diff --git a/plugins/GSdx/GS.cpp b/plugins/GSdx/GS.cpp
index 116230f550..11b9783e27 100644
--- a/plugins/GSdx/GS.cpp
+++ b/plugins/GSdx/GS.cpp
@@ -770,7 +770,7 @@ EXPORT_C GSconfigure()
 		if(!GSUtil::CheckSSE()) return;
 
 #ifdef _WINDOWS
-
+		GSDialog::InitCommonControls();
 		if(GSSettingsDlg().DoModal() == IDOK)
 		{
 			if(s_gs != NULL && s_gs->m_wnd->IsManaged())
diff --git a/plugins/GSdx/GSDialog.cpp b/plugins/GSdx/GSDialog.cpp
index ea4c75191c..25d059b931 100644
--- a/plugins/GSdx/GSDialog.cpp
+++ b/plugins/GSdx/GSDialog.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
  */
 
 #include "StdAfx.h"
+#include <Shlwapi.h>
+#include <CommCtrl.h>
 #include "GSdx.h"
 #include "GSDialog.h"
 #include "GSVector.h"
@@ -64,9 +66,48 @@ INT_PTR CALLBACK GSDialog::DialogProc(HWND hWnd, UINT message, WPARAM wParam, LP
 
 	dlg = (GSDialog*)GetWindowLongPtr(hWnd, GWLP_USERDATA);
 
+	if (message == WM_NOTIFY)
+	{
+		if (((LPNMHDR)lParam)->code == TTN_GETDISPINFO)
+		{
+			LPNMTTDISPINFO pInfo = (LPNMTTDISPINFO)lParam;
+			UINT id = GetWindowLongPtr((HWND)pInfo->hdr.idFrom, GWL_ID);
+
+			// lpszText is used only if hinst is NULL. Seems to be NULL already,
+			// but it can't hurt to explicitly set it.
+			pInfo->hinst = NULL;
+			pInfo->lpszText = (LPTSTR)dialog_message(id);
+			SendMessage(pInfo->hdr.hwndFrom, TTM_SETMAXTIPWIDTH, 0, 500);
+			return true;
+		}
+	}
+
 	return dlg != NULL ? dlg->OnMessage(message, wParam, lParam) : FALSE;
 }
 
+// Tooltips will only show if the TOOLINFO cbSize <= the struct size. If it's
+// smaller some functionality might be disabled. So let's try and use the
+// correct size.
+UINT GSDialog::GetTooltipStructSize()
+{
+	DLLGETVERSIONPROC dllGetVersion = (DLLGETVERSIONPROC)GetProcAddress(GetModuleHandle("ComCtl32.dll"), "DllGetVersion");
+	if (dllGetVersion) {
+		DLLVERSIONINFO2 dllversion = { 0 };
+		dllversion.info1.cbSize = sizeof(DLLVERSIONINFO2);
+
+		if (dllGetVersion((DLLVERSIONINFO*)&dllversion) == S_OK) {
+			// Minor, then major version.
+			DWORD version = MAKELONG(dllversion.info1.dwMinorVersion, dllversion.info1.dwMajorVersion);
+			DWORD tooltip_v3 = MAKELONG(0, 6);
+			if (version >= tooltip_v3)
+				return TTTOOLINFOA_V3_SIZE;
+		}
+	}
+	// Should be fine for XP and onwards, comctl versions >= 4.7 should at least
+	// be this size.
+	return TTTOOLINFOA_V2_SIZE;
+}
+
 bool GSDialog::OnMessage(UINT message, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam)
 {
 	return message == WM_COMMAND ? OnCommand((HWND)lParam, LOWORD(wParam), HIWORD(wParam)) : false;
@@ -226,3 +267,45 @@ void GSDialog::ComboBoxFixDroppedWidth(UINT id)
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+void GSDialog::AddTooltip(UINT id)
+{
+	static UINT tooltipStructSize = GetTooltipStructSize();
+	bool hasTooltip;
+
+	dialog_message(id, &hasTooltip);
+	if (!hasTooltip)
+		return;
+
+	HWND hWnd = GetDlgItem(m_hWnd, id);
+	if (hWnd == NULL)
+		return;
+
+	// TTS_NOPREFIX allows tabs and '&' to be used.
+	HWND hwndTip = CreateWindowEx(WS_EX_TOPMOST, TOOLTIPS_CLASS, NULL,
+		TTS_ALWAYSTIP | TTS_NOPREFIX,
+		CW_USEDEFAULT, CW_USEDEFAULT, CW_USEDEFAULT, CW_USEDEFAULT,
+		m_hWnd, NULL, theApp.GetModuleHandle(), NULL);
+	if (hwndTip == NULL)
+		return;
+
+	TOOLINFO toolInfo = { 0 };
+	toolInfo.cbSize = tooltipStructSize;
+	toolInfo.hwnd = m_hWnd;
+	toolInfo.uFlags = TTF_IDISHWND | TTF_SUBCLASS;
+	toolInfo.uId = (UINT_PTR)hWnd;
+	// Can't directly add the tooltip string - it doesn't work for long messages
+	toolInfo.lpszText = LPSTR_TEXTCALLBACK;
+	SendMessage(hwndTip, TTM_ADDTOOL, 0, (LPARAM)&toolInfo);
+	// 32.767s is the max show time.
+	SendMessage(hwndTip, TTM_SETDELAYTIME, TTDT_AUTOPOP, 32767);
+}
+
+void GSDialog::InitCommonControls()
+{
+	INITCOMMONCONTROLSEX icex;
+	icex.dwSize = sizeof(INITCOMMONCONTROLSEX);
+	icex.dwICC = ICC_TAB_CLASSES;
+
+	InitCommonControlsEx(&icex);
+}
diff --git a/plugins/GSdx/GSDialog.h b/plugins/GSdx/GSDialog.h
index 2e5ff499ab..8f2bd86db6 100644
--- a/plugins/GSdx/GSDialog.h
+++ b/plugins/GSdx/GSDialog.h
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ class GSDialog
 	int m_id;
 
 	static INT_PTR CALLBACK DialogProc(HWND hWnd, UINT message, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam);
+	static UINT GetTooltipStructSize();
 
 protected:
 	HWND m_hWnd;
@@ -54,4 +55,8 @@ public:
 	int ComboBoxAppend(UINT id, const char* str, LPARAM data = 0, bool select = false);
 	bool ComboBoxGetSelData(UINT id, INT_PTR& data);
 	void ComboBoxFixDroppedWidth(UINT id);
+
+	void AddTooltip(UINT id);
+
+	static void InitCommonControls();
 };
diff --git a/plugins/GSdx/vsprops/common.props b/plugins/GSdx/vsprops/common.props
index 388a3c5879..bd7c502a80 100644
--- a/plugins/GSdx/vsprops/common.props
+++ b/plugins/GSdx/vsprops/common.props
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
   <ItemDefinitionGroup>
     <ClCompile>
       <IntrinsicFunctions>true</IntrinsicFunctions>
-      <PreprocessorDefinitions>_WINDOWS;_WIN32_WINNT=0x500;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
+      <PreprocessorDefinitions>_WINDOWS;_WIN32_WINNT=0x501;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
       <FloatingPointModel>Fast</FloatingPointModel>
       <RuntimeTypeInfo>false</RuntimeTypeInfo>
       <WarningLevel>Level4</WarningLevel>
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
       <MultiProcessorCompilation>true</MultiProcessorCompilation>
     </ClCompile>
     <Link>
-      <AdditionalDependencies>d3d11.lib;d3dx11.lib;d3d10_1.lib;d3dx10.lib;d3d9.lib;d3dx9.lib;dxgi.lib;dxguid.lib;winmm.lib;strmiids.lib;xinput.lib;opengl32.lib;opencl.lib;comsuppw.lib;%(AdditionalDependencies)</AdditionalDependencies>
+      <AdditionalDependencies>d3d11.lib;d3dx11.lib;d3d10_1.lib;d3dx10.lib;d3d9.lib;d3dx9.lib;dxgi.lib;dxguid.lib;winmm.lib;strmiids.lib;xinput.lib;opengl32.lib;opencl.lib;comsuppw.lib;comctl32.lib;%(AdditionalDependencies)</AdditionalDependencies>
       <DelayLoadDLLs>d3d9.dll;d3dx9_43.dll;d3d11.dll;d3dx11_43.dll;dxgi.dll;opengl32.dll;%(DelayLoadDLLs)</DelayLoadDLLs>
       <GenerateDebugInformation>true</GenerateDebugInformation>
       <SubSystem>Windows</SubSystem>