diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index a94e3f9bc7..0881c35822 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@ cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 2.8)
 
 project(hifi)
 
+IF (WIN32)
+add_definitions( -DNOMINMAX )
+ENDIF(WIN32)
+
 set(CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH ${CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH} $ENV{QT_CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH})
 
 # set our Base SDK to 10.8
diff --git a/libraries/octree-server/src/OctreeServer.cpp b/libraries/octree-server/src/OctreeServer.cpp
index 69bcce5115..4ae08269ba 100644
--- a/libraries/octree-server/src/OctreeServer.cpp
+++ b/libraries/octree-server/src/OctreeServer.cpp
@@ -6,9 +6,6 @@
 //  Copyright (c) 2013 HighFidelity, Inc. All rights reserved.
 //
 
-#ifdef _WIN32
-#define NOMINMAX // this is required as long as we have civetweb because it includes windows.h, this also must be before QTimer
-#endif
 #include "civetweb.h"
 
 #include <QtCore/QTimer>
diff --git a/libraries/shared/src/Systime.cpp b/libraries/shared/src/Systime.cpp
index 66e50d29b6..7d8764e3f9 100644
--- a/libraries/shared/src/Systime.cpp
+++ b/libraries/shared/src/Systime.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 #ifdef _WIN32
-#define NOMINMAX
 #include <windows.h>
 #define _timeval_
 #include "Systime.h"