diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 5715697d7df89aaf516b831a71c360c84ffaaffd..0110dbbf9b6c05688920c95cac738dfb00595640 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -23,6 +23,13 @@ endif()
 configure_file(${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/XdmfConfig.hpp.in
                ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/XdmfConfig.hpp)
 
+if (WIN32)
+  set(XDMF_STATIC_AND_SHARED OFF)
+else()
+  option(XDMF_STATIC_AND_SHARED
+       "Build both static and shared libraries" ON)
+  mark_as_advanced(FORCE XDMF_STATIC_AND_SHARED)
+endif()
 
 # Enable CMake testing
 option(XDMF_BUILD_TESTING "Build Tests" OFF)
@@ -31,13 +38,9 @@ if(XDMF_BUILD_TESTING)
   include(CTest)
 endif()
 
-if (BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
-  #STRING(REGEX MATCH "-fPIC" IS_FPIC "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS}")
-  #if ("${IS_FPIC}" STREQUAL "")
-  #  set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -fPIC")
-  #endif ("${IS_FPIC}" STREQUAL "")
+if (XDMF_STATIC_AND_SHARED)
   add_definitions(-DXDMFSTATIC)
-endif (BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
+endif ()
 
 include_directories(${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR})
 include_directories(${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR})
@@ -320,27 +323,29 @@ if(NOT XDMF_BUILD_CORE_ONLY)
     XdmfTopologyType
     XdmfUnstructuredGrid)
 
-  add_library(XdmfObjects OBJECT ${XdmfSources})
-  set_target_properties(XdmfObjects PROPERTIES
-    POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE True)
-  add_library(${XDMF_LIBNAME} $<TARGET_OBJECTS:XdmfObjects>)
-  if (BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
-    add_library(Xdmf_Static STATIC $<TARGET_OBJECTS:XdmfObjects>)
-    if (UNIX)
+  if(XDMF_STATIC_AND_SHARED)
+    add_library(XdmfObjects OBJECT ${XdmfSources})
+    set_target_properties(XdmfObjects PROPERTIES
+      POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE True)
+    add_library(${XDMF_LIBNAME} $<TARGET_OBJECTS:XdmfObjects>)
+    if (BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
+      add_library(Xdmf_Static STATIC $<TARGET_OBJECTS:XdmfObjects>)
       set_target_properties(Xdmf_Static PROPERTIES
-        OUTPUT_NAME "Xdmf")
-    endif (UNIX)
-  endif (BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
+          OUTPUT_NAME "Xdmf")
+    endif (BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
+  else()
+    add_library(${XDMF_LIBNAME} ${LIBTYPE} ${XdmfSources})
+  endif()
   if(XDMF_BUILD_DSM)
     target_link_libraries(${XDMF_LIBNAME} XdmfCore XdmfDSM)
-    if (BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
-      target_link_libraries(Xdmf_Static XdmfCore_Static XdmfDSM_Static)
-    endif (BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
+    if(XDMF_STATIC_AND_SHARED AND BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
+        target_link_libraries(Xdmf_Static XdmfCore_Static XdmfDSM_Static)
+    endif()
   else(XDMF_BUILD_DSM)
     target_link_libraries(${XDMF_LIBNAME} XdmfCore)
-    if (BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
+    if(XDMF_STATIC_AND_SHARED AND BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
       target_link_libraries(Xdmf_Static XdmfCore_Static)
-    endif (BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
+    endif ()
   endif(XDMF_BUILD_DSM)
   if (COMMAND vtk_target_install)
     vtk_target_install(${XDMF_LIBNAME})
@@ -349,9 +354,11 @@ if(NOT XDMF_BUILD_CORE_ONLY)
   if(WIN32)
     if (BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
       set_target_properties(${XDMF_LIBNAME} PROPERTIES
-        DEFINE_SYMBOL Xdmf_EXPORTS)
-      set_target_properties(Xdmf_Static PROPERTIES
-        DEFINE_SYMBOL Xdmf_EXPORTS)
+        DEFINE_SYMBOL XDMF_EXPORTS)
+      if(XDMF_STATIC_AND_SHARED)
+        set_target_properties(Xdmf_Static PROPERTIES
+          DEFINE_SYMBOL Xdmf_EXPORTS)
+      endif()
     endif ()
     if(NOT MSVC10)
       set_target_properties(${XDMF_LIBNAME} PROPERTIES
@@ -360,7 +367,7 @@ if(NOT XDMF_BUILD_CORE_ONLY)
         RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}
         LIBRARY_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}
         ARCHIVE_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR})
-      if (BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
+      if(XDMF_STATIC_AND_SHARED AND BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
         set_target_properties(Xdmf_Static PROPERTIES
           PREFIX ../
           IMPORT_PREFIX ../
@@ -425,12 +432,12 @@ if(NOT XDMF_BUILD_CORE_ONLY)
     RUNTIME DESTINATION bin
     LIBRARY DESTINATION lib
     ARCHIVE DESTINATION lib)
-  if (BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
+  if (XDMF_STATIC_AND_SHARED AND BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
     install(TARGETS Xdmf_Static
       RUNTIME DESTINATION bin
       LIBRARY DESTINATION lib
       ARCHIVE DESTINATION lib)
-  endif (BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
+  endif()
 endif()
 
 xdmf_create_config_file(${PROJECT_NAME})
diff --git a/core/CMakeLists.txt b/core/CMakeLists.txt
index ee39fa19be1d841d2b05fc3287ddda16d7dc1a26..3cca99fd2ff78a407bea0ea4133391da5a063077 100644
--- a/core/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/core/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -150,24 +150,26 @@ if (TIFF_FOUND)
       XdmfTIFFController)
 endif()
 
-add_library(XdmfCoreObjects OBJECT ${XdmfCoreSources})
-set_target_properties(XdmfCoreObjects PROPERTIES
-  POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE True)
-add_library(XdmfCore ${LIBTYPE} $<TARGET_OBJECTS:XdmfCoreObjects>)
-if (BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
-  add_library(XdmfCore_Static STATIC $<TARGET_OBJECTS:XdmfCoreObjects>)
-  if (UNIX)
+if (XDMF_STATIC_AND_SHARED)
+  add_library(XdmfCoreObjects OBJECT ${XdmfCoreSources})
+  set_target_properties(XdmfCoreObjects PROPERTIES
+    POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE True)
+  add_library(XdmfCore ${LIBTYPE} $<TARGET_OBJECTS:XdmfCoreObjects>)
+  if (BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
+    add_library(XdmfCore_Static STATIC $<TARGET_OBJECTS:XdmfCoreObjects>)
     set_target_properties(XdmfCore_Static PROPERTIES
       OUTPUT_NAME "XdmfCore")
-  endif (UNIX)
-endif (BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
+  endif (BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
+else()
+  add_library(XdmfCore ${LIBTYPE} ${XdmfCoreSources})
+endif()
 
 link_directories(${XDMF_LIBRARY_DIRS})
 
 target_link_libraries(XdmfCore ${XDMF_LIBRARIES})
-if (BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
+if (XDMF_STATIC_AND_SHARED AND BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
   target_link_libraries(XdmfCore_Static ${XDMF_LIBRARIES})
-endif (BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
+endif()
 
 if (COMMAND vtk_target_install)
   vtk_target_install(XdmfCore)
@@ -177,9 +179,11 @@ if(WIN32)
   add_definitions(-D_HDF5USEDLL_ -D_HDF5USEHLDLL_)
   if (BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
     set_target_properties(XdmfCore PROPERTIES
-        DEFINE_SYMBOL XdmfCore_EXPORTS)
-    set_target_properties(XdmfCore_Static PROPERTIES
       DEFINE_SYMBOL XdmfCore_EXPORTS)
+    if (XDMF_STATIC_AND_SHARED)
+      set_target_properties(XdmfCore_Static PROPERTIES
+        DEFINE_SYMBOL XdmfCore_EXPORTS)
+    endif()
   endif()
   if(NOT MSVC10)
     set_target_properties(XdmfCore PROPERTIES
@@ -188,7 +192,7 @@ if(WIN32)
       RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}
       LIBRARY_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}
       ARCHIVE_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR})
-    if (BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
+    if (XDMF_STATIC_AND_SHARED AND BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
       set_target_properties(XdmfCore_Static PROPERTIES
         PREFIX ../
         IMPORT_PREFIX ../
@@ -247,12 +251,12 @@ install(TARGETS XdmfCore
   RUNTIME DESTINATION bin
   LIBRARY DESTINATION lib
   ARCHIVE DESTINATION lib)
-if (BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
+if (XDMF_STATIC_AND_SHARED AND BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
   install(TARGETS XdmfCore_Static
     RUNTIME DESTINATION bin
     LIBRARY DESTINATION lib
     ARCHIVE DESTINATION lib)
-endif (BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
+endif ()
 
 set(XdmfCore_INCLUDE_DIRS
   ${Boost_INCLUDE_DIRS}
diff --git a/core/XdmfCoreReader.hpp b/core/XdmfCoreReader.hpp
index e45c36462e1b5c46f23c14d81f957453e0b478e2..0821a6297e11eb054fd4a7839ad1746f944c708e 100644
--- a/core/XdmfCoreReader.hpp
+++ b/core/XdmfCoreReader.hpp
@@ -238,14 +238,6 @@ private:
 
 };
 
-#ifdef _WIN32
-XDMFCORE_TEMPLATE template class XDMFCORE_EXPORT
-std::allocator<shared_ptr<XdmfItem> >;
-XDMFCORE_TEMPLATE template class XDMFCORE_EXPORT
-std::vector<shared_ptr<XdmfItem>,
-            std::allocator<shared_ptr<XdmfItem> > >;
-#endif
-
 #endif
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus