diff --git a/reactos/Makefile b/reactos/Makefile
index 8ec2925c90c..b35d99fcce8 100644
--- a/reactos/Makefile
+++ b/reactos/Makefile
@@ -152,11 +152,15 @@ ifeq ($(word 1,$(shell gcc -dumpmachine)),mingw32)
 ifeq ($(findstring msys,$(shell sh --version 2>nul)),msys)
 export OSTYPE = msys
 HOST=mingw32-linux
+CFLAGS+=-fshort-wchar
+CPPFLAGS+=-fshort-wchar
 else
 HOST=mingw32-windows
 endif
 else
 HOST=mingw32-linux
+CFLAGS+=-fshort-wchar
+CPPFLAGS+=-fshort-wchar
 endif
 endif
 
diff --git a/reactos/config.rbuild b/reactos/config.rbuild
index f6678d2e32b..0f259c47349 100644
--- a/reactos/config.rbuild
+++ b/reactos/config.rbuild
@@ -44,14 +44,14 @@
 <!--
   Whether to compile in the integrated kernel debugger.
 -->
-<property name="KDBG" value="0" />
+<property name="KDBG" value="1" />
 
 
 <!--
   Whether to compile for debugging. No compiler optimizations will be
   performed.
 -->
-<property name="DBG" value="0" />
+<property name="DBG" value="1" />
 
 
 <!--
diff --git a/reactos/tools/buildno/buildno.cpp b/reactos/tools/buildno/buildno.cpp
index 9a49bbf6303..14e48e8acc7 100644
--- a/reactos/tools/buildno/buildno.cpp
+++ b/reactos/tools/buildno/buildno.cpp
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
 
 static char * argv0 = "";
 static char * filename = "";
+static char * kernel_version_build_type = 0;
 
 #ifdef DBG
 void
@@ -55,6 +56,15 @@ tm_dump (const char *tag, struct tm * t)
 }
 #endif
 
+int count_wide_string( wchar_t *str )
+{
+  int i;
+  
+  for( i = 0; str[i]; i++ );
+
+  return i;
+}
+
 void
 write_h (int build, char *buildstr)
 {
@@ -80,7 +90,7 @@ write_h (int build, char *buildstr)
     {
       s = s + sprintf (s, ".%d", KERNEL_VERSION_PATCH_LEVEL);
     }
-  s = s + sprintf (s, "-%S\\0\"\n", KERNEL_VERSION_BUILD_TYPE);
+  s = s + sprintf (s, "-%s\\0\"\n", kernel_version_build_type);
   s = s + sprintf (s, "#define KERNEL_RELEASE_STR\t\"%d.%d",
 		   KERNEL_VERSION_MAJOR,
 		   KERNEL_VERSION_MINOR);
@@ -88,7 +98,7 @@ write_h (int build, char *buildstr)
     {
       s = s + sprintf (s, ".%d", KERNEL_VERSION_PATCH_LEVEL);
     }
-  s = s + sprintf (s, "-%S\"\n", KERNEL_VERSION_BUILD_TYPE);
+  s = s + sprintf (s, "-%s\"\n", kernel_version_build_type);
   s = s + sprintf (s, "#define KERNEL_VERSION_RC\t\"%d.%d",
 		   KERNEL_VERSION_MAJOR,
 		   KERNEL_VERSION_MINOR);
@@ -96,7 +106,7 @@ write_h (int build, char *buildstr)
     {
       s = s + sprintf (s, ".%d", KERNEL_VERSION_PATCH_LEVEL);
     }
-  s = s + sprintf (s, "-%S\\0\"\n", KERNEL_VERSION_BUILD_TYPE);
+  s = s + sprintf (s, "-%s\\0\"\n", kernel_version_build_type);
   s = s + sprintf (s, "#define KERNEL_VERSION_STR\t\"%d.%d", 
 		   KERNEL_VERSION_MAJOR,
 		   KERNEL_VERSION_MINOR);
@@ -104,7 +114,7 @@ write_h (int build, char *buildstr)
     {
       s = s + sprintf (s, ".%d", KERNEL_VERSION_PATCH_LEVEL);
     }
-  s = s + sprintf (s, "-%S\"\n", KERNEL_VERSION_BUILD_TYPE);
+  s = s + sprintf (s, "-%s\"\n", kernel_version_build_type);
   s = s + sprintf (s, "#define REACTOS_DLL_VERSION_MAJOR\t%d\n", dllversion);
   s = s + sprintf (s, "#define REACTOS_DLL_RELEASE_RC\t\"%d.%d",
 		   dllversion, KERNEL_VERSION_MINOR);
@@ -112,7 +122,7 @@ write_h (int build, char *buildstr)
     {
       s = s + sprintf (s, ".%d", KERNEL_VERSION_PATCH_LEVEL);
     }
-  s = s + sprintf (s, "-%S\\0\"\n", KERNEL_VERSION_BUILD_TYPE);
+  s = s + sprintf (s, "-%s\\0\"\n", kernel_version_build_type);
   s = s + sprintf (s, "#define REACTOS_DLL_RELEASE_STR\t\"%d.%d",
 		   dllversion,
 		   KERNEL_VERSION_MINOR);
@@ -120,7 +130,7 @@ write_h (int build, char *buildstr)
     {
       s = s + sprintf (s, ".%d", KERNEL_VERSION_PATCH_LEVEL);
     }
-  s = s + sprintf (s, "-%S\"\n", KERNEL_VERSION_BUILD_TYPE);
+  s = s + sprintf (s, "-%s\"\n", kernel_version_build_type);
   s = s + sprintf (s, "#define REACTOS_DLL_VERSION_RC\t\"%d.%d",
 		   dllversion,
 		   KERNEL_VERSION_MINOR);
@@ -128,7 +138,7 @@ write_h (int build, char *buildstr)
     {
       s = s + sprintf (s, ".%d", KERNEL_VERSION_PATCH_LEVEL);
     }
-  s = s + sprintf (s, "-%S\\0\"\n", KERNEL_VERSION_BUILD_TYPE);
+  s = s + sprintf (s, "-%s\\0\"\n", kernel_version_build_type);
   s = s + sprintf (s, "#define REACTOS_DLL_VERSION_STR\t\"%d.%d", 
 		   dllversion,
 		   KERNEL_VERSION_MINOR);
@@ -136,7 +146,7 @@ write_h (int build, char *buildstr)
     {
       s = s + sprintf (s, ".%d", KERNEL_VERSION_PATCH_LEVEL);
     }
-  s = s + sprintf (s, "-%S\"\n", KERNEL_VERSION_BUILD_TYPE);
+  s = s + sprintf (s, "-%s\"\n", kernel_version_build_type);
   s = s + sprintf (s, "#endif\n/* EOF */\n");
 
   h = fopen (filename, "wb");
@@ -284,6 +294,7 @@ usage (void)
 int
 main (int argc, char * argv [])
 {
+	int		i, length;
 	int		print_only = FALSE;
 	int		quiet = FALSE;
 
@@ -341,6 +352,14 @@ main (int argc, char * argv [])
 		printf ( "\nReactOS Build Number Generator\n\n");
 	}
 
+	/* Convert kernel_version_build_type to a host-friendly string */
+	length = count_wide_string(KERNEL_VERSION_BUILD_TYPE);
+	kernel_version_build_type = (char *)malloc(length+1);
+	for( i = 0; KERNEL_VERSION_BUILD_TYPE[i]; i++ ) {
+	  kernel_version_build_type[i] = KERNEL_VERSION_BUILD_TYPE[i];
+	}
+	kernel_version_build_type[i] = 0;
+	
 	time (& t1); /* current build time */
 	t1_tm = gmtime (& t1);
 
@@ -378,7 +397,7 @@ main (int argc, char * argv [])
 		{
 			printf(".%d", KERNEL_VERSION_PATCH_LEVEL);
 		}
-		printf("-%S (Build %s)\n\n", KERNEL_VERSION_BUILD_TYPE, buildstr);
+		printf("-%s (Build %s)\n\n", kernel_version_build_type, buildstr);
 	}
 	/*
 	 * (Over)write the include file, unless
diff --git a/reactos/tools/mkhive/cmi.c b/reactos/tools/mkhive/cmi.c
index b84c1d25776..cb79a18c3b5 100644
--- a/reactos/tools/mkhive/cmi.c
+++ b/reactos/tools/mkhive/cmi.c
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ CmpAllocate(
 	IN SIZE_T Size,
 	IN BOOLEAN Paged)
 {
-	return malloc(Size);
+	return (PVOID) malloc(Size);
 }
 
 static VOID
diff --git a/reactos/tools/mkhive/mkhive.mak b/reactos/tools/mkhive/mkhive.mak
index a4d20753d32..252bc80f7d9 100644
--- a/reactos/tools/mkhive/mkhive.mak
+++ b/reactos/tools/mkhive/mkhive.mak
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ MKHIVE_SOURCES = $(addprefix $(MKHIVE_BASE_), \
 MKHIVE_OBJECTS = \
 	$(addprefix $(INTERMEDIATE_), $(MKHIVE_SOURCES:.c=.o))
 
-MKHIVE_HOST_CFLAGS = $(xTOOLS_CFLAGS) -I$(INFLIB_BASE) -I$(CMLIB_BASE) \
+MKHIVE_HOST_CFLAGS = -fshort-wchar $(xTOOLS_CFLAGS) -I$(INFLIB_BASE) -I$(CMLIB_BASE) \
   -D_NTOSKRNL_ \
   -Iinclude/reactos -Iinclude/ddk -Iinclude/ndk -Iinclude/psdk -Iinclude -Iinclude/crt -g3
 
diff --git a/reactos/tools/mkhive/registry.c b/reactos/tools/mkhive/registry.c
index 9a7aca0243a..6ef405167b7 100644
--- a/reactos/tools/mkhive/registry.c
+++ b/reactos/tools/mkhive/registry.c
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ RegpOpenOrCreateKey(
 	LocalKeyName = (PWSTR)KeyName;
 	for (;;)
 	{
-		End = wcschr(LocalKeyName, '\\');
+		End = (PWSTR) xwcschr(LocalKeyName, '\\');
 		if (End)
 		{
 			KeyString.Buffer = LocalKeyName;
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ RegpOpenOrCreateKey(
 			ParentKey->RegistryHive,
 			ParentKey->KeyCell,
 			&KeyString,
-			0,
+			OBJ_CASE_INSENSITIVE,
 			&SubKeyCell,
 			&BlockOffset);
 		if (AllowCreation && Status == STATUS_OBJECT_NAME_NOT_FOUND)
diff --git a/reactos/tools/mkhive/rtl.c b/reactos/tools/mkhive/rtl.c
index 4ff2be3dd50..ed6711dd075 100644
--- a/reactos/tools/mkhive/rtl.c
+++ b/reactos/tools/mkhive/rtl.c
@@ -11,6 +11,24 @@
 #include <ntddk.h>
 #include <bitmap.c>
 
+SIZE_T xwcslen( PWSTR String ) {
+	SIZE_T i;
+
+	for( i = 0; String[i]; i++ );
+
+	return i;
+}
+
+PWSTR xwcschr( PWSTR String, WCHAR Char )
+{
+	SIZE_T i;
+
+	for( i = 0; String[i] && String[i] != Char; i++ );
+
+	if( String[i] ) return &String[i];
+	else return NULL;
+}
+
 /*
  * @implemented
  *
@@ -54,7 +72,7 @@ RtlInitUnicodeString(
 
 	if(SourceString)
 	{
-		DestSize = wcslen(SourceString) * sizeof(WCHAR);
+		DestSize = xwcslen(SourceString) * sizeof(WCHAR);
 		DestinationString->Length = (USHORT)DestSize;
 		DestinationString->MaximumLength = (USHORT)DestSize + sizeof(WCHAR);
 	}
@@ -84,7 +102,7 @@ RtlAnsiStringToUnicodeString(
 	if (AllocateDestinationString)
 	{
 		UniDest->MaximumLength = (USHORT)Length + sizeof(WCHAR);
-		UniDest->Buffer = malloc(UniDest->MaximumLength);
+		UniDest->Buffer = (PWSTR) malloc(UniDest->MaximumLength);
 		if (!UniDest->Buffer)
 			return STATUS_NO_MEMORY;
 	}
@@ -131,7 +149,7 @@ ExAllocatePool(
 	IN POOL_TYPE PoolType,
 	IN SIZE_T NumberOfBytes)
 {
-	return malloc(NumberOfBytes);
+	return (PVOID) malloc(NumberOfBytes);
 }
 
 VOID NTAPI
diff --git a/reactos/tools/widl/widl.mak b/reactos/tools/widl/widl.mak
index a93263d4c8e..4407d163c3c 100644
--- a/reactos/tools/widl/widl.mak
+++ b/reactos/tools/widl/widl.mak
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ WIDL_OBJECTS = \
   $(addprefix $(INTERMEDIATE_), $(WIDL_SOURCES:.c=.o))
 
 WIDL_HOST_CFLAGS = $(TOOLS_CFLAGS) \
-	-DINT16=SHORT -D__USE_W32API -DYYDEBUG=1 \
+	-DINT16=SHORT -D__USE_W32API -DYYDEBUG=1 -D__REACTOS__=1 \
 	-I$(WIDL_BASE) -I$(WPP_BASE) \
 	-Iinclude/reactos/wine -Iinclude/reactos -Iinclude -Iinclude/psdk