diff --git a/ports/windows/msvc/common.props b/ports/windows/msvc/common.props
index 55c9c934f2..da84004f7f 100644
--- a/ports/windows/msvc/common.props
+++ b/ports/windows/msvc/common.props
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@
     <PyFileCopyCookie>$(PyBuildDir)copycookie$(Configuration)$(Platform)</PyFileCopyCookie>
     <CharacterSet>MultiByte</CharacterSet>
   </PropertyGroup>
+  <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(PyBuildingMpyCross)' != 'True'">
+    <PyIncDirs>$(PyIncDirs);$(PyVariantDir)</PyIncDirs>
+  </PropertyGroup>
   <ItemDefinitionGroup>
     <ClCompile>
       <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>$(PyIncDirs);%(AdditionalIncludeDirectories)</AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
diff --git a/ports/windows/msvc/paths.props b/ports/windows/msvc/paths.props
index 767772a1aa..1268471cef 100644
--- a/ports/windows/msvc/paths.props
+++ b/ports/windows/msvc/paths.props
@@ -31,8 +31,8 @@
     <PyVariantDir Condition="'$(PyVariantDir)' == ''">$(PyWinDir)variants\$(PyVariant)\</PyVariantDir>
     <PyTargetDir Condition="'$(PyTargetDir)' == ''">$(PyBuildDir)</PyTargetDir>
 
-    <!-- All include directories needed for uPy -->
-    <PyIncDirs>$(PyIncDirs);$(PyBaseDir);$(PyWinDir);$(PyBuildDir);$(PyWinDir)msvc;$(PyVariantDir)</PyIncDirs>
+    <!-- Common include directories needed for uPy -->
+    <PyIncDirs>$(PyIncDirs);$(PyBaseDir);$(PyWinDir);$(PyBuildDir);$(PyWinDir)msvc</PyIncDirs>
 
     <!-- Within PyBuildDir different subdirectories are used based on configuration and platform.
          By default these are chosen based on the Configuration and Platform properties, but