diff --git a/external/CMakeLists.txt b/external/CMakeLists.txt
index 518a6cabb..cbe8610c7 100644
--- a/external/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/external/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -6,24 +6,55 @@
 #  CMake configuration for bundled dependencies built in-tree.
 #
 
-# On Windows, rlottie is built as a DLL file.
-if(NOT WIN32)
-    set(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS OFF)
+# This makes it possible to set options in subprojects.
+set (CMAKE_POLICY_DEFAULT_CMP0077 NEW)
+
+if (WIN32)
+    # On Windows the build type needs to match the main binary.
+    if (CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE MATCHES Profiling)
+        set (CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE Release)
+    elseif(NOT CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE MATCHES Debug)
+        set (CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE Release)
+    endif()
+else()
+    # Always build with optimizations enabled and without debug info.
+    set (CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE Release)
 endif()
 
-# Disabled threading support for rlottie as this functionality actually leads to far worse
+unset(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS)
+unset(CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS)
+
+if(WIN32)
+    if(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID MATCHES MSVC)
+        # Disable DLL interface warnings.
+        set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} /wd4251")
+    else()
+        # Strip the DLL files when building with MinGW.
+        set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -s")
+    endif()
+    if (WIN32)
+        set(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS ON)
+    else()
+        set(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS OFF)
+    endif()
+endif()
+
+# Disable threading support for rlottie as this functionality actually leads to far worse
 # performance. As well there is a bug on Windows that makes rlottie hang forever on application
 # shutdown if compiled using MinGW with threading support enabled.
 option(LOTTIE_THREAD OFF)
 
 option(LOTTIE_MODULE OFF)
 
-# Only use the compiler and linker flags defined by rlottie.
-unset(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS)
-unset(CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS)
-
 if(EMSCRIPTEN)
     set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS -pthread)
 endif()
 
+# rlottie generates a lot of annoying compiler warnings that we don't need to show.
+if(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID MATCHES MSVC)
+    set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} /wd4244 /wd4267 /wd4530 /wd4996")
+else()
+    set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -w")
+endif()
+
 add_subdirectory(rlottie EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL)