diff --git a/simgear/structure/CMakeLists.txt b/simgear/structure/CMakeLists.txt
index 6f88c17b..bfcc0e9d 100644
--- a/simgear/structure/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/simgear/structure/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ if(ENABLE_TESTS)
   add_simgear_autotest(test_expressions expression_test.cxx)
   add_simgear_autotest(test_shared_ptr shared_ptr_test.cpp)
   add_simgear_autotest(test_commands test_commands.cxx)
+  add_simgear_autotest(test_typeid test_typeid.cxx)
 endif(ENABLE_TESTS)
 
 add_boost_test(function_list
diff --git a/simgear/structure/intern.hxx b/simgear/structure/intern.hxx
index 3d3e1ef9..4bc6522e 100644
--- a/simgear/structure/intern.hxx
+++ b/simgear/structure/intern.hxx
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 #include <string>
 
 #include <typeinfo>
-#if __linux__
+#ifndef _MSC_VER
 #include <cxxabi.h>
 #endif
 
@@ -15,8 +15,10 @@ namespace simgear
 template <typename T>
 std::string getTypeName(void)
 {
-#ifdef _WIN32
-  std::string name = typeid(T).name();
+#ifdef _MSC_VER
+  const char *type = typeid(T).name();
+  const char *tn = strchr(type, ' ');
+  std::string name = tn ? tn+1 : type;
 #else // __linux__
   int error = 0;
   char *type = abi::__cxa_demangle(typeid(T).name(), 0, 0, &error);
diff --git a/simgear/structure/test_typeid.cxx b/simgear/structure/test_typeid.cxx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5c6365be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/simgear/structure/test_typeid.cxx
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+// Test harness.
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+#include <simgear_config.h>
+#include <simgear/compiler.h>
+
+#include <iostream>
+
+#include <simgear/misc/test_macros.hxx>
+
+#include "intern.hxx"
+
+class Base {};
+class Derived : public Base {};
+
+struct Base2 { virtual void foo() {} }; // polymorphic
+struct Derived2 : Base2 {};
+
+template <typename T>
+std::string Type(T type) {
+    return simgear::getTypeName<T>();
+}
+
+int main(int ac, char ** av)
+{
+    Derived d1;
+    Base& b1 = d1;
+    Derived2 d2;
+    Base2& b2 = d2;
+    int i;
+
+    SG_VERIFY(Type(d1) == "Derived");
+    SG_VERIFY(Type(b1) == "Base");
+    SG_VERIFY(Type(d2) == "Derived2");
+    SG_VERIFY(Type(b2) == "Base2");
+    SG_VERIFY(Type(i) == "int");
+
+    std::cout << "all tests passed" << std::endl;
+    return 0;
+}