diff --git a/demo/c++/README.md b/demo/c++/README.md
index 187133d96..30f969b89 100644
--- a/demo/c++/README.md
+++ b/demo/c++/README.md
@@ -67,10 +67,15 @@ On OS X you can also create an xcode project:
 
 ### Windows
 
-First you need to build he visual studio files with gyp:
+First you need to build the visual studio solution with gyp:
 
     gyp rundemo.gyp --depth=. -f msvs -G msvs_version=2010
 
-Then you can compile the demo with `msbuild`:
+Then you can compile with `msbuild`:
 
-    msbuild build.sln
\ No newline at end of file
+    msbuild rundemo.sln /p:Configuration="Release" /p:Platform=Win32
+
+Then run it!
+
+    for /f %i in ('mapnik-config --prefix') do set MAPNIK_PREFIX=%%i
+    Release\rundemo.exe %MAPNIK_PREFIX%
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/demo/c++/rundemo.gyp b/demo/c++/rundemo.gyp
index 373374f98..e54ae121c 100644
--- a/demo/c++/rundemo.gyp
+++ b/demo/c++/rundemo.gyp
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 {
   'includes': [ 'common.gypi' ],
+  'default_configuration': 'Release',
   'targets': [
     {
       'target_name': 'rundemo',
@@ -34,9 +35,11 @@
                '<!@(mapnik-config --dep-includes)',
             ],
             'msvs_settings': {
-               'AdditionalLibraryDirectories': [
-                  '<!@(mapnik-config --ldflags)'
-               ],
+               'VCLinkerTool': {
+                 'AdditionalLibraryDirectories': [
+                    '<!@(mapnik-config --ldflags)'
+                 ]
+               }
             }
         }]
      ]
diff --git a/utils/mapnik-config/mapnik-config.bat b/utils/mapnik-config/mapnik-config.bat
index 0b4675cba..4b48b06b7 100644
--- a/utils/mapnik-config/mapnik-config.bat
+++ b/utils/mapnik-config/mapnik-config.bat
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ if /i "%1"=="/?" goto help
 if /i "%1"=="--prefix" echo %MAPNIK_PREFIX%
 if /i "%1"=="--libs" echo mapnik.lib
 @rem TODO - figure out how to avoid hardcoding these library names
-if /i "%1"=="--dep-libs" echo icuuc.lib icuin.lib libboost_system-vc100-mt-s-1_49.lib
+if /i "%1"=="--dep-libs" echo icuuc.lib icuin.lib cairo.lib libboost_system-vc100-mt-s-1_49.lib
 if /i "%1"=="--ldflags" echo %MAPNIK_LIBS%
 if /i "%1"=="--defines" echo _WINDOWS HAVE_JPEG HAVE_PNG HAVE_TIFF MAPNIK_USE_PROJ4 BOOST_REGEX_HAS_ICU MAPNIK_THREADSAFE BIGINT HAVE_LIBXML2 HAVE_CAIRO
 @rem /MD is multithreaded dynamic linking - http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/2kzt1wy3.aspx