diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Windows/2019-10-16-09-49-09.bpo-38492.Te1LxC.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Windows/2019-10-16-09-49-09.bpo-38492.Te1LxC.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..41fe695413f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Windows/2019-10-16-09-49-09.bpo-38492.Te1LxC.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Remove ``pythonw.exe`` dependency on the Microsoft C++ runtime.
diff --git a/PCbuild/pythonw_uwp.vcxproj b/PCbuild/pythonw_uwp.vcxproj
index 79e105877fb..e2c01710498 100644
--- a/PCbuild/pythonw_uwp.vcxproj
+++ b/PCbuild/pythonw_uwp.vcxproj
@@ -65,6 +65,15 @@
       <SubSystem>Windows</SubSystem>
     </Link>
   </ItemDefinitionGroup>
+  <ItemDefinitionGroup Condition="$(Configuration) != 'Debug'">
+    <ClCompile>
+      <RuntimeLibrary>Multithreaded</RuntimeLibrary>
+    </ClCompile>
+    <Link>
+      <AdditionalDependencies>ucrt.lib;%(AdditionalDependencies)</AdditionalDependencies>
+      <IgnoreSpecificDefaultLibraries>libucrt;%(IgnoreSpecificDefaultLibraries)</IgnoreSpecificDefaultLibraries>
+    </Link>
+  </ItemDefinitionGroup>
   <ItemGroup>
     <None Include="..\PC\pyconw.ico" />
   </ItemGroup>