diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index a2f9a4b..16fb8db 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -84,8 +84,10 @@ AC_SUBST(SQL)
 AC_SUBST(LFLAGS)
 
 CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -Wall -Werror"
+LOCALE_T=locale_t
 AS_CASE([$host],
-        [*mingw*|*cygwin*], [LDFLAGS="$LDFLAGS -no-undefined"], [])
+        [*mingw*|*cygwin*], [LDFLAGS="$LDFLAGS -no-undefined" LOCALE_T=_locale_t], [])
+AC_SUBST(LOCALE_T)
 
 dnl See if iconv is present and wanted
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(iconv,
diff --git a/include/mdbtools.h.in b/include/mdbtools.h.in
index c4b6fd8..1cd121c 100644
--- a/include/mdbtools.h.in
+++ b/include/mdbtools.h.in
@@ -65,13 +65,10 @@
 // M$VC see http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1113409/attribute-constructor-equivalent-in-vc
 #define MDB_DEPRECATED(type, funcname) type __attribute__((deprecated)) funcname
 
-#if defined(_WIN32) || defined(WIN32) || defined(_WIN64) || defined(WIN64) || defined(WINDOWS)
-typedef _locale_t mdb_locale_t;
-#else
-typedef locale_t mdb_locale_t;
+#if !MDBTOOLS_H_HAVE_ICONV_H
+typedef @LOCALE_T@ mdb_locale_t;
 #endif
 
-
 enum {
 	MDB_PAGE_DB = 0,
 	MDB_PAGE_DATA,