diff --git a/ports/windows/micropython.vcxproj b/ports/windows/micropython.vcxproj
index ee0b98abba..e468cfdae8 100644
--- a/ports/windows/micropython.vcxproj
+++ b/ports/windows/micropython.vcxproj
@@ -25,29 +25,19 @@
   <Import Project="$(VCTargetsPath)\Microsoft.Cpp.Default.props" />
   <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Debug|Win32'" Label="Configuration">
     <ConfigurationType>Application</ConfigurationType>
-    <UseDebugLibraries>true</UseDebugLibraries>
     <PlatformToolset>$(DefaultPlatformToolset)</PlatformToolset>
-    <CharacterSet>MultiByte</CharacterSet>
   </PropertyGroup>
   <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Release|Win32'" Label="Configuration">
     <ConfigurationType>Application</ConfigurationType>
-    <UseDebugLibraries>false</UseDebugLibraries>
     <PlatformToolset>$(DefaultPlatformToolset)</PlatformToolset>
-    <WholeProgramOptimization>true</WholeProgramOptimization>
-    <CharacterSet>MultiByte</CharacterSet>
   </PropertyGroup>
   <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Debug|x64'" Label="Configuration">
     <ConfigurationType>Application</ConfigurationType>
-    <UseDebugLibraries>true</UseDebugLibraries>
     <PlatformToolset>$(DefaultPlatformToolset)</PlatformToolset>
-    <CharacterSet>MultiByte</CharacterSet>
   </PropertyGroup>
   <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Release|x64'" Label="Configuration">
     <ConfigurationType>Application</ConfigurationType>
-    <UseDebugLibraries>false</UseDebugLibraries>
     <PlatformToolset>$(DefaultPlatformToolset)</PlatformToolset>
-    <WholeProgramOptimization>true</WholeProgramOptimization>
-    <CharacterSet>MultiByte</CharacterSet>
   </PropertyGroup>
   <Import Project="$(VCTargetsPath)\Microsoft.Cpp.props" />
   <ImportGroup Label="ExtensionSettings">
diff --git a/ports/windows/msvc/common.props b/ports/windows/msvc/common.props
index 5fe1b45fef..6735f96d70 100644
--- a/ports/windows/msvc/common.props
+++ b/ports/windows/msvc/common.props
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
     <OutDir>$(PyOutDir)</OutDir>
     <IntDir>$(PyIntDir)</IntDir>
     <PyFileCopyCookie>$(PyBuildDir)copycookie$(Configuration)$(Platform)</PyFileCopyCookie>
+    <CharacterSet>MultiByte</CharacterSet>
   </PropertyGroup>
   <ItemDefinitionGroup>
     <ClCompile>
diff --git a/ports/windows/msvc/debug.props b/ports/windows/msvc/debug.props
index fa1ca4fcbc..5ae9d64fcd 100644
--- a/ports/windows/msvc/debug.props
+++ b/ports/windows/msvc/debug.props
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
   <ImportGroup Label="PropertySheets" />
   <PropertyGroup Label="UserMacros" />
   <PropertyGroup>
+    <UseDebugLibraries>true</UseDebugLibraries>
+    <WholeProgramOptimization>false</WholeProgramOptimization>
   </PropertyGroup>
   <ItemDefinitionGroup />
   <ItemGroup />
diff --git a/ports/windows/msvc/release.props b/ports/windows/msvc/release.props
index ea0bf433d3..a3fbe2494f 100644
--- a/ports/windows/msvc/release.props
+++ b/ports/windows/msvc/release.props
@@ -2,7 +2,10 @@
 <Project ToolsVersion="4.0" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
   <ImportGroup Label="PropertySheets" />
   <PropertyGroup Label="UserMacros" />
-  <PropertyGroup />
+  <PropertyGroup>
+    <UseDebugLibraries>false</UseDebugLibraries>
+    <WholeProgramOptimization>true</WholeProgramOptimization>
+  </PropertyGroup>
   <ItemDefinitionGroup>
     <Link>
       <OptimizeReferences>true</OptimizeReferences>