diff --git a/build_scripts/Windows/retroshare.nsi b/build_scripts/Windows/retroshare.nsi
index 4cba703f2..580a22352 100644
--- a/build_scripts/Windows/retroshare.nsi
+++ b/build_scripts/Windows/retroshare.nsi
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ Section $(Section_Main) Section_Main
   File "${MINGWDIR}\bin\libwinpthread-1.dll"
 
   ; External binaries
-  File "${SOURCEDIR}\..\lib\bin\miniupnpc.dll"
+  File "${SOURCEDIR}\..\libs\bin\miniupnpc.dll"
 
   ; Other files
   File "${SOURCEDIR}\retroshare-gui\src\changelog.txt"
diff --git a/libretroshare/src/libretroshare.pro b/libretroshare/src/libretroshare.pro
index 82e1d789b..16e923677 100644
--- a/libretroshare/src/libretroshare.pro
+++ b/libretroshare/src/libretroshare.pro
@@ -229,19 +229,10 @@ win32 {
 
 	CONFIG += upnp_miniupnpc
 
-	UPNPC_DIR = ../../../miniupnpc-1.3
+	LIBS_DIR = $$PWD/../../../libs
+	OPENPGPSDK_DIR = $$PWD/../../openpgpsdk/src
 
-	ZLIB_DIR = ../../../zlib-1.2.3
-	SSL_DIR = ../../../openssl-1.0.1h
-	OPENPGPSDK_DIR = ../../openpgpsdk/src
-
-	INCLUDEPATH += . $${SSL_DIR}/include $${UPNPC_DIR} $${ZLIB_DIR} $${OPENPGPSDK_DIR}
-
-	# SQLite include path is required to compile GXS.
-	gxs {
-		SQLITE_DIR = ../../../sqlcipher-2.2.0
-		INCLUDEPATH += $${SQLITE_DIR}
-	}
+	INCLUDEPATH += . $$LIBS_DIR/include $$LIBS_DIR/include/miniupnpc $$OPENPGPSDK_DIR
 }
 
 ################################# MacOSX ##########################################
diff --git a/openpgpsdk/src/openpgpsdk.pro b/openpgpsdk/src/openpgpsdk.pro
index cce61367b..0ed1cd07b 100644
--- a/openpgpsdk/src/openpgpsdk.pro
+++ b/openpgpsdk/src/openpgpsdk.pro
@@ -33,11 +33,9 @@ win32 {
 	#QMAKE_CXXFLAGS_DEBUG += -O2
 	#QMAKE_CFLAGS_DEBUG += -O2
 
-	SSL_DIR = ../../../openssl-1.0.1h
-	ZLIB_DIR = ../../../zlib-1.2.3
-	BZIP_DIR = ../../../bzip2-1.0.6
+	LIBS_DIR = $$PWD/../../../libs
 
-	INCLUDEPATH += $${SSL_DIR}/include $${ZLIB_DIR} $${BZIP_DIR}
+	INCLUDEPATH += $$LIBS_DIR/include
 }
 
 # Input
diff --git a/plugins/Common/retroshare_plugin.pri b/plugins/Common/retroshare_plugin.pri
index 3fca0f211..a47849b84 100644
--- a/plugins/Common/retroshare_plugin.pri
+++ b/plugins/Common/retroshare_plugin.pri
@@ -44,15 +44,13 @@ win32 {
 	HEADERS += upnp/upnputil.h
 	SOURCES += upnp/upnputil.c
 
-	UPNPC_DIR = ../../../lib/miniupnpc-1.3
-	ZLIB_DIR = ../../../lib/zlib-1.2.3
-	SSL_DIR = ../../../openssl-1.0.1h
+	LIBS_DIR = $$PWD/../../../libs
 
-	INCLUDEPATH += . $${SSL_DIR}/include $${UPNPC_DIR} $${PTHREADS_DIR} $${ZLIB_DIR}
+	INCLUDEPATH += . $$LIBS_DIR/include $$LIBS_DIR/include/miniupnpc
 
 	PRE_TARGETDEPS += ../../retroshare-gui/src/lib/libretroshare-gui.a
 	LIBS += -L"../../retroshare-gui/src/lib" -lretroshare-gui
 
-	LIBS += -L"$$PWD/../../../lib"
+	LIBS += -L"$$LIBS_DIR/lib"
 	LIBS += -lpthread
 }
diff --git a/plugins/FeedReader/FeedReader.pro b/plugins/FeedReader/FeedReader.pro
index 55c155d7a..daeb114c9 100644
--- a/plugins/FeedReader/FeedReader.pro
+++ b/plugins/FeedReader/FeedReader.pro
@@ -90,12 +90,6 @@ linux-* {
 win32 {
 	DEFINES += CURL_STATICLIB LIBXML_STATIC LIBXSLT_STATIC LIBEXSLT_STATIC
 
-	CURL_DIR = ../../../curl-7.34.0
-	LIBXML2_DIR = ../../../libxml2-2.9.1
-	LIBXSLT_DIR = ../../../libxslt-1.1.28
-
-	INCLUDEPATH += $${CURL_DIR}/include $${LIBXML2_DIR}/include $${LIBXSLT_DIR} $${LIBICONV_DIR}/include
-
 	# Change order of the libraries
 	LIBS = -lcurl -lxml2 -lz -lxslt -lws2_32 -lwldap32 -lssl -lcrypto -lgdi32 -lwsock32 $${LIBS}
 }
diff --git a/plugins/VOIP/VOIP.pro b/plugins/VOIP/VOIP.pro
index 3effc5306..a82b79b05 100644
--- a/plugins/VOIP/VOIP.pro
+++ b/plugins/VOIP/VOIP.pro
@@ -23,11 +23,8 @@ linux-* {
 }
 
 win32 {
-	SPEEX_DIR = ../../../speex-1.2rc1
-	OPENCV_DIR = ../../../lib/opencv
-
-	INCLUDEPATH += $${SPEEX_DIR}/include $${OPENCV_DIR}/include
-	LIBS += -L"$$OPENCV_DIR/x86/mingw/staticlib"
+	LIBS_DIR = $$PWD/../../../libs
+	LIBS += -L"$$LIBS_DIR/lib/opencv"
 
 	LIBS += -lopencv_core249 -lopencv_highgui249 -llibjpeg -llibtiff -llibpng -llibjasper -lIlmImf -lole32 -loleaut32 -luuid -lavicap32 -lavifil32 -lvfw32 -lz
 }
diff --git a/retroshare-gui/src/retroshare-gui.pro b/retroshare-gui/src/retroshare-gui.pro
index b857f8aeb..f0e347dcf 100644
--- a/retroshare-gui/src/retroshare-gui.pro
+++ b/retroshare-gui/src/retroshare-gui.pro
@@ -175,9 +175,11 @@ win32 {
 	PRE_TARGETDEPS *= ../../libretroshare/src/lib/libretroshare.a
 	PRE_TARGETDEPS *= ../../openpgpsdk/src/lib/libops.a
 
+	LIBS_DIR = $$PWD/../../../libs
+
 	LIBS += ../../libretroshare/src/lib/libretroshare.a
 	LIBS += ../../openpgpsdk/src/lib/libops.a -lbz2
-	LIBS += -L"$$PWD/../../../lib"
+	LIBS += -L"$$LIBS_DIR/lib"
 
 	LIBS += ../../supportlibs/pegmarkdown/lib/libpegmarkdown.a
 	LIBS += -lsqlcipher
diff --git a/retroshare-nogui/src/retroshare-nogui.pro b/retroshare-nogui/src/retroshare-nogui.pro
index 98883e887..5d055bb7d 100644
--- a/retroshare-nogui/src/retroshare-nogui.pro
+++ b/retroshare-nogui/src/retroshare-nogui.pro
@@ -88,24 +88,24 @@ win32 {
 	PRE_TARGETDEPS *= ../../libretroshare/src/lib/libretroshare.a
 	PRE_TARGETDEPS *= ../../openpgpsdk/src/lib/libops.a
 
+	LIBS_DIR = $$PWD/../../../libs
+
 	LIBS += ../../libretroshare/src/lib/libretroshare.a
 	LIBS += ../../openpgpsdk/src/lib/libops.a -lbz2
-	LIBS += -L"$$PWD/../../../lib"
+	LIBS += -L"$$LIBS_DIR/lib"
 	LIBS += -lssl -lcrypto -lpthread -lminiupnpc -lz
 # added after bitdht
 #	LIBS += -lcrypto -lws2_32 -lgdi32
 	LIBS += -luuid -lole32 -liphlpapi -lcrypt32-cygwin
 	LIBS += -lole32 -lwinmm
 
-	PROTOCPATH=$$PWD/../../../lib/bin/
+	PROTOCPATH=$$LIBS_DIR/bin/
 
 	RC_FILE = resources/retroshare_win.rc
 
 	DEFINES *= WINDOWS_SYS _USE_32BIT_TIME_T
 
-	SSL_DIR = ../../../openssl-1.0.1h
-
-	INCLUDEPATH += . $${SSL_DIR}/include
+	INCLUDEPATH += . $$LIBS_DIR/include
 
 	gxs {
 		LIBS += ../../supportlibs/pegmarkdown/lib/libpegmarkdown.a
@@ -352,8 +352,7 @@ protorpc {
 	LIBS += -lprotobuf -lpthread
 	
 	win32 {
-		PROTOPATH = ../../../protobuf-2.4.1
-		INCLUDEPATH += . $${PROTOPATH}/src
+		INCLUDEPATH += $$LIBS_DIR/include/protobuf
 	}
 	
 	macx {