diff --git a/cmake/CMakeLists.txt b/cmake/CMakeLists.txt
index 1d90a0a5bf..205fb336e3 100644
--- a/cmake/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/cmake/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -432,7 +432,11 @@ if(NOT WIN32)
 	LINK_DIRECTORIES(${LINK_DIRECTORIES} /usr/lib /usr/lib64 /usr/local/lib /usr/local/lib64)
 endif()
 
-SET(IFCOPENSHELL_LIBRARIES IfcParse IfcGeom)
+if(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
+    SET(IFCOPENSHELL_LIBRARIES IfcGeom)
+else()
+    SET(IFCOPENSHELL_LIBRARIES IfcParse IfcGeom)
+endif()
 
 # IfcParse
 file(GLOB IFCPARSE_H_FILES ../src/ifcparse/*.h)
@@ -459,13 +463,17 @@ ENDIF()
 file(GLOB IFCGEOM_H_FILES ../src/ifcgeom/*.h)
 file(GLOB IFCGEOM_CPP_FILES ../src/ifcgeom/*.cpp)
 set(IFCGEOM_FILES ${IFCGEOM_CPP_FILES} ${IFCGEOM_H_FILES})
+
 IF(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
-	message(WARNING "Building IfcGeom as shared library not currently supported")
-        add_library(IfcGeom STATIC ${IFCGEOM_FILES})
-ELSE()
-        add_library(IfcGeom ${IFCGEOM_FILES})
+	message(WARNING "Building IfcGeom as shared library currently not supported depending on platform and compiler options")
 ENDIF()
 
+if(WIN32)
+    add_library(IfcGeom STATIC ${IFCGEOM_FILES})
+else()
+    add_library(IfcGeom ${IFCGEOM_FILES})
+endif()
+
 TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(IfcGeom IfcParse)
 
 # IfcConvert
diff --git a/src/ifcmax/CMakeLists.txt b/src/ifcmax/CMakeLists.txt
index 6dbff071a5..c9096f846f 100644
--- a/src/ifcmax/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/ifcmax/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -28,7 +28,8 @@ LINK_DIRECTORIES(${LINK_DIRECTORIES} ${IfcOpenShell_BINARY_DIR} ${OCC_LIBRARY_DI
 
 ADD_LIBRARY(IfcMax SHARED IfcMax.h IfcMax.cpp)
 
-TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(IfcMax ${IFCLIBS} Comctl32.lib zlibdll.lib bmm.lib core.lib CustDlg.lib edmodel.lib expr.lib
+# TODO: find the minimal subset of 3dsmax libraries to reference
+TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(IfcMax ${IFCOPENSHELL_LIBRARIES} Comctl32.lib zlibdll.lib bmm.lib core.lib CustDlg.lib edmodel.lib expr.lib
     flt.lib geom.lib gfx.lib gup.lib imageViewers.lib ManipSys.lib maxnet.lib Maxscrpt.lib
     maxutil.lib MenuMan.lib menus.lib mesh.lib MNMath.lib Paramblk2.lib particle.lib Poly.lib RenderUtil.lib
     tessint.lib viewfile.lib ${OPENCASCADE_LIBRARIES}
diff --git a/src/ifcparse/IfcParse.cpp b/src/ifcparse/IfcParse.cpp
index 1de1627224..c59582bc02 100644
--- a/src/ifcparse/IfcParse.cpp
+++ b/src/ifcparse/IfcParse.cpp
@@ -560,9 +560,9 @@ double TokenFunc::asFloat(const Token& t) {
 const std::string &TokenFunc::asStringRef(const Token& t) {
 	std::string &str = t.lexer->GetTempString();
 	t.lexer->TokenString(t.startPos, str);
-	if (isString(t) || isEnumeration(t) || isBinary(t)) {
+	if ((isString(t) || isEnumeration(t) || isBinary(t)) && !str.empty()) {
 		//remove start+end characters in-place
-		str.pop_back();
+		str.erase(str.end()-1);
 		str.erase(str.begin());
 	}
 	return str;