diff --git a/programs/winevdm/Makefile.in b/programs/winevdm/Makefile.in
index cd19759810e..47d8f22cd18 100644
--- a/programs/winevdm/Makefile.in
+++ b/programs/winevdm/Makefile.in
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ SRCDIR    = @srcdir@
 VPATH     = @srcdir@
 MODULE    = winevdm.exe
 APPMODE   = -mconsole
-IMPORTS   = winedos user32 kernel32
+IMPORTS   = user32 kernel32
 
 C_SRCS = \
 	winevdm.c
diff --git a/programs/winevdm/winevdm.c b/programs/winevdm/winevdm.c
index baf3a67b7a3..2801601bdbf 100644
--- a/programs/winevdm/winevdm.c
+++ b/programs/winevdm/winevdm.c
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 
 WINE_DEFAULT_DEBUG_CHANNEL(winevdm);
 
-extern void WINAPI wine_load_dos_exe( LPCSTR filename, LPCSTR cmdline );
+static void (WINAPI *wine_load_dos_exe)( LPCSTR filename, LPCSTR cmdline );
 
 
 /*** PIF file structures ***/
@@ -384,6 +384,7 @@ int main( int argc, char *argv[] )
     STARTUPINFOA info;
     char *cmdline, *appname, **first_arg;
     char *p;
+    HMODULE winedos;
 
     if (!argv[1]) usage();
 
@@ -396,13 +397,20 @@ int main( int argc, char *argv[] )
     {
         if (!SearchPathA( NULL, argv[1], ".exe", sizeof(buffer), buffer, NULL ))
         {
-            WINE_MESSAGE( "winevdm: can't exec '%s': file not found\n", argv[1] );
+            WINE_MESSAGE( "winevdm: unable to exec '%s': file not found\n", argv[1] );
             ExitProcess(1);
         }
         appname = buffer;
         first_arg = argv + 1;
     }
 
+    if (!(winedos = LoadLibraryA( "winedos.dll" )) ||
+        !(wine_load_dos_exe = (void *)GetProcAddress( winedos, "wine_load_dos_exe" )))
+    {
+        WINE_MESSAGE( "winevdm: unable to exec '%s': 16-bit support missing\n", argv[1] );
+        ExitProcess(1);
+    }
+
     if (*first_arg) first_arg++;  /* skip program name */
     cmdline = build_command_line( first_arg );