--- misc/xmlsec1-1.2.14/win32/Makefile.msvc
+++ misc/build/xmlsec1-1.2.14/win32/Makefile.msvc
@@ -349,11 +349,17 @@
 
 # Optimisation and debug symbols.
 !if "$(DEBUG)" == "1"
 LDFLAGS 		= $(LDFLAGS) /DEBUG
 !else
+# /OPT:NOWIN98 stopped the linker padding sections for Windows 9x.  It was
+# removed from link.exe after VS2008 and is now a hard error (LNK1117), so
+# a toolset that has no such option passes WIN98COMPAT=0.  Undefined means
+# "keep it", which is what every pre-existing caller gets.
+!if "$(WIN98COMPAT)" != "0"
 LDFLAGS 		= $(LDFLAGS) /OPT:NOWIN98
+!endif
 !endif
 
 SOLIBS 			= $(LIBS) libxml2.lib 
 ALIBS 			= $(LIBS) libxml2_a.lib