diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 49bcbed014..9822099107 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -237,6 +237,12 @@ if( CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUCXX OR CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "Clang" )
     endif()
 endif()
 
+if( WIN32 )
+    # define UNICODE and_UNICODE definition on Windows. KiCad uses unicode.
+    # Both definitions are required
+    add_definitions(-DUNICODE -D_UNICODE)
+endif()
+
 
 #================================================
 # Provide access to CCACHE
@@ -316,13 +322,6 @@ if( CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUCXX OR CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "Clang" )
     if( MINGW )
         set( CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS_RELEASE "-s" )
 
-        # _UNICODE definition seems needed under mingw/gcc 4.8
-        # (KiCad uses unicode, and on Windows, wxWidgets >= 2.9.4 is mandatory
-        # and uses unicode)
-        if( GCC_VERSION VERSION_EQUAL 4.8.0 OR GCC_VERSION VERSION_GREATER 4.8.0 )
-            add_definitions(-D_UNICODE)
-        endif()
-
         # Since version 2.8.5, Cmake uses a response file (.rsp) to
         # pass the list of include paths to gcc
         # unfortunately, under mingw32+msys, at least with gcc 4.8 and previous,