diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 851bfbb81b..24db201313 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@ if(NOT CMAKE_SIZEOF_VOID_P EQUAL 8)
 	message( FATAL_ERROR "RPCS3 can only be compiled on 64-bit platforms." )
 endif()
 
+# We use libpng's static library and don't need to build the shared library and run the tests
+set(PNG_SHARED OFF CACHE BOOL "Build shared lib." FORCE)
+set(PNG_TESTS  OFF CACHE BOOL "Build tests." FORCE)
+
 add_subdirectory( asmjit )
 add_subdirectory( libpng )
 # TODO: do real installation, including copying directory structure
diff --git a/rpcs3-tests/rpcs3-tests.vcxproj b/rpcs3-tests/rpcs3-tests.vcxproj
index 1e94514aa5..53638401fb 100644
--- a/rpcs3-tests/rpcs3-tests.vcxproj
+++ b/rpcs3-tests/rpcs3-tests.vcxproj
@@ -44,50 +44,32 @@
     <Import Project="$(UserRootDir)\Microsoft.Cpp.$(Platform).user.props" Condition="exists('$(UserRootDir)\Microsoft.Cpp.$(Platform).user.props')" Label="LocalAppDataPlatform" />
   </ImportGroup>
   <PropertyGroup Label="UserMacros" />
-  <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Debug|x64'">
-    <LinkIncremental>true</LinkIncremental>
-    <OutDir>$(SolutionDir)bin\</OutDir>
-    <IncludePath>.\;..\;..\asmjit\src\asmjit;..\wxWidgets\include\msvc;..\wxWidgets\include;.\OpenAL\include;..\ffmpeg\WindowsInclude;..\ffmpeg\Windows\x86_64\Include;$(VC_IncludePath);$(WindowsSDK_IncludePath);..\llvm\include;..\llvm_build\include;$(UniversalCRT_IncludePath);..\minidx9\Include;..\minidx12\Include;..\GSL\include</IncludePath>
-  </PropertyGroup>
-  <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Release|x64'">
-    <LinkIncremental>true</LinkIncremental>
-    <OutDir>$(SolutionDir)bin\</OutDir>
-    <IncludePath>.\;..\;..\asmjit\src\asmjit;..\wxWidgets\include\msvc;..\wxWidgets\include;.\OpenAL\include;..\ffmpeg\WindowsInclude;..\ffmpeg\Windows\x86_64\Include;$(VC_IncludePath);$(WindowsSDK_IncludePath);..\llvm\include;..\llvm_build\include;$(UniversalCRT_IncludePath);..\minidx9\Include;..\minidx12\Include;..\GSL\include</IncludePath>
-  </PropertyGroup>
+  <ImportGroup Label="PropertySheets">
+    <Import Project="$(UserRootDir)\Microsoft.Cpp.$(Platform).user.props" Condition="exists('$(UserRootDir)\Microsoft.Cpp.$(Platform).user.props')" Label="LocalAppDataPlatform" />
+    <Import Project="..\rpcs3_default.props" />
+  </ImportGroup>
   <ItemDefinitionGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Debug|x64'">
     <ClCompile>
-      <PrecompiledHeader>Use</PrecompiledHeader>
-      <WarningLevel>Level3</WarningLevel>
       <Optimization>Disabled</Optimization>
       <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>..\;..\rpcs3;$(VCInstallDir)UnitTest\include;%(AdditionalIncludeDirectories)</AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
-      <PreprocessorDefinitions>_DEBUG;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
       <UseFullPaths>true</UseFullPaths>
     </ClCompile>
     <Link>
-      <SubSystem>Windows</SubSystem>
-      <GenerateDebugInformation>true</GenerateDebugInformation>
       <AdditionalLibraryDirectories>$(VCInstallDir)UnitTest\lib;..\OpenAL\libs\Win64;..\ffmpeg\Windows\x86_64\lib;%(AdditionalLibraryDirectories)</AdditionalLibraryDirectories>
-      <AdditionalDependencies>kernel32.lib;user32.lib;gdi32.lib;winspool.lib;comdlg32.lib;advapi32.lib;shell32.lib;ole32.lib;oleaut32.lib;uuid.lib;odbc32.lib;odbccp32.lib;shlwapi.lib;%(AdditionalDependencies)</AdditionalDependencies>
-    </Link>
+   </Link>
   </ItemDefinitionGroup>
   <ItemDefinitionGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Release|x64'">
     <ClCompile>
-      <WarningLevel>Level3</WarningLevel>
-      <PrecompiledHeader>Use</PrecompiledHeader>
       <Optimization>MaxSpeed</Optimization>
       <FunctionLevelLinking>true</FunctionLevelLinking>
       <IntrinsicFunctions>true</IntrinsicFunctions>
       <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>..\;..\rpcs3;$(VCInstallDir)UnitTest\include;%(AdditionalIncludeDirectories)</AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
-      <PreprocessorDefinitions>NDEBUG;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
       <UseFullPaths>true</UseFullPaths>
     </ClCompile>
     <Link>
-      <SubSystem>Windows</SubSystem>
-      <GenerateDebugInformation>true</GenerateDebugInformation>
       <EnableCOMDATFolding>true</EnableCOMDATFolding>
       <OptimizeReferences>true</OptimizeReferences>
-      <AdditionalLibraryDirectories>$(VCInstallDir)UnitTest\lib;..\OpenAL\libs\Win64;..\ffmpeg\Windows\x86_64\lib;%(AdditionalLibraryDirectories)</AdditionalLibraryDirectories>
-      <AdditionalDependencies>kernel32.lib;user32.lib;gdi32.lib;winspool.lib;comdlg32.lib;advapi32.lib;shell32.lib;ole32.lib;oleaut32.lib;uuid.lib;odbc32.lib;odbccp32.lib;shlwapi.lib;%(AdditionalDependencies)</AdditionalDependencies>
+      <AdditionalLibraryDirectories>$(VCInstallDir)UnitTest\lib;%(AdditionalLibraryDirectories)</AdditionalLibraryDirectories>
     </Link>
   </ItemDefinitionGroup>
   <ItemGroup>
diff --git a/rpcs3/CMakeLists.txt b/rpcs3/CMakeLists.txt
index 877e4d528f..ebedb7b574 100644
--- a/rpcs3/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/rpcs3/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -189,14 +189,14 @@ if(WIN32) # I'm not sure we need all of these libs, but we link them in vs
 	else()
 		target_link_libraries(rpcs3  dxgi.lib d2d1.lib dwrite.lib)
 	endif()
-	target_link_libraries(rpcs3  asmjit.lib avformat.lib avcodec.lib avutil.lib swresample.lib swscale.lib png16 ${wxWidgets_LIBRARIES} ${OPENAL_LIBRARY} ${ADDITIONAL_LIBS})
+	target_link_libraries(rpcs3  asmjit.lib avformat.lib avcodec.lib avutil.lib swresample.lib swscale.lib png16_static ${wxWidgets_LIBRARIES} ${OPENAL_LIBRARY} ${ADDITIONAL_LIBS})
 else()
 	if(LLVM_FOUND)
 		target_link_libraries(rpcs3  asmjit.a ${wxWidgets_LIBRARIES} ${OPENAL_LIBRARY} ${GLEW_LIBRARY} ${OPENGL_LIBRARIES})
-		target_link_libraries(rpcs3  libavformat.a libavcodec.a libavutil.a libswresample.a libswscale.a png16 ${ZLIB_LIBRARIES} ${LLVM_LIBS} ${ADDITIONAL_LIBS})
+		target_link_libraries(rpcs3  libavformat.a libavcodec.a libavutil.a libswresample.a libswscale.a png16_static ${ZLIB_LIBRARIES} ${LLVM_LIBS} ${ADDITIONAL_LIBS})
 	else()
 		target_link_libraries(rpcs3  asmjit.a ${wxWidgets_LIBRARIES} ${OPENAL_LIBRARY} ${GLEW_LIBRARY} ${OPENGL_LIBRARIES})
-		target_link_libraries(rpcs3  libavformat.a libavcodec.a libavutil.a libswresample.a libswscale.a png16 ${ZLIB_LIBRARIES} ${ADDITIONAL_LIBS})
+		target_link_libraries(rpcs3  libavformat.a libavcodec.a libavutil.a libswresample.a libswscale.a png16_static ${ZLIB_LIBRARIES} ${ADDITIONAL_LIBS})
     endif()
 endif()