diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 2d3a33b40..fbf2d6f2a 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -310,15 +310,6 @@ if("${SRB2_CONFIG_HWRENDER}")
 	endif()
 endif()
 
-# TODO: build this with the game
-if(${CMAKE_SYSTEM} MATCHES Windows AND ${CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID} MATCHES "GNU" AND ${SRB2_SYSTEM_BITS} EQUAL 32)
-	target_link_libraries(SRB2SDL2 PRIVATE
-		"${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/../libs/drmingw/lib/win32/libexchndl.a"
-		"${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/../libs/drmingw/lib/win32/libmgwhelp.a"
-	)
-	target_include_directories(SRB2SDL2 PRIVATE "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/../libs/drmingw/include")
-endif()
-
 if(${SRB2_CONFIG_USEASM})
 	#SRB2_ASM_FLAGS can be used to pass flags to either nasm or yasm.
 	if("${CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME}" MATCHES "Linux")
@@ -401,7 +392,7 @@ target_compile_options(SRB2SDL2 PRIVATE
 		-Winline
 		-Wformat-y2k
 		-Wformat-security
-		
+
 		$<$<VERSION_LESS:$<C_COMPILER_VERSION>,2.9.5>:
 			-Wno-div-by-zero
 			-Wendif-labels
diff --git a/src/sdl/i_main.cpp b/src/sdl/i_main.cpp
index 105352e41..be3664ab4 100644
--- a/src/sdl/i_main.cpp
+++ b/src/sdl/i_main.cpp
@@ -71,10 +71,6 @@ char logfilename[1024];
 #endif
 #endif
 
-#if defined (_WIN32)
-#include <exchndl.h>
-#endif
-
 #if defined (_WIN32)
 extern "C" {
 #include "../win32/win_dbg.h"
@@ -202,6 +198,20 @@ static void InitLogging(void)
 }
 #endif
 
+static void init_exchndl()
+{
+#ifdef _WIN32
+	HMODULE exchndl_module = LoadLibraryA("exchndl.dll");
+	if (exchndl_module != NULL)
+	{
+		using PFN_ExcHndlInit = void(*)(void);
+		PFN_ExcHndlInit pfnExcHndlInit = reinterpret_cast<PFN_ExcHndlInit>(
+			GetProcAddress(exchndl_module, "ExcHndlInit"));
+		if (pfnExcHndlInit != NULL)
+			(pfnExcHndlInit)();
+	}
+#endif
+}
 
 #ifdef _WIN32
 static void
@@ -294,7 +304,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 			)
 #endif
 		{
-			ExcHndlInit();
+			init_exchndl();
 		}
 	}
 #ifndef __MINGW32__