diff --git a/msvc/Makefile b/msvc/Makefile
index bff805f05..562ee294a 100644
--- a/msvc/Makefile
+++ b/msvc/Makefile
@@ -27,6 +27,9 @@ GMP_TYPE      = gc
 # Set it to non-empty to include Win32 thread support
 ECL_THREADS   =
 
+# Set it to non-empty to include support for Unicode characters
+ECL_UNICODE   =
+
 # Set it to non-empty to enable Win32 debug support
 #ECL_DEBUG   = 1
 
@@ -120,6 +123,13 @@ CFLAGS     = $(CFLAGS) -DECL_THREADS
 DEF        = ecl-threads.def
 !endif
 
+# Additional configuration for Unicode support
+#
+!if "$(ECL_UNICODE)" != ""
+!else
+CFLAGS     = $(CFLAGS) -DECL_UNICODE
+!endif
+
 # Additional modules
 # 
 ECL_MODULES  =
diff --git a/msvc/ecl/config.h.msvc6 b/msvc/ecl/config.h.msvc6
index cca19c96b..76436a20d 100644
--- a/msvc/ecl/config.h.msvc6
+++ b/msvc/ecl/config.h.msvc6
@@ -91,7 +91,11 @@ typedef unsigned int cl_hashkey;
 /*
  * The character type
  */
-#define	CHAR_CODE_LIMIT		256
+#ifdef ECL_UNICODE
+#define	CHAR_CODE_LIMIT	1114112	/*  unicode character code limit  */
+#else
+#define	CHAR_CODE_LIMIT	256	/*  unicode character code limit  */
+#endif
 
 /*
  * Array limits
@@ -114,7 +118,7 @@ typedef unsigned int cl_hashkey;
 #define CALL_ARGUMENTS_LIMIT 65536
 
 /*	Maximum number of required arguments				*/
-#define LAMBDA_PARAMETERS_LIMIT 64
+#define LAMBDA_PARAMETERS_LIMIT CALL_ARGUMENTS_LIMIT
 
 /*	Numb. of args. which can be passed using the C stack		*/
 /*	See cmplam.lsp if you change this value				*/
@@ -168,9 +172,6 @@ typedef unsigned int uint32_t;
 /* Program Development Environment					*/
 /* #undef PDE */
 
-/* Tcl/Tk library							*/
-/* #undef TK */
-
 /* Allow loading dynamically linked code				*/
 #define ENABLE_DLOPEN 1
 
@@ -189,6 +190,9 @@ typedef unsigned int uint32_t;
 /* We have non-portable implementation of FFI calls			*/
 #define ECL_DYNAMIC_FFI 1
 
+/* We use hierarchical package names, like in Allegro CL                */
+#define ECL_RELATIVE_PACKAGE_NAMES 1
+
 /* Assembler implementation of APPLY and friends			*/
 /* #undef ECL_ASM_APPLY */
 
diff --git a/src/CHANGELOG b/src/CHANGELOG
index 3db2731f2..673889b0e 100644
--- a/src/CHANGELOG
+++ b/src/CHANGELOG
@@ -61,7 +61,9 @@ ECL 0.9l-p1:
 	#<codeblock "libm.dylib">
 
  - In reading functions, the value of :RECURSIVE-P should not interfere with
-   that of :EOF-ERROR-P
+   that of :EOF-ERROR-P.
+
+ - The MSVC port can be built with support for unicode characters.
 
 ;;; Local Variables: ***
 ;;; mode:text ***