diff --git a/winsup/cygwin/ChangeLog b/winsup/cygwin/ChangeLog
index 7d124a3da..3dc1ecbf6 100644
--- a/winsup/cygwin/ChangeLog
+++ b/winsup/cygwin/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+2012-07-24  Corinna Vinschen  <corinna@vinschen.de>
+
+	* wincap.cc (wincapc::init): Drop memset call since it can result in
+	a race condition.  Drop all considerations for pre-Windows 2000 systems
+	since Cygwin won't start on them anyway.
+
 2012-07-23  Christopher Faylor  <me.cygwin2012@cgf.cx>
 
 	Change "set_thread_waiting" to "set_signal_arrived" throughout.
diff --git a/winsup/cygwin/wincap.cc b/winsup/cygwin/wincap.cc
index c5cac6aa2..48b51c275 100644
--- a/winsup/cygwin/wincap.cc
+++ b/winsup/cygwin/wincap.cc
@@ -347,71 +347,51 @@ wincapc::init ()
     return;		// already initialized
 
   GetSystemInfo (&system_info);
-  memset (&version, 0, sizeof version);
   version.dwOSVersionInfoSize = sizeof (OSVERSIONINFOEX);
-  if (!GetVersionEx (reinterpret_cast<LPOSVERSIONINFO>(&version)))
-    api_fatal ("Cygwin requires at least Windows 2000.");
+  GetVersionEx (reinterpret_cast<LPOSVERSIONINFO>(&version));
 
-  switch (version.dwPlatformId)
+  switch (version.dwMajorVersion)
     {
-      case VER_PLATFORM_WIN32_NT:
-	switch (version.dwMajorVersion)
+      case 5:
+	switch (version.dwMinorVersion)
 	  {
-	    case 4:
-	      /* I'd be very surprised if this code is ever hit, but it doesn't
-		 hurt to keep it. */
-	      api_fatal ("Cygwin requires at least Windows 2000.");
+	    case 0:
+	      if (version.wServicePackMajor < 4)
+		caps = &wincap_2000;
+	      else
+		caps = &wincap_2000sp4;
 	      break;
-	    case 5:
-	      switch (version.dwMinorVersion)
+
+	    case 1:
+	      caps = &wincap_xp;
+	      switch (version.wServicePackMajor)
 		{
-		  case 0:
-		    if (version.wServicePackMajor < 4)
-		      caps = &wincap_2000;
-		    else
-		      caps = &wincap_2000sp4;
-		    break;
-
-		  case 1:
-		    caps = &wincap_xp;
-		    switch (version.wServicePackMajor)
-		      {
-		      case 0:
-			caps = &wincap_xp;
-		      case 1:
-			caps = &wincap_xpsp1;
-		      default:
-			caps = &wincap_xpsp2;
-		      }
-		    break;
-
-		  default:
-		    caps = &wincap_2003;
-		}
-	      break;
-	    case 6:
-	      switch (version.dwMinorVersion)
-		{
-		  case 0:
-		    caps = &wincap_vista;
-		    break;
-		  case 1:
-		    caps = &wincap_7;
-		    break;
-		  default:
-		    caps = &wincap_8;
-		    break;
+		case 0:
+		  caps = &wincap_xp;
+		case 1:
+		  caps = &wincap_xpsp1;
+		default:
+		  caps = &wincap_xpsp2;
 		}
 	      break;
+
 	    default:
-	      caps = &wincap_minimal;
-	      break;
+	      caps = &wincap_2003;
 	  }
 	break;
-      case VER_PLATFORM_WIN32_WINDOWS:
-	/* I'd be very surprised if this code is ever hit, but it doesn't
-	   hurt to keep it. */
-	api_fatal ("Windows 95/98/Me are not supported.");
+      case 6:
+	switch (version.dwMinorVersion)
+	  {
+	    case 0:
+	      caps = &wincap_vista;
+	      break;
+	    case 1:
+	      caps = &wincap_7;
+	      break;
+	    default:
+	      caps = &wincap_8;
+	      break;
+	  }
 	break;
       default:
 	caps = &wincap_minimal;