diff --git a/common.gypi b/common.gypi
index 7adbbbdc..a0e0eea0 100644
--- a/common.gypi
+++ b/common.gypi
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
     'visibility%': 'hidden',         # V8's visibility setting
     'target_arch%': 'ia32',          # set v8's target architecture
     'host_arch%': 'ia32',            # set v8's host architecture
-    'library%': 'static_library',    # allow override to 'shared_library' for DLL/.so builds
+    'uv_library%': 'static_library', # allow override to 'shared_library' for DLL/.so builds
     'component%': 'static_library',  # NB. these names match with what V8 expects
     'msvs_multi_core_compile': '0',  # we do enable multicore compiles, but not using the V8 way
     'gcc_version%': 'unknown',
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
         'msvs_settings': {
           'VCCLCompilerTool': {
             'target_conditions': [
-              ['library=="static_library"', {
+              ['uv_library=="static_library"', {
                 'RuntimeLibrary': 1, # static debug
               }, {
                 'RuntimeLibrary': 3, # DLL debug
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@
         'msvs_settings': {
           'VCCLCompilerTool': {
             'target_conditions': [
-              ['library=="static_library"', {
+              ['uv_library=="static_library"', {
                 'RuntimeLibrary': 0, # static release
               }, {
                 'RuntimeLibrary': 2, # debug release
diff --git a/gyp_uv.py b/gyp_uv.py
index 4ba69167..f0c59d07 100755
--- a/gyp_uv.py
+++ b/gyp_uv.py
@@ -88,8 +88,8 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
   if not any(a.startswith('-Dtarget_arch=') for a in args):
     args.append('-Dtarget_arch=%s' % host_arch())
 
-  if not any(a.startswith('-Dlibrary=') for a in args):
-    args.append('-Dlibrary=static_library')
+  if not any(a.startswith('-Duv_library=') for a in args):
+    args.append('-Duv_library=static_library')
 
   if not any(a.startswith('-Dcomponent=') for a in args):
     args.append('-Dcomponent=static_library')
diff --git a/samples/socks5-proxy/Makefile b/samples/socks5-proxy/Makefile
index 268dc55b..ca43985e 100644
--- a/samples/socks5-proxy/Makefile
+++ b/samples/socks5-proxy/Makefile
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ $(BUILDDIR)/$(BUILDTYPE)/s5-proxy: $(BUILDDIR)/Makefile $(SOURCES)
 
 $(BUILDDIR)/Makefile: ../../common.gypi build.gyp
 	$(GYP)	\
-		-Dlibrary=static_library \
+		-Duv_library=static_library \
 		-Goutput_dir=. \
 		-I../../common.gypi \
 		-f make \
diff --git a/uv.gyp b/uv.gyp
index 50e19357..65578f83 100644
--- a/uv.gyp
+++ b/uv.gyp
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
   'targets': [
     {
       'target_name': 'libuv',
-      'type': '<(library)',
+      'type': '<(uv_library)',
       'include_dirs': [
         'include',
         'src/',
@@ -167,10 +167,10 @@
             ],
           },
           'conditions': [
-            ['library=="shared_library"', {
+            ['uv_library=="shared_library"', {
               'cflags': [ '-fPIC' ],
             }],
-            ['library=="shared_library" and OS!="mac"', {
+            ['uv_library=="shared_library" and OS!="mac"', {
               'link_settings': {
                 # Must correspond with UV_VERSION_MAJOR and UV_VERSION_MINOR
                 # in src/version.c
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@
         [ 'OS in "mac freebsd dragonflybsd openbsd netbsd".split()', {
           'sources': [ 'src/unix/kqueue.c' ],
         }],
-        ['library=="shared_library"', {
+        ['uv_library=="shared_library"', {
           'defines': [ 'BUILDING_UV_SHARED=1' ]
         }],
         # FIXME(bnoordhuis or tjfontaine) Unify this, it's extremely ugly.
diff --git a/vcbuild.bat b/vcbuild.bat
index 8545b263..0dda6e2d 100644
--- a/vcbuild.bat
+++ b/vcbuild.bat
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ exit /b 1
 
 :have_gyp
 if not defined PYTHON set PYTHON="python"
-%PYTHON% gyp_uv.py -Dtarget_arch=%target_arch% -Dlibrary=%library%
+%PYTHON% gyp_uv.py -Dtarget_arch=%target_arch% -Duv_library=%library%
 if errorlevel 1 goto create-msvs-files-failed
 if not exist uv.sln goto create-msvs-files-failed
 echo Project files generated.