diff --git a/build/ChangeLog b/build/ChangeLog
index e8e555c5b..e8f58f36d 100644
--- a/build/ChangeLog
+++ b/build/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+2008-11-23  Hans Breuer  <hans@breuer.org>
+
+	* win32/make.msc win32/module.defs : updated to simplify build
+	with prebuilt dependencies. Just extract them to $(TOP)\dev.
+	Also some adaptions to optionally use vc2008 (express).
+
 2008-11-02  Tor Lillqvist  <tml@novell.com>
 
 	Bug 558153 - Patch for .def files generation
diff --git a/build/win32/make.msc b/build/win32/make.msc
index 91835a9e9..bebe2d880 100644
--- a/build/win32/make.msc
+++ b/build/win32/make.msc
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ OPTIMIZE = -Ox
 CRUNTIME = -MD
 # Line number debug info only
 DEBUGINFO = -Zd
+# vc2008 does not have this
+#DEBUGINFO =
 LINKDEBUG =
 !ELSE
 # Debugging:
@@ -46,8 +48,14 @@ TOP = ..
 ATK_CFLAGS = -I $(ATK)
 ATK_LIBS = $(ATK)\atk\atk-$(ATK_VER).lib
 
+!IFNDEF CAIRO
+# use prebuilt
+CAIRO_CFLAGS = -I $(TOP)\dev\include\cairo
+CAIRO_LIBS = $(TOP)\dev\lib\cairo.lib
+!ELSE
 CAIRO_CFLAGS = -I $(CAIRO)\cairo\src -I $(CAIRO)\libpixman\src -I $(CAIRO) $(FONTCONFIG_CFLAGS) $(FREETYPE2_CFLAGS)
 CAIRO_LIBS = $(CAIRO)\cairo\src\libcairo-$(CAIRO_VER).lib
+!ENDIF
 
 DIRENT_CFLAGS = -I $(GLIB)\build\win32\dirent
 DIRENT_LIBS = $(GLIB)\build\win32\dirent\dirent.lib
@@ -69,7 +77,7 @@ GIMP_PLUGIN_LIBS = $(GIMP)\libgimp\gimp-$(GIMP_VER).lib $(GIMP)\libgimp\gimpui-$
 GLIB = $(TOP)\glib
 
 GLIB_CFLAGS = -I $(GLIB) -I $(GLIB)\glib -I $(GLIB)\gmodule $(INTL_CFLAGS)
-GLIB_LIBS = $(GLIB)\glib\glib-$(GLIB_VER).lib $(GLIB)\gmodule\gmodule-$(GLIB_VER).lib $(GLIB)\gobject\gobject-$(GLIB_VER).lib
+GLIB_LIBS = $(GLIB)\glib\glib-$(GLIB_VER).lib $(GLIB)\gmodule\gmodule-$(GLIB_VER).lib $(GLIB)\gobject\gobject-$(GLIB_VER).lib $(GLIB)\gio\gio-$(GLIB_VER).lib
 GTHREAD_LIBS = $(GLIB)\gthread\gthread-$(GLIB_VER).lib
 
 GNOMECANVAS_CFLAGS = -I $(GNOMECANVAS)
@@ -94,8 +102,8 @@ GTKGLAREA_LIBS = $(GTKGLAREA)\gtkgl\gtkgl-$(GTKGLAREA_VER).lib
 LIBART_CFLAGS = -I$(LIBART)\.. -FIlibart_lgpl/art_config.h
 LIBART_LIBS = $(LIBART)\libart.lib
 
-INTL_CFLAGS = -I $(INTL)
-INTL_LIBS = $(INTL)\intl.lib 
+INTL_CFLAGS = -I $(INTL)\include
+INTL_LIBS = $(INTL)\lib\intl.lib 
 
 LIBICONV_CFLAGS = -I $(LIBICONV)\include
 LIBICONV_LIBS = $(LIBICONV)\lib\iconv.lib
@@ -109,8 +117,14 @@ LIBXML2_LIBS = $(LIBXML2)\libxml2.lib
 LIBXSLT_CFLAGS = -I $(LIBXSLT)
 LIBXSLT_LIBS = $(LIBXSLT)\libxslt\libxslt.lib
 
+!IFNDEF JPEG
+# use prebuilt
+JPEG_CFLAGS = -I $(TOP)\dev\include
+JPEG_LIBS = $(TOP)\dev\lib\jpeg.lib
+!ELSE
 JPEG_CFLAGS = -I $(JPEG)
 JPEG_LIBS = $(JPEG)\libjpeg.lib
+!ENDIF
 
 OPENGL_CFLAGS = # None needed, headers bundled with the compiler
 OPENGL_LIBS = opengl32.lib lglu32.lib
@@ -118,10 +132,17 @@ OPENGL_LIBS = opengl32.lib lglu32.lib
 PANGO_CFLAGS = -I $(PANGO)
 PANGO_LIBS = $(PANGO)\pango\pango-$(PANGO_VER).lib
 PANGOWIN32_LIBS = $(PANGO_LIBS) $(PANGO)\pango\pangowin32-$(PANGO_VER).lib
+PANGOCAIRO_LIBS = $(PANGO_LIBS) $(PANGO)\pango\pangowin32-$(PANGO_VER).lib $(PANGO)\pango\pangocairo-$(PANGO_VER).lib
 PANGOFT2_LIBS = $(PANGO_LIBS) $(PANGO)\pango\pangoft2-$(PANGO_VER).lib
 
+!IFNDEF PNG
+#use precompiled
+PNG_CFLAGS = -I $(TOP)\dev\include\libpng12
+PNG_LIBS = $(TOP)\dev\lib\libpng.lib $(ZLIB_LIBS)
+!ELSE
 PNG_CFLAGS = -I $(PNG) $(ZLIB_CFLAGS)
 PNG_LIBS = $(PNG)\png.lib $(ZLIB_LIBS)
+!ENDIF
 
 RSVG_CFLAGS = -I $(RSVG)\..
 RSVG_LIBS = $(RSVG)\librsvg-$(RSVG_VER).lib
@@ -129,21 +150,33 @@ RSVG_LIBS = $(RSVG)\librsvg-$(RSVG_VER).lib
 SVG_CFLAGS = -I $(SVG)\src
 SVG_LIBS = $(SVG)\src\libsvg-$(SVG_VER).lib
 
+!IFNDEF TIFF
+# use prebuilt
+TIFF_CFLAGS = -I $(TOP)\dev\include
+TIFF_LIBS = $(TOP)\dev\lib\libtiff.lib
+!ELSE
 TIFF_CFLAGS = -I $(TIFF)\libtiff
 # Use single import library for both libtiff DLL versions (with or
 # without LZW code). The user selects which DLL to use.
 TIFF_NOLZW_LIBS = $(TIFF)\libtiff\tiff.lib $(JPEG_LIBS) $(ZLIB_LIBS) user32.lib
 TIFF_LZW_LIBS = $(TIFF_NOLZW_LIBS)
 TIFF_LIBS = $(TIFF_NOLZW_LIBS)
+!ENDIF
 
+!IFNDEF ZLIB
+# use prebuilt
+ZLIB_CFLAGS = -I $(TOP)\dev\include
+ZLIB_LIBS = $(TOP)\dev\lib\zdll.lib
+!ELSE
 ZLIB_CFLAGS = -I $(ZLIB)
 ZLIB_LIBS = $(ZLIB)\zlib.lib
+!ENDIF
 
 ################
 # Compiler to use.
 
 CCOMPILER = cl
-CC = $(CCOMPILER) -G5 -GF $(CRUNTIME) -W3 -nologo
+CC = $(CCOMPILER) -GF $(CRUNTIME) -W3 -nologo
 
 ################
 # The including makefile should define INCLUDES, DEFINES and
@@ -170,7 +203,6 @@ clean::
 	-del *.lib
 	-del *.err
 	-del *.map
-	-del *.sym
 	-del *.exp
 	-del *.lk1
 	-del *.mk1
diff --git a/build/win32/module.defs b/build/win32/module.defs
index dfebcddc7..f8e6ae25e 100644
--- a/build/win32/module.defs
+++ b/build/win32/module.defs
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@ MODULE_DEFS_INCLUDED=1
 # built using libtool.
 
 ATK_VER = 1.0
-CAIRO_VER = 0.3
 FREETYPE2_VER = 2.0
 GIMP_VER = 1.2
 GDK_PIXBUF_VER = 2.0
@@ -59,7 +58,8 @@ RSVG_VER = 2.4
 # In alphabetical order.
 
 ATK = $(TOP)/atk
-CAIRO = $(TOP)\cairo
+# define this if you use cairo from source
+# CAIRO = $(TOP)\cairo
 GIMP = $(TOP)/gimp
 GLIB = $(TOP)/glib
 GNOMECANVAS = $(TOP)\libgnomecanvas
@@ -96,16 +96,18 @@ GLIB_GENMARSHAL = $(GLIB)/gobject/glib-genmarshal
 FREETYPE2 = $(TOP)/freetype2
 GTKEXTRA = $(TOP)/gtk+extra
 GTKGLAREA = $(TOP)/gtkglarea
-INTL = $(TOP)/gettext-0.10.40/intl
-JPEG = $(TOP)/jpeg-6b
+#INTL = $(TOP)/gettext-0.10.40/intl
+INTL = $(TOP)/dev
+
+#JPEG = $(TOP)/jpeg-6b
 LIBART = $(TOP)/libart_lgpl
 LIBICONV = $(TOP)/libiconv-$(LIBICONV_VER)
 LIBXSLT = $(TOP)/libxslt
-PNG = $(TOP)/libpng-1.2.0
+#PNG = $(TOP)/libpng-1.2.0
 RSVG = $(TOP)\librsvg
 SVG = $(TOP)\libsvg
-TIFF = $(TOP)/tiff-v3.4
-ZLIB = $(TOP)/zlib-1.1.3
+#TIFF = $(TOP)/tiff-v3.4
+#ZLIB = $(TOP)/zlib-1.1.3
 
 # Headers from Microsoft's PlatformSDK (that aren't present in
 # mingw) are needed by a just a few packages when compiling with gcc.