diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index c5e70c73..f4ed27af 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ option( EXIV2_ENABLE_NLS              "Build native language support (requires g
 option( EXIV2_ENABLE_PRINTUCS2        "Build with Printucs2"                                  ON  )
 option( EXIV2_ENABLE_LENSDATA         "Build including lens data"                             ON  )
 option( EXIV2_ENABLE_VIDEO            "Build video support into library"                      OFF )
-option( EXIV2_ENABLE_DYNAMIC_RUNTIME  "Use dynamic runtime (used for static libs)"            OFF )
+option( EXIV2_ENABLE_DYNAMIC_RUNTIME  "Use dynamic runtime (used for static libs)"            ON )
 option( EXIV2_ENABLE_WIN_UNICODE      "Use Unicode paths (wstring) on Windows"                OFF )
 option( EXIV2_ENABLE_WEBREADY         "Build webready support into library"                   OFF )
 option( EXIV2_ENABLE_CURL             "USE Libcurl for HttpIo (WEBREADY)"                     OFF )
diff --git a/cmake/compilerFlags.cmake b/cmake/compilerFlags.cmake
index 0dd1fc39..6519eff8 100644
--- a/cmake/compilerFlags.cmake
+++ b/cmake/compilerFlags.cmake
@@ -164,22 +164,15 @@ if(MSVC)
       CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE
       CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELWITHDEBINFO
     )
-    if ( ${BUILD_SHARED_LIBS} OR ${EXIV2_ENABLE_DYNAMIC_RUNTIME} )
-        message(STATUS  "MSVC -> forcing use of dynamically-linked runtime." )
-        foreach(variable ${variables})
-            if(${variable} MATCHES "/MT")
-                string(REGEX REPLACE "/MT" "/MD" ${variable} "${${variable}}")
-            endif()
-        endforeach()
-    else()
-        message(STATUS "MSVC -> forcing use of statically-linked runtime." )
-        foreach(variable ${variables})
-            if(${variable} MATCHES "/MD")
-                string(REGEX REPLACE "/MD" "/MT" ${variable} "${${variable}}")
-            endif()
-            set(${variable} "${${variable}} /DXML_STATIC /D_LIB")
-        endforeach()
-    endif()
+
+    if (NOT BUILD_SHARED_LIBS AND NOT EXIV2_ENABLE_DYNAMIC_RUNTIME)
+         message(STATUS "MSVC -> forcing use of statically-linked runtime." )
+         foreach(variable ${variables})
+             if(${variable} MATCHES "/MD")
+                 string(REGEX REPLACE "/MD" "/MT" ${variable} "${${variable}}")
+             endif()
+         endforeach()
+     endif()
 
     # remove /Ob2 and /Ob1 - they cause linker issues
     set(obs /Ob2 /Ob1)
@@ -191,14 +184,6 @@ if(MSVC)
       endforeach()
     endforeach()
 
-    # don't link msvcrt for .exe which use shared libraries (use default libcmt)
-    if ( NOT ${BUILD_SHARED_LIBS} AND NOT ${EXIV2_ENABLE_DYNAMIC_RUNTIME})
-        set(CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS_DEBUG          "/NODEFAULTLIB:MSVCRTD")
-        set(CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS_RELEASE        "/NODEFAULTLIB:MSVCRT")
-        set(CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS_MINSIZEREL     "/NODEFAULTLIB:MSVCRT")
-        set(CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS_RELWITHDEBINFO "/NODEFAULTLIB:MSVCRT")
-    endif()
-
     if ( EXIV2_EXTRA_WARNINGS )
         string(REGEX REPLACE "/W[0-4]" "/W4" CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS}")
     endif ()