diff --git a/examples/Makefile b/examples/Makefile
index 99a584e508f1d40c60f885684b2fb9f466844bf7..bd14cebaff59bd75214dbd48f636be1343b2ca4b 100644
--- a/examples/Makefile
+++ b/examples/Makefile
@@ -11,13 +11,18 @@ NS = ../../net_skeleton
 SW = ../../ssl_wrapper
 
 ifeq ($(OS),Windows_NT)
-  MSVC = ../../vc6
-  RM = del /q /f
-  OUT =
-  CC = $(MSVC)/bin/cl
-  CFLAGS = /MD /TC /nologo /W3 /I$(MSVC)/include /I..
-  CFLAGS += /link /incremental:no /libpath:$(MSVC)/lib /machine:IX86
-  CFLAGS += $(CFLAGS_EXTRA)
+  ifndef MINGW
+    MSVC = ../../vc6
+    RM = del /q /f
+    OUT =
+    CC = $(MSVC)/bin/cl
+    CFLAGS = /MD /TC /nologo /W3 /I$(MSVC)/include /I..
+    CFLAGS += /link /incremental:no /libpath:$(MSVC)/lib /machine:IX86
+    CFLAGS += $(CFLAGS_EXTRA)
+  else
+    CC = g++
+    CFLAGS = -W -Wall -Wno-unused-parameter -I.. -O0 -g -pipe $(CFLAGS_EXTRA) -lwsock32
+  endif
 else
   UNAME_S := $(shell uname -s)
   CC = g++
diff --git a/mongoose.c b/mongoose.c
index 2f612484415802d08792b8b58e734d7e064c320d..4672355186c21b84978968469eeab51e54560e64 100644
--- a/mongoose.c
+++ b/mongoose.c
@@ -1807,8 +1807,8 @@ static void abs_path(const char *utf8_path, char *abs_path, size_t len) {
 static process_id_t start_process(char *interp, const char *cmd,
                                   const char *env, const char *envp[],
                                   const char *dir, sock_t sock) {
-  STARTUPINFOW si = {0};
-  PROCESS_INFORMATION pi = {0};
+  STARTUPINFOW si;
+  PROCESS_INFORMATION pi;
   HANDLE a[2], b[2], me = GetCurrentProcess();
   wchar_t wcmd[MAX_PATH_SIZE], full_dir[MAX_PATH_SIZE];
   char buf[MAX_PATH_SIZE], buf4[MAX_PATH_SIZE], buf5[MAX_PATH_SIZE],
@@ -1816,6 +1816,9 @@ static process_id_t start_process(char *interp, const char *cmd,
   DWORD flags = DUPLICATE_CLOSE_SOURCE | DUPLICATE_SAME_ACCESS;
   FILE *fp;
 
+  memset(&si, 0, sizeof(si));
+  memset(&pi, 0, sizeof(pi));
+
   si.cb = sizeof(si);
   si.dwFlags = STARTF_USESTDHANDLES | STARTF_USESHOWWINDOW;
   si.wShowWindow = SW_HIDE;