diff --git a/3rdparty/bzip2/wscript b/3rdparty/bzip2/wscript
index a62a2c0f..4d5a785e 100644
--- a/3rdparty/bzip2/wscript
+++ b/3rdparty/bzip2/wscript
@@ -29,6 +29,5 @@ def build(bld):
 		target = 'bzip2',
 #		use = 'bz_version.h',
 		includes = ['.', 'bzip2/'],
-		subsystem = bld.env.MSVC_SUBSYSTEM,
 		export_includes = ['bzip2/']
 	)
diff --git a/3rdparty/gl4es/wscript b/3rdparty/gl4es/wscript
index 4558a65b..8700d0eb 100644
--- a/3rdparty/gl4es/wscript
+++ b/3rdparty/gl4es/wscript
@@ -19,5 +19,4 @@ def build(bld):
 		includes = ['gl4es/src', 'gl4es/src/gl', 'gl4es/src/glx', 'gl4es/include'],
 		defines  = ['NOX11', 'NO_GBM', 'NO_INIT_CONSTRUCTOR', 'DEFAULT_ES=2', 'NOEGL', 'NO_LOADER', 'STATICLIB'],
 		cflags   = ['-w', '-fvisibility=hidden', '-std=gnu99'],
-		subsystem = bld.env.MSVC_SUBSYSTEM,
 		export_includes = '.')
diff --git a/3rdparty/opus/wscript b/3rdparty/opus/wscript
index 1b343d4d..211cb10b 100644
--- a/3rdparty/opus/wscript
+++ b/3rdparty/opus/wscript
@@ -64,6 +64,5 @@ def build(bld):
 		features = 'c',
 		includes = includes,
 		defines = defines,
-		subsystem = bld.env.MSVC_SUBSYSTEM,
 		export_includes = ['opus/include/']
 	)
diff --git a/engine/wscript b/engine/wscript
index c31af6ba..9ef95223 100644
--- a/engine/wscript
+++ b/engine/wscript
@@ -273,6 +273,5 @@ def build(bld):
 		sce_sys = 'platform/psvita/sce_sys',
 		title_id = 'XASH10000',
 		app_name = 'xash3d-fwgs',
-		subsystem = bld.env.MSVC_SUBSYSTEM,
 		rpath = rpath,
 	)
diff --git a/filesystem/wscript b/filesystem/wscript
index d780ee9b..1403e922 100644
--- a/filesystem/wscript
+++ b/filesystem/wscript
@@ -24,8 +24,7 @@ def build(bld):
 		features = 'seq',
 		source = bld.path.ant_glob(['*.c', '*.cpp']),
 		use = libs,
-		install_path = bld.env.LIBDIR,
-		subsystem = bld.env.MSVC_SUBSYSTEM)
+		install_path = bld.env.LIBDIR)
 
 	if bld.env.TESTS:
 		# build in same module, so dynamic linking will work
@@ -42,5 +41,4 @@ def build(bld):
 				target = 'test_%s' % i,
 				use = libs + ['DL'],
 				rpath = bld.env.DEFAULT_RPATH,
-				subsystem = bld.env.CONSOLE_SUBSYSTEM,
 				install_path = None)
diff --git a/public/wscript b/public/wscript
index 953f007c..ec87cb88 100644
--- a/public/wscript
+++ b/public/wscript
@@ -117,8 +117,7 @@ def build(bld):
 
 	bld.stlib(source   = bld.path.ant_glob('*.c'),
 		target   = 'public',
-		use      = 'sdk_includes werror',
-		subsystem = bld.env.MSVC_SUBSYSTEM)
+		use      = 'sdk_includes werror')
 
 	if bld.env.TESTS:
 		if bld.env.VALIDATE_TARGET:
@@ -127,7 +126,6 @@ def build(bld):
 				target = 'validate_target',
 				use = 'public',
 				defines = 'VALIDATE_TARGET="%s"' % bld.env.VALIDATE_TARGET,
-				subsystem = bld.env.CONSOLE_SUBSYSTEM,
 				install_path = None)
 
 		tests = {
@@ -145,5 +143,4 @@ def build(bld):
 				source = tests[i],
 				target = 'test_%s' % i,
 				use = 'public',
-				subsystem = bld.env.CONSOLE_SUBSYSTEM,
 				install_path = None)
diff --git a/ref/gl/wscript b/ref/gl/wscript
index 062830d3..0f7cc81b 100644
--- a/ref/gl/wscript
+++ b/ref/gl/wscript
@@ -72,5 +72,4 @@ def build(bld):
 			includes = includes,
 			use = libs + v['libs'],
 			defines = v['defines'] + ['REF_DLL=1'],
-			install_path = bld.env.LIBDIR,
-			subsystem = bld.env.MSVC_SUBSYSTEM)
+			install_path = bld.env.LIBDIR)
diff --git a/ref/null/wscript b/ref/null/wscript
index 06c1f1d0..8de44e99 100644
--- a/ref/null/wscript
+++ b/ref/null/wscript
@@ -14,6 +14,5 @@ def build(bld):
 		target   = 'ref_null',
 		defines  = 'REF_DLL',
 		use      = 'engine_includes sdk_includes werror',
-		install_path = bld.env.LIBDIR,
-		subsystem = bld.env.MSVC_SUBSYSTEM
+		install_path = bld.env.LIBDIR
 	)
diff --git a/ref/soft/wscript b/ref/soft/wscript
index aa7b1374..95e37ec6 100644
--- a/ref/soft/wscript
+++ b/ref/soft/wscript
@@ -26,6 +26,5 @@ def build(bld):
 		includes = '.',
 		defines  = 'REF_DLL=1',
 		use      = libs,
-		install_path = bld.env.LIBDIR,
-		subsystem = bld.env.MSVC_SUBSYSTEM
+		install_path = bld.env.LIBDIR
 	)
diff --git a/wscript b/wscript
index f3794582..7bb5a716 100644
--- a/wscript
+++ b/wscript
@@ -23,6 +23,15 @@ def remove_implib_install(self):
 	if not getattr(self, 'install_path_implib', None):
 		self.install_path_implib = None
 
+@TaskGen.feature('cprogram', 'cxxprogram')
+@TaskGen.before_method('apply_flags_msvc')
+def apply_subsystem_msvc(self):
+	if getattr(self, 'subsystem', None):
+		return # have custom subsystem
+
+	if 'test' in self.features:
+		self.subsystem = self.env.CONSOLE_SUBSYSTEM
+
 class Subproject:
 	def __init__(self, name, fnFilter = None):
 		self.name = name
@@ -208,7 +217,6 @@ def configure(conf):
 
 	conf.load('msvs msdev subproject clang_compilation_database strip_on_install waf_unit_test enforce_pic cmake force_32bit')
 
-	# Force XP compatibility, all build targets should add subsystem=bld.env.MSVC_SUBSYSTEM
 	if conf.env.MSVC_TARGETS[0] == 'amd64_x86' or conf.env.MSVC_TARGETS[0] == 'x86':
 		conf.env.MSVC_SUBSYSTEM = 'WINDOWS,5.01'
 		conf.env.CONSOLE_SUBSYSTEM = 'CONSOLE,5.01'