diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 9d368e0..c534a09 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -168,6 +168,13 @@ AC_TYPE_MODE_T
 AC_TYPE_OFF_T
 AC_TYPE_SIZE_T
 AC_TYPE_SSIZE_T
+AH_BOTTOM([
+#ifdef _MSC_VER
+#undef ssize_t;
+#include <BaseTsd.h>
+typedef SSIZE_T ssize_t;
+#endif
+])
 AC_TYPE_UINT32_T
 AC_TYPE_UINT64_T
 AC_TYPE_UINT8_T
diff --git a/gmime/gmime.h b/gmime/gmime.h
index ef6b93e..d3696ac 100644
--- a/gmime/gmime.h
+++ b/gmime/gmime.h
@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@
 #ifndef __GMIME_H__
 #define __GMIME_H__
 
+#ifdef _MSC_VER
+#include <BaseTsd.h>
+typedef SSIZE_T ssize_t;
+#endif
 #include <glib.h>
 #include <gmime/gmime-version.h>
 #include <gmime/gmime-error.h>