diff --git a/dtool/pptempl/Global.gmsvc.pp b/dtool/pptempl/Global.gmsvc.pp
index 0f1c5a21a7..47ad85e3bc 100644
--- a/dtool/pptempl/Global.gmsvc.pp
+++ b/dtool/pptempl/Global.gmsvc.pp
@@ -110,10 +110,10 @@
 #define EXTRA_CDEFS FORCE_INLINING $[EXTRA_CDEFS]
 #endif
 
-#defer CDEFINES_OPT1 _DEBUG $[dlink_all_static] $[EXTRA_CDEFS]
-#defer CDEFINES_OPT2 _DEBUG $[dlink_all_static] $[EXTRA_CDEFS]
-#defer CDEFINES_OPT3 $[dlink_all_static] $[EXTRA_CDEFS]
-#defer CDEFINES_OPT4 NDEBUG $[dlink_all_static] $[EXTRA_CDEFS]
+#defer CDEFINES_OPT1 _DEBUG $[dlink_all_static] $[EXTRA_CDEFS] $[CDEFINES_OPT1]
+#defer CDEFINES_OPT2 _DEBUG $[dlink_all_static] $[EXTRA_CDEFS] $[CDEFINES_OPT2]
+#defer CDEFINES_OPT3 $[dlink_all_static] $[EXTRA_CDEFS] $[CDEFINES_OPT3]
+#defer CDEFINES_OPT4 NDEBUG $[dlink_all_static] $[EXTRA_CDEFS] $[CDEFINES_OPT4]
 
 //  Opt1 /GZ disables OPT flags, so make sure its OPT1 only
 #defer CFLAGS_OPT1 $[CDEFINES_OPT1:%=/D%] $[COMMONFLAGS] $[DEBUGFLAGS] $[OPT1FLAGS] 
diff --git a/dtool/pptempl/Global.msvc.pp b/dtool/pptempl/Global.msvc.pp
index 0e86919067..3f930d29b2 100644
--- a/dtool/pptempl/Global.msvc.pp
+++ b/dtool/pptempl/Global.msvc.pp
@@ -94,10 +94,10 @@
 #define EXTRA_CDEFS FORCE_INLINING $[EXTRA_CDEFS]
 #endif
 
-#defer CDEFINES_OPT1 _DEBUG $[dlink_all_static] $[EXTRA_CDEFS]
-#defer CDEFINES_OPT2 _DEBUG $[dlink_all_static] $[EXTRA_CDEFS]
-#defer CDEFINES_OPT3 $[dlink_all_static] $[EXTRA_CDEFS]
-#defer CDEFINES_OPT4 NDEBUG $[dlink_all_static] $[EXTRA_CDEFS]
+#defer CDEFINES_OPT1 _DEBUG $[dlink_all_static] $[EXTRA_CDEFS] $[CDEFINES_OPT1]
+#defer CDEFINES_OPT2 _DEBUG $[dlink_all_static] $[EXTRA_CDEFS] $[CDEFINES_OPT2]
+#defer CDEFINES_OPT3 $[dlink_all_static] $[EXTRA_CDEFS] $[CDEFINES_OPT3]
+#defer CDEFINES_OPT4 NDEBUG $[dlink_all_static] $[EXTRA_CDEFS] $[CDEFINES_OPT4]
 
 #defer CFLAGS_OPT1 $[CDEFINES_OPT1:%=/D%] $[COMMONFLAGS] $[OPT1FLAGS] $[DEBUGFLAGS]
 #defer CFLAGS_OPT2 $[CDEFINES_OPT2:%=/D%] $[COMMONFLAGS] $[DEBUGFLAGS] $[OPTFLAGS]
diff --git a/dtool/pptempl/compilerSettings.pp b/dtool/pptempl/compilerSettings.pp
index 47fc00e950..bf27e24a49 100644
--- a/dtool/pptempl/compilerSettings.pp
+++ b/dtool/pptempl/compilerSettings.pp
@@ -11,7 +11,9 @@
   #defer DEBUGPDBFLAGS /Zi /Fd"$[osfilename $[target:%.obj=%.pdb]]"  
   #defer DEBUGFLAGS /MDd $[BROWSEINFO_FLAG] $[DEBUGINFOFLAGS] $[DEBUGPDBFLAGS]
   #define RELEASEFLAGS /MD
-  #define WARNING_LEVEL_FLAG /W3    
+  #define WARNING_LEVEL_FLAG /W3  
+  
+  #define CDEFINES_OPT4 UNKNOWN_ALLOCATOR
   
   #define MAPINFOFLAGS /MAPINFO:EXPORTS /MAPINFO:FIXUPS /MAPINFO:LINES
   
@@ -39,7 +41,7 @@
   #define LINKER link
   #define LIBBER lib
   
-  // this is too late it must be
+  // is it too late to turn this on?
   #define UNKNOWN_ALLOCATOR 1  
 
   #define COMMONFLAGS /DHAVE_DINKUM