unicode implementation (UCDN).
 	@echo ======
-	@echo UNISCRIBE:
-	@echo Enable Uniscribe support.
+	@echo.
+	@echo CAIRO_FT:
+	@echo Enables Cairo-Freetype support, needed for the build of the hb-view utility.
+	@echo Implies FreeType2 support and also requires Cairo built with FreeType2
+	@echo support; GLib2 support must also be enabled.
 	@echo.
 	@echo DIRECTWRITE:
 	@echo Enable DirectWrite support, requires a recent enough Windows SDK.
 	@echo.
-	@echo GRAPHITE2:
-	@echo Enable graphite2 support, requires the SIL Graphite2 library
-	@echo.
 	@echo FREETYPE:
 	@echo Enable FreeType2 support, requires the FreeType2 library
 	@echo.
@@ -98,16 +100,19 @@ help:
 	@echo Enable GLib2 support, with GLib Unicode support, requires the GNOME GLib2
 	@echo library.  Enables the build of utility programs.
 	@echo.
-	@echo ICU:
-	@echo Enable build with ICU Unicode functions, requires the International
-	@echo Components for Unicode (ICU) libraries.
-	@echo.
 	@echo GOBJECT:
 	@echo Enable the HarfBuzz-GObject library, also implies GLib2 support,
 	@echo requires the GNOME GLib2 libraries and tools, notably the glib-mkenums
 	@echo tool script, which will require a PERL interpreter (use
 	@echo PERL=^$(PATH_TO_PERL_INTERPRETOR)) if it is not already in your PATH).
 	@echo.
+	@echo GRAPHITE2:
+	@echo Enable graphite2 support, requires the SIL Graphite2 library
+	@echo.
+	@echo ICU:
+	@echo Enable build with ICU Unicode functions, requires the International
+	@echo Components for Unicode (ICU) libraries.
+	@echo.
 	@echo INTROSPECTION:
 	@echo Enable the build of introspection files, also implies GObject/GLib2 support,
 	@echo requires the GNOME gobject-introspection libraries and tools.  You will need
@@ -117,15 +122,17 @@ help:
 	@echo ^$(PATH_TO_PYTHON_INTERPRETOR) respectively, if python.exe is not already
 	@echo in your PATH.
 	@echo.
-	@echo CAIRO_FT:
-	@echo Enables Cairo-Freetype support, needed for the build of the hb-view utility.
-	@echo Implies FreeType2 support and also requires Cairo built with FreeType2
-	@echo support; GLib2 support must also be enabled.
-	@echo.
 	@echo LIBTOOL_DLL_NAME:
 	@echo Use a libtool-style DLL name to mimic the DLL file naming generated by
 	@echo MinGW builds.
 	@echo.
+	@echo NO_UCDN:
+	@echo Do not use the bundled Unicode callback, which is the default.  GLib or
+	@echo ICU-based unicode callback is therefore required.
+	@echo
+	@echo UNISCRIBE:
+	@echo Enable Uniscribe support.
+	@echo.
 	@echo Note that GLib2 support is required for all utility and test programs.
 	@echo ======
 	@echo A 'clean' target is supported to remove all generated files, intermediate