diff --git a/compat/mingw.c b/compat/mingw.c
index a67872babf..6ded1c859f 100644
--- a/compat/mingw.c
+++ b/compat/mingw.c
@@ -2221,7 +2221,7 @@ void mingw_startup(void)
 		die_startup();
 
 	/* determine size of argv and environ conversion buffer */
-	maxlen = wcslen(_wpgmptr);
+	maxlen = wcslen(wargv[0]);
 	for (i = 1; i < argc; i++)
 		maxlen = max(maxlen, wcslen(wargv[i]));
 	for (i = 0; wenv[i]; i++)
@@ -2241,8 +2241,7 @@ void mingw_startup(void)
 	buffer = malloc_startup(maxlen);
 
 	/* convert command line arguments and environment to UTF-8 */
-	__argv[0] = wcstoutfdup_startup(buffer, _wpgmptr, maxlen);
-	for (i = 1; i < argc; i++)
+	for (i = 0; i < argc; i++)
 		__argv[i] = wcstoutfdup_startup(buffer, wargv[i], maxlen);
 	for (i = 0; wenv[i]; i++)
 		environ[i] = wcstoutfdup_startup(buffer, wenv[i], maxlen);
diff --git a/config.mak.uname b/config.mak.uname
index e1cfe5e5ed..a6e734c5d4 100644
--- a/config.mak.uname
+++ b/config.mak.uname
@@ -357,6 +357,7 @@ ifeq ($(uname_S),Windows)
 	SNPRINTF_RETURNS_BOGUS = YesPlease
 	NO_SVN_TESTS = YesPlease
 	RUNTIME_PREFIX = YesPlease
+	HAVE_WPGMPTR = YesWeDo
 	NO_ST_BLOCKS_IN_STRUCT_STAT = YesPlease
 	NO_NSEC = YesPlease
 	USE_WIN32_MMAP = YesPlease
@@ -506,6 +507,7 @@ ifneq (,$(findstring MINGW,$(uname_S)))
 	NO_SVN_TESTS = YesPlease
 	NO_PERL_MAKEMAKER = YesPlease
 	RUNTIME_PREFIX = YesPlease
+	HAVE_WPGMPTR = YesWeDo
 	NO_ST_BLOCKS_IN_STRUCT_STAT = YesPlease
 	NO_NSEC = YesPlease
 	USE_WIN32_MMAP = YesPlease