diff --git a/docs/win32-build.md b/docs/win32-build.md
index 4bf696e6f..81dee0465 100644
--- a/docs/win32-build.md
+++ b/docs/win32-build.md
@@ -65,10 +65,10 @@ Building software that just *uses* GLib or GTK also require to have
 the right compiler set up the right way. If you intend to use MinGW-GCC,
 follow the relevant instructions below in that case, too.
 
-You should link to GLib using the `-mms-bitfields` GCC flag. It is the default
-since 2012 (GCC 4.7). This flag means that the struct layout rules are identical
-to those used by MSVC. This is essential if the same DLLs are to be usable both
-from gcc- and MSVC-compiled code.
+You should link to GLib using the `-mms-bitfields` GCC flag. This flag means
+that the struct layout rules are identical to those used by MSVC. This is
+essential if the same DLLs are to be usable both from gcc- and MSVC-compiled
+code.
 
 ## Cross-CRT issues
 
diff --git a/glib/meson.build b/glib/meson.build
index f4889243d..c26a35e42 100644
--- a/glib/meson.build
+++ b/glib/meson.build
@@ -443,7 +443,7 @@ pkg.generate(libglib,
   libraries : [libintl_deps],
   libraries_private : [win32_ldflags],
   subdirs : ['glib-2.0'],
-  extra_cflags : ['-I${libdir}/glib-2.0/include'],
+  extra_cflags : ['-I${libdir}/glib-2.0/include'] + win32_cflags,
   variables : [
     'bindir=' + '${prefix}' / get_option('bindir'),
     'datadir=' + '${prefix}' / get_option('datadir'),
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 178bf0bbb..97fc0f119 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ if cc.get_id() == 'msvc'
   noseh_link_args = ['/SAFESEH:NO']
 else
   noseh_link_args = []
+  # -mms-bitfields vs -fnative-struct ?
 endif
 
 host_system = host_machine.system()
@@ -2351,8 +2352,15 @@ else
   export_dynamic_ldflags = ['-Wl,--export-dynamic']
 endif
 
+win32_cflags = []
 win32_ldflags = []
 if host_system == 'windows' and cc.get_id() != 'msvc' and cc.get_id() != 'clang-cl'
+  # Ensure MSVC-compatible struct packing convention is used when
+  # compiling for Win32 with gcc. It is used for the whole project and exposed
+  # in glib-2.0.pc.
+  win32_cflags = ['-mms-bitfields']
+  add_project_arguments(win32_cflags, language : 'c')
+
   # Win32 API libs, used only by libglib and exposed in glib-2.0.pc
   win32_ldflags = ['-lws2_32', '-lole32', '-lwinmm', '-lshlwapi', '-luuid']
 elif host_system == 'cygwin'