diff --git a/include/zim/zim.h b/include/zim/zim.h
index 5d1af80..6171f56 100644
--- a/include/zim/zim.h
+++ b/include/zim/zim.h
@@ -33,14 +33,16 @@
 #define DEPRECATED
 #endif
 
-#if (defined _WIN32 || defined __CYGWIN__) && defined LIBZIM_EXPORT_DLL
+#include <zim/zim_config.h>
+
+#if defined(LIBZIM_DLL) && defined(LIBZIM_BUILDING_LIBRARY)
     #define LIBZIM_API __declspec(dllexport)
+#elif defined(LIBZIM_DLL)
+    #define LIBZIM_API __declspec(dllimport)
 #else
     #define LIBZIM_API
 #endif
 
-#include <zim/zim_config.h>
-
 namespace zim
 {
   // An index of an entry (in a zim file)
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 7f97dbc..8fd13d7 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -14,6 +14,10 @@ sizeof_size_t = cpp.sizeof('size_t')
 private_conf = configuration_data()
 public_conf = configuration_data()
 
+if host_machine.system() == 'windows' and get_option('default_library') == 'shared'
+  public_conf.set('LIBZIM_DLL', true)
+endif
+
 private_conf.set('VERSION', '"@0@"'.format(meson.project_version()))
 public_conf.set('LIBZIM_VERSION', '"@0@"'.format(meson.project_version()))
 private_conf.set('DIRENT_CACHE_SIZE', get_option('DIRENT_CACHE_SIZE'))
diff --git a/src/meson.build b/src/meson.build
index 4529b7c..956b145 100644
--- a/src/meson.build
+++ b/src/meson.build
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ libzim = library('zim',
                  include_directories : inc,
                  dependencies : deps,
                  link_args : extra_link_args,
-                 cpp_args : extra_cpp_args,
+                 cpp_args : extra_cpp_args + '-DLIBZIM_BUILDING_LIBRARY',
                  version: meson.project_version(),
                  install : true)
 libzim_dep = declare_dependency(link_with: libzim,