diff --git a/tools/update_vst3.sh b/tools/update_vst3.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..a6762ecf2f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/update_vst3.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+if ! test -f wscript || ! test -d gtk2_ardour || ! test -d libs/vst3/; then
+	echo "This script needs to run from ardour's top-level src tree"
+	exit 1
+fi
+
+if test -z "`which rsync`" -o -z "`which git`"; then
+	echo "this script needs rsync and git"
+	exit 1
+fi
+
+ASRC=`pwd`
+set -e
+
+rm -rf libs/vst3/pluginterfaces/gui
+rm -rf libs/vst3/pluginterfaces/vst
+rm -rf libs/vst3/pluginterfaces/base
+mkdir -p libs/vst3/pluginterfaces/gui
+mkdir -p libs/vst3/pluginterfaces/vst
+mkdir -p libs/vst3/pluginterfaces/base
+
+TMP=`mktemp -d`
+test -d $TMP
+
+trap "rm -rf $TMP" EXIT
+
+cd $TMP
+git clone https://github.com/steinbergmedia/vst3_pluginterfaces.git
+cd vst3_pluginterfaces/
+git reset --hard a21cdf3779726b2fe8eea0a8c36ebd698f4f0e82
+
+rsync -auc --info=name0 \
+	base/conststringtable.cpp \
+	base/conststringtable.h \
+	base/falignpop.h \
+	base/falignpush.h \
+	base/fplatform.h \
+	base/fstrdefs.h \
+	base/ftypes.h \
+	base/funknown.cpp \
+	base/funknown.h \
+	base/ibstream.h \
+	base/ipluginbase.h \
+	base/istringresult.h \
+	base/smartpointer.h \
+	base/typesizecheck.h \
+	"$ASRC/libs/vst3/pluginterfaces/base/"
+
+rsync -auc --info=name0 \
+	vst gui \
+	"$ASRC/libs/vst3/pluginterfaces/"
+
+cd "$ASRC"
+
+patch -p1 < tools/vst3-patches/vst3-cxx98.diff
+patch -p1 < tools/vst3-patches/vst3-uuid.diff
+
+#git add libs/vst3/pluginterfaces/
diff --git a/tools/vst3-patches/vst3-cxx98.diff b/tools/vst3-patches/vst3-cxx98.diff
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..76ded09bcd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/vst3-patches/vst3-cxx98.diff
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+diff --git b/libs/vst3/pluginterfaces/base/fplatform.h a/libs/vst3/pluginterfaces/base/fplatform.h
+index 3a93738937..7db1c5d222 100644
+--- b/libs/vst3/pluginterfaces/base/fplatform.h
++++ a/libs/vst3/pluginterfaces/base/fplatform.h
+@@ -115,8 +115,8 @@
+ 		#ifndef SMTG_CPP11
+ 			#error unsupported compiler
+ 		#endif
+-		#define SMTG_CPP11_STDLIBSUPPORT 1
+-		#define SMTG_HAS_NOEXCEPT 1
++		#define SMTG_CPP11_STDLIBSUPPORT SMTG_CPP11
++		#define SMTG_HAS_NOEXCEPT SMTG_CPP11
+ 	#endif
+ //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ // Mac and iOS
+diff --git b/libs/vst3/pluginterfaces/vst/ivstnoteexpression.h a/libs/vst3/pluginterfaces/vst/ivstnoteexpression.h
+index dd04d14f6a..87f5feac91 100644
+--- b/libs/vst3/pluginterfaces/vst/ivstnoteexpression.h
++++ a/libs/vst3/pluginterfaces/vst/ivstnoteexpression.h
+@@ -34,7 +34,10 @@ VST predefines some types like volume, pan, tuning by defining their ranges and
+ Used by NoteExpressionEvent::typeId and NoteExpressionTypeID::typeId
+ \see NoteExpressionTypeInfo
+ */
+-enum NoteExpressionTypeIDs : uint32
++enum NoteExpressionTypeIDs
++#if SMTG_CPP11
++	: uint32
++#endif
+ {
+ 	kVolumeTypeID = 0,		///< Volume, plain range [0 = -oo , 0.25 = 0dB, 0.5 = +6dB, 1 = +12dB]: plain = 20 * log (4 * norm)
+ 	kPanTypeID,				///< Panning (L-R), plain range [0 = left, 0.5 = center, 1 = right]
+@@ -183,7 +186,10 @@ DECLARE_CLASS_IID (INoteExpressionController, 0xB7F8F859, 0x41234872, 0x91169581
+ /** KeyswitchTypeIDs describes the type of a key switch
+ \see KeyswitchInfo
+ */
+-enum KeyswitchTypeIDs : uint32
++enum KeyswitchTypeIDs
++#if SMTG_CPP11
++: uint32
++#endif
+ {
+ 	kNoteOnKeyswitchTypeID = 0,				///< press before noteOn is played
+ 	kOnTheFlyKeyswitchTypeID,				///< press while noteOn is played
+diff --git b/libs/vst3/pluginterfaces/gui/iplugview.h a/libs/vst3/pluginterfaces/gui/iplugview.h
+index 32e1fcb3bd..9d6ec9a0d4 100644
+--- b/libs/vst3/pluginterfaces/gui/iplugview.h
++++ a/libs/vst3/pluginterfaces/gui/iplugview.h
+@@ -213,8 +213,8 @@ DECLARE_CLASS_IID (IPlugFrame, 0x367FAF01, 0xAFA94693, 0x8D4DA2A0, 0xED0882A3)
+ //------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ namespace Linux {
+ 
+-using TimerInterval = uint64;
+-using FileDescriptor = int;
++#define TimerInterval uint64
++#define FileDescriptor int
+ 
+ //------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ /** Linux event handler interface
+diff --git a/libs/vst3/pluginterfaces/base/ftypes.h b/libs/vst3/pluginterfaces/base/ftypes.h
+index feda6b0b9b..5f61e0ac81 100644
+--- a/libs/vst3/pluginterfaces/base/ftypes.h
++++ b/libs/vst3/pluginterfaces/base/ftypes.h
+@@ -93,6 +93,8 @@ namespace Steinberg
+ 	typedef char char8;
+ #ifdef _NATIVE_WCHAR_T_DEFINED
+ 	typedef __wchar_t char16;
++#elif defined(__MINGW32__)
++	typedef wchar_t char16;
+ #elif SMTG_CPP11
+ 	typedef char16_t char16;
+ #else
+diff --git a/libs/vst3/pluginterfaces/base/funknown.cpp b/libs/vst3/pluginterfaces/base/funknown.cpp
+index 0419bbc4bb..f205ac88de 100644
+--- a/libs/vst3/pluginterfaces/base/funknown.cpp
++++ b/libs/vst3/pluginterfaces/base/funknown.cpp
+@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ namespace FUnknownPrivate {
+ int32 PLUGIN_API atomicAdd (int32& var, int32 d)
+ {
+ #if SMTG_OS_WINDOWS
+-	return InterlockedExchangeAdd (&var, d) + d;
++	return InterlockedExchangeAdd ((volatile long int*)&var, d) + d;
+ #elif SMTG_OS_MACOS
+ 	return OSAtomicAdd32Barrier (d, (int32_t*)&var);
+ #elif SMTG_OS_LINUX
diff --git a/tools/vst3-patches/vst3-uuid.diff b/tools/vst3-patches/vst3-uuid.diff
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..84c508164a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/vst3-patches/vst3-uuid.diff
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+diff --git a/libs/vst3/pluginterfaces/base/funknown.cpp b/libs/vst3/pluginterfaces/base/funknown.cpp
+index f205ac88de..09d5d27836 100644
+--- a/libs/vst3/pluginterfaces/base/funknown.cpp
++++ b/libs/vst3/pluginterfaces/base/funknown.cpp
+@@ -22,6 +22,14 @@
+ 
+ #if SMTG_OS_WINDOWS
+ #include <objbase.h>
++
++#if defined(__MINGW32__)
++/* UUID */
++#include <string>
++#include <boost/uuid/uuid.hpp>
++#include <boost/uuid/uuid_generators.hpp>
++#endif
++
+ #endif
+ 
+ #if SMTG_OS_MACOS
+@@ -37,6 +45,10 @@
+ 
+ #if SMTG_OS_LINUX
+ #include <ext/atomicity.h>
++/* UUID */
++#include <string>
++#include <boost/uuid/uuid.hpp>
++#include <boost/uuid/uuid_generators.hpp>
+ #endif
+ 
+ namespace Steinberg {
+@@ -124,6 +136,10 @@ bool FUID::generate ()
+ #if defined(_M_ARM64) || defined(_M_ARM)
+ 	//#warning implement me!
+ 	return false;
++#elif defined(__MINGW32__)
++	boost::uuids::uuid u = boost::uuids::random_generator()();
++	memcpy(data, (const void*)&u, 16);
++	return true;
+ #else
+ 	GUID guid;
+ 	HRESULT hr = CoCreateGuid (&guid);
+@@ -147,6 +163,10 @@ bool FUID::generate ()
+ 	}
+ 	return false;
+ 
++#elif SMTG_OS_LINUX
++	boost::uuids::uuid u = boost::uuids::random_generator()();
++	memcpy(data, (const void*)&u, 16);
++	return true;
+ #else
+ #warning implement me!
+ 	return false;