diff --git a/src/common/common.vcxproj b/src/common/common.vcxproj
index 17a8d829..3ae891d5 100644
--- a/src/common/common.vcxproj
+++ b/src/common/common.vcxproj
@@ -160,8 +160,8 @@
     <PreBuildEvent>
       <Command><![CDATA[
 SET SOLUTIONDIR=$(SolutionDir)..\
-powershell "$(SolutionDir)..\version-template.ps1" "$(SolutionDir)..\config-win32.h.tt" "$(SolutionDir)..\config-win32.h"
-powershell "$(SolutionDir)..\version-template.ps1" "$(SolutionDir)..\win32\version.txt.tt" "$(SolutionDir)..\win32\version.txt.tmp"
+powershell -File "$(SolutionDir)..\version-template.ps1" "$(SolutionDir)..\config-win32.h.tt" "$(SolutionDir)..\config-win32.h"
+powershell -File "$(SolutionDir)..\version-template.ps1" "$(SolutionDir)..\win32\version.txt.tt" "$(SolutionDir)..\win32\version.txt.tmp"
 REM version.txt must be in UTF-8 without trailing newline
 powershell "[string] $content = Get-Content '$(SolutionDir)..\win32\version.txt.tmp' -Encoding UTF8; [System.IO.File]::WriteAllText('$(SolutionDir)..\win32\version.txt', $content); Remove-Item '$(SolutionDir)..\win32\version.txt.tmp';"
 "$(DepsRoot)\bin\glib-genmarshal.exe" --prefix=_hexchat_marshal --header "$(ProjectDir)marshalers.list" > "$(ProjectDir)marshal.h"
diff --git a/src/fe-gtk/fe-gtk.vcxproj b/src/fe-gtk/fe-gtk.vcxproj
index f5e2dace..d415175c 100644
--- a/src/fe-gtk/fe-gtk.vcxproj
+++ b/src/fe-gtk/fe-gtk.vcxproj
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@
     <PreBuildEvent>
       <Command><![CDATA[
 SET SOLUTIONDIR=$(SolutionDir)..\
-powershell "$(SolutionDir)..\version-template.ps1" "$(SolutionDir)..\src\fe-gtk\hexchat.rc.tt" "$(SolutionDir)..\src\fe-gtk\hexchat.rc.utf8"
+powershell -File "$(SolutionDir)..\version-template.ps1" "$(SolutionDir)..\src\fe-gtk\hexchat.rc.tt" "$(SolutionDir)..\src\fe-gtk\hexchat.rc.utf8"
 REM hexchat.rc needs to be in UCS-2 or Resource Compiler will complain
 powershell "Get-Content -Encoding UTF8 '$(SolutionDir)..\src\fe-gtk\hexchat.rc.utf8' | Out-File '$(SolutionDir)..\src\fe-gtk\hexchat.rc'; Remove-Item '$(SolutionDir)..\src\fe-gtk\hexchat.rc.utf8'"
 "$(DepsRoot)\bin\glib-compile-resources.exe" --generate-source --sourcedir $(DataDir) --target "$(ProjectDir)resources.c" "$(DataDir)hexchat.gresource.xml"
diff --git a/win32/installer/installer.vcxproj b/win32/installer/installer.vcxproj
index 0e46f373..ad0d1a66 100644
--- a/win32/installer/installer.vcxproj
+++ b/win32/installer/installer.vcxproj
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@
       <Command>
       <![CDATA[
 SET SOLUTIONDIR=$(SolutionDir)..\
-powershell "$(SolutionDir)..\version-template.ps1" "$(SolutionDir)..\win32\installer\hexchat.iss.tt" "$(SolutionDir)..\win32\installer\hexchat.iss"
+powershell -File "$(SolutionDir)..\version-template.ps1" "$(SolutionDir)..\win32\installer\hexchat.iss.tt" "$(SolutionDir)..\win32\installer\hexchat.iss"
 del "$(OutDir)hexchat.iss"
 type hexchat.iss >> "$(OutDir)hexchat.iss"
 $(IsccPath) /dPROJECTDIR="$(ProjectDir)" /dAPPARCH="$(Platform)" "$(OutDir)hexchat.iss"