diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes
index 1988129f83..cc5b6df1cb 100644
--- a/.gitattributes
+++ b/.gitattributes
@@ -132,6 +132,7 @@ compiler/crefs.pas svneol=native#text/plain
 compiler/cresstr.pas svneol=native#text/plain
 compiler/cstreams.pas svneol=native#text/plain
 compiler/cutils.pas svneol=native#text/plain
+compiler/cwindirs.pp svneol=native#text/plain
 compiler/dbgbase.pas svneol=native#text/plain
 compiler/dbgdwarf.pas svneol=native#text/plain
 compiler/dbgstabs.pas svneol=native#text/plain
diff --git a/compiler/cwindirs.pp b/compiler/cwindirs.pp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..077697d2a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compiler/cwindirs.pp
@@ -0,0 +1,123 @@
+{ this unit is temporarily included in the compiler sources till stable releases with
+  windirs from the rtl are shipped
+}
+unit cwindirs;
+
+{$mode objfpc}
+{$H+}
+
+interface
+
+uses
+  windows,
+  strings;
+
+Const
+  CSIDL_PROGRAMS                = $0002; { %SYSTEMDRIVE%\Program Files                                      }
+  CSIDL_PERSONAL                = $0005; { %USERPROFILE%\My Documents                                       }
+  CSIDL_FAVORITES               = $0006; { %USERPROFILE%\Favorites                                          }
+  CSIDL_STARTUP                 = $0007; { %USERPROFILE%\Start menu\Programs\Startup                        }
+  CSIDL_RECENT                  = $0008; { %USERPROFILE%\Recent                                             }
+  CSIDL_SENDTO                  = $0009; { %USERPROFILE%\Sendto                                             }
+  CSIDL_STARTMENU               = $000B; { %USERPROFILE%\Start menu                                         }
+  CSIDL_MYMUSIC                 = $000D; { %USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Music                                 }
+  CSIDL_MYVIDEO                 = $000E; { %USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Videos                                }
+  CSIDL_DESKTOPDIRECTORY        = $0010; { %USERPROFILE%\Desktop                                            }
+  CSIDL_NETHOOD                 = $0013; { %USERPROFILE%\NetHood                                            }
+  CSIDL_TEMPLATES               = $0015; { %USERPROFILE%\Templates                                          }
+  CSIDL_COMMON_STARTMENU        = $0016; { %PROFILEPATH%\All users\Start menu                               }
+  CSIDL_COMMON_PROGRAMS         = $0017; { %PROFILEPATH%\All users\Start menu\Programs                      }
+  CSIDL_COMMON_STARTUP          = $0018; { %PROFILEPATH%\All users\Start menu\Programs\Startup              }
+  CSIDL_COMMON_DESKTOPDIRECTORY = $0019; { %PROFILEPATH%\All users\Desktop                                  }
+  CSIDL_APPDATA                 = $001A; { %USERPROFILE%\Application Data (roaming)                         }
+  CSIDL_PRINTHOOD               = $001B; { %USERPROFILE%\Printhood                                          }
+  CSIDL_LOCAL_APPDATA           = $001C; { %USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data (non roaming)      }
+  CSIDL_COMMON_FAVORITES        = $001F; { %PROFILEPATH%\All users\Favorites                                }
+  CSIDL_INTERNET_CACHE          = $0020; { %USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files            }
+  CSIDL_COOKIES                 = $0021; { %USERPROFILE%\Cookies                                            }
+  CSIDL_HISTORY                 = $0022; { %USERPROFILE%\Local settings\History                             }
+  CSIDL_COMMON_APPDATA          = $0023; { %PROFILESPATH%\All Users\Application Data                        }
+  CSIDL_WINDOWS                 = $0024; { %SYSTEMROOT%                                                     }
+  CSIDL_SYSTEM                  = $0025; { %SYSTEMROOT%\SYSTEM32 (may be system on 95/98/ME)                }
+  CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILES           = $0026; { %SYSTEMDRIVE%\Program Files                                      }
+  CSIDL_MYPICTURES              = $0027; { %USERPROFILE%\My Documents\My Pictures                           }
+  CSIDL_PROFILE                 = $0028; { %USERPROFILE%                                                    }
+  CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILES_COMMON    = $002B; { %SYSTEMDRIVE%\Program Files\Common                               }
+  CSIDL_COMMON_TEMPLATES        = $002D; { %PROFILEPATH%\All Users\Templates                                }
+  CSIDL_COMMON_DOCUMENTS        = $002E; { %PROFILEPATH%\All Users\Documents                                }
+  CSIDL_COMMON_ADMINTOOLS       = $002F; { %PROFILEPATH%\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Administrative Tools }
+  CSIDL_ADMINTOOLS              = $0030; { %USERPROFILE%\Start Menu\Programs\Administrative Tools           }
+  CSIDL_COMMON_MUSIC            = $0035; { %PROFILEPATH%\All Users\Documents\my music                       }
+  CSIDL_COMMON_PICTURES         = $0036; { %PROFILEPATH%\All Users\Documents\my pictures                    }
+  CSIDL_COMMON_VIDEO            = $0037; { %PROFILEPATH%\All Users\Documents\my videos                      }
+  CSIDL_CDBURN_AREA             = $003B; { %USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\CD Burning }
+  CSIDL_PROFILES                = $003E; { %PROFILEPATH%                                                    }
+
+  CSIDL_FLAG_CREATE             = $8000; { (force creation of requested folder if it doesn't exist yet)     }
+
+Function GetWindowsSpecialDir(ID :  Integer) : String;
+
+implementation
+
+uses
+  sysutils;
+
+Type
+  PFNSHGetFolderPath = Function(Ahwnd: HWND; Csidl: Integer; Token: THandle; Flags: DWord; Path: PChar): HRESULT; stdcall;
+
+
+var
+  SHGetFolderPath : PFNSHGetFolderPath = Nil;
+  CFGDLLHandle : THandle = 0;
+
+Procedure InitDLL;
+
+Var
+  pathBuf: array[0..MAX_PATH-1] of char;
+  pathLength: Integer;
+begin
+  { Load shfolder.dll using a full path, in order to prevent spoofing (Mantis #18185)
+    Don't bother loading shell32.dll because shfolder.dll itself redirects SHGetFolderPath
+    to shell32.dll whenever possible. }
+  pathLength:=GetSystemDirectory(pathBuf, MAX_PATH);
+  if (pathLength>0) and (pathLength<MAX_PATH-14) then { 14=length('\shfolder.dll'#0) }
+  begin
+    StrLCopy(@pathBuf[pathLength],'\shfolder.dll',MAX_PATH-pathLength-1);
+    CFGDLLHandle:=LoadLibrary(pathBuf);
+
+    if (CFGDLLHandle<>0) then
+    begin
+      Pointer(ShGetFolderPath):=GetProcAddress(CFGDLLHandle,'SHGetFolderPathA');
+      If @ShGetFolderPath=nil then
+      begin
+        FreeLibrary(CFGDLLHandle);
+        CFGDllHandle:=0;
+      end;
+    end;
+  end;
+  If (@ShGetFolderPath=Nil) then
+    Raise Exception.Create('Could not determine SHGetFolderPath Function');
+end;
+
+Function GetWindowsSpecialDir(ID :  Integer) : String;
+
+Var
+  APath : Array[0..MAX_PATH] of char;
+
+begin
+  Result:='';
+  if (CFGDLLHandle=0) then
+    InitDLL;
+  If (SHGetFolderPath<>Nil) then
+    begin
+    if SHGetFolderPath(0,ID or CSIDL_FLAG_CREATE,0,0,@APATH[0])=S_OK then
+      Result:=IncludeTrailingPathDelimiter(StrPas(@APath[0]));
+    end;
+end;
+
+Initialization
+Finalization
+  if CFGDLLHandle<>0 then
+   FreeLibrary(CFGDllHandle);
+end.
+
diff --git a/compiler/globals.pas b/compiler/globals.pas
index 818cbf9bb4..635bbc861b 100644
--- a/compiler/globals.pas
+++ b/compiler/globals.pas
@@ -478,7 +478,11 @@ implementation
       macutils,
 {$endif}
 {$ifdef mswindows}
+{$ifdef VER2_4}
+      cwindirs,
+{$else VER2_4}
       windirs,
+{$endif VER2_4}
 {$endif}
       comphook;