diff --git a/jdk/make/common/Defs.gmk b/jdk/make/common/Defs.gmk
index 6e9695b8ad793cf2c42bccac0dc604954f6ef772..de974fe62ec9b32ad41dd5e2cef436e1144212c3 100644
--- a/jdk/make/common/Defs.gmk
+++ b/jdk/make/common/Defs.gmk
@@ -667,12 +667,7 @@ LDLIBS          = $(OTHER_LDLIBS) $(LDLIBS_$(VARIANT)) $(LDLIBS_COMMON)
 LINTFLAGS       = $(LINTFLAGS_$(VARIANT)) $(LINTFLAGS_COMMON) \
 		  $(OTHER_LINTFLAGS)
 
-# this should be moved into Defs-<platform>.gmk.....
-ifeq ($(PLATFORM), windows)
-  VERSION_DEFINES = -DRELEASE="\"$(RELEASE)\""
-else
-  VERSION_DEFINES = -DRELEASE='"$(RELEASE)"'
-endif
+VERSION_DEFINES = -DRELEASE='"$(RELEASE)"'
 
 # Note: As a rule, GNU Make rules should not appear in any of the 
 # Defs*.gmk files. These were added for Kestrel-Solaris and do address
diff --git a/jdk/make/common/Program.gmk b/jdk/make/common/Program.gmk
index cb4fe13ee84d2add36a6daa48a9b6ef28732d63b..091ec95f8098d5c6db9687c602422ec54ee072c2 100644
--- a/jdk/make/common/Program.gmk
+++ b/jdk/make/common/Program.gmk
@@ -236,13 +236,13 @@ endif # files
 endif # INCREMENTAL_BUILD
 
 ifdef JAVA_ARGS
-OTHER_CPPFLAGS += -DJAVA_ARGS=$(JAVA_ARGS)
-OTHER_CPPFLAGS += -DLAUNCHER_NAME=\"$(LAUNCHER_NAME)\"
+OTHER_CPPFLAGS += -DJAVA_ARGS='$(JAVA_ARGS)'
+OTHER_CPPFLAGS += -DLAUNCHER_NAME='"$(LAUNCHER_NAME)"'
 endif
 
 ifeq ($(PLATFORM), windows)
 ifdef RELEASE
-OTHER_CPPFLAGS += -DVERSION="$(RELEASE)"
+OTHER_CPPFLAGS += -DVERSION='"$(RELEASE)"'
 endif
 endif
 
@@ -258,14 +258,8 @@ endif
 OTHER_INCLUDES += -I$(LAUNCHER_SHARE_SRC)/bin -I$(LAUNCHER_PLATFORM_SRC)/bin
 OTHER_INCLUDES += -I$(SHARE_SRC)/native/java/util/zip/zlib-1.1.3
 
-# this may not be necessary...
-ifeq ($(PLATFORM), windows)
-OTHER_CPPFLAGS += -DPROGNAME="\"$(PROGRAM)\""
-VERSION_DEFINES += -DFULL_VERSION="\"$(FULL_VERSION)\""
-else
 OTHER_CPPFLAGS += -DPROGNAME='"$(PROGRAM)"'
 VERSION_DEFINES += -DFULL_VERSION='"$(FULL_VERSION)"'
-endif
 
 VERSION_DEFINES += -DJDK_MAJOR_VERSION='"$(JDK_MAJOR_VERSION)"' \
 		   -DJDK_MINOR_VERSION='"$(JDK_MINOR_VERSION)"'
diff --git a/jdk/make/java/main/java/Makefile b/jdk/make/java/main/java/Makefile
index b4cf42f648f716ccf80092da82566c62372ecf06..ae9ce618cdd7a4f90697332a20accdcfc04f8169 100644
--- a/jdk/make/java/main/java/Makefile
+++ b/jdk/make/java/main/java/Makefile
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ endif
 #
 include $(BUILDDIR)/common/Program.gmk
 OTHER_CPPFLAGS += -DEXPAND_CLASSPATH_WILDCARDS
-OTHER_CPPFLAGS += -DLAUNCHER_NAME=\"$(LAUNCHER_NAME)\"
+OTHER_CPPFLAGS += -DLAUNCHER_NAME='"$(LAUNCHER_NAME)"'
 
 ifeq ($(PLATFORM), solaris)
 LDFLAGS += -R$(OPENWIN_LIB)
diff --git a/jdk/make/java/main/javaw/Makefile b/jdk/make/java/main/javaw/Makefile
index fb4479afad3bffb034401a30dc3320d64dae5cb0..7ebc218f669c897b74de90a57e4bdb727ab20bf7 100644
--- a/jdk/make/java/main/javaw/Makefile
+++ b/jdk/make/java/main/javaw/Makefile
@@ -62,4 +62,5 @@ endif
 #
 include $(BUILDDIR)/common/Program.gmk
 OTHER_CPPFLAGS += -DEXPAND_CLASSPATH_WILDCARDS
-OTHER_CPPFLAGS += -DLAUNCHER_NAME=\"$(LAUNCHER_NAME)\"
+OTHER_CPPFLAGS += -DLAUNCHER_NAME='"$(LAUNCHER_NAME)"'
+
diff --git a/jdk/make/javax/sound/Makefile b/jdk/make/javax/sound/Makefile
index c3e0524fd46d455400d1a7caaa84e64f51d5698c..5572e637b7c0a195ba0e44e4c0781f74dad4dc40 100644
--- a/jdk/make/javax/sound/Makefile
+++ b/jdk/make/javax/sound/Makefile
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ endif # PLATFORM solaris
 
 # for dynamic inclusion of extra sound libs: these
 # JNI libs will be loaded from Platform.java
-CPPFLAGS += -DEXTRA_SOUND_JNI_LIBS="\"$(EXTRA_SOUND_JNI_LIBS)\""
+CPPFLAGS += -DEXTRA_SOUND_JNI_LIBS='"$(EXTRA_SOUND_JNI_LIBS)"'
 
 # integrate MIDI i/o in jsound lib
 ifeq ($(INCLUDE_MIDI),TRUE)
diff --git a/jdk/make/launchers/Makefile.launcher b/jdk/make/launchers/Makefile.launcher
index 7e71e10bbd14f0ac0d10a31fa467f7927e0e0d97..a9edb782b585675a6ef5e3d478a747e71c2b87d9 100644
--- a/jdk/make/launchers/Makefile.launcher
+++ b/jdk/make/launchers/Makefile.launcher
@@ -137,15 +137,15 @@ ifeq ($(PROGRAM),jdb)
   #   PROGRAM, JAVA_ARGS, and APP_CLASSPATH are used in src/share/bin/java.c
   #   SA is currently not available on windows (for any ARCH), or linux-ia64:
   ifneq ($(ARCH), ia64)
-    JDB_CLASSPATH = "{ \"/lib/tools.jar\", \"/lib/sa-jdi.jar\", \"/classes\" }"
-    OTHER_CPPFLAGS += -DAPP_CLASSPATH=$(JDB_CLASSPATH)
+    JDB_CLASSPATH = { "/lib/tools.jar", "/lib/sa-jdi.jar", "/classes" }
+    OTHER_CPPFLAGS += -DAPP_CLASSPATH='$(JDB_CLASSPATH)'
   endif
 endif
 
 # jconsole only
 ifeq ($(PROGRAM),jconsole)
-  JCONSOLE_CLASSPATH = "{ \"/lib/jconsole.jar\", \"/lib/tools.jar\", \"/classes\" }"
-  OTHER_CPPFLAGS += -DAPP_CLASSPATH=$(JCONSOLE_CLASSPATH)
+  JCONSOLE_CLASSPATH = { "/lib/jconsole.jar", "/lib/tools.jar", "/classes" }
+  OTHER_CPPFLAGS += -DAPP_CLASSPATH='$(JCONSOLE_CLASSPATH)'
   ifeq ($(PLATFORM), windows)
     OTHER_CPPFLAGS += -DJAVAW
     LDLIBS_COMMON  += user32.lib
@@ -163,8 +163,8 @@ endif
 
 # SA tools need special app classpath
 ifeq ($(SA_TOOL),true)
-  SA_CLASSPATH = "{ \"/lib/tools.jar\", \"/lib/sa-jdi.jar\", \"/classes\"}"
-  OTHER_CPPFLAGS += -DAPP_CLASSPATH=$(SA_CLASSPATH)
+  SA_CLASSPATH = { "/lib/tools.jar", "/lib/sa-jdi.jar", "/classes" }
+  OTHER_CPPFLAGS += -DAPP_CLASSPATH='$(SA_CLASSPATH)'
 endif
 
 # Wildcards
@@ -173,11 +173,11 @@ ifeq ($(WILDCARDS),true)
 endif
 
 # Always tell native code what the main class is
-OTHER_CPPFLAGS += -DMAIN_CLASS=\"$(MAIN_CLASS)\"
+OTHER_CPPFLAGS += -DMAIN_CLASS='"$(MAIN_CLASS)"'
 
 # Construct initializer for initial arguments to java
 ALL_ARGS = -J-ms8m $(MAIN_JAVA_ARGS) $(MAIN_CLASS) $(MAIN_ARGS)
-JAVA_ARGS = "{ $(ALL_ARGS:%=\"%\",)  }"
+JAVA_ARGS = { $(ALL_ARGS:%="%",)  }
 
 # Always report launcher info
 build: launcher_info