diff --git a/ChangeLog.txt b/ChangeLog.txt
index 5389cf2b7c..05ae8ccb8a 100644
--- a/ChangeLog.txt
+++ b/ChangeLog.txt
@@ -7,6 +7,11 @@
    Entries may not always be in chronological/commit order.
    See license at the end of file. */
 
+2025-01-28 20:27 UTC+0100 Aleksander Czajczynski (hb fki.pl)
+  * config/global.mk
+    ! fixed OpenWatcom target platform autodetection to conform with
+      progress OW is making, as it was kindly reported in issue #379
+
 2025-01-28 13:46 UTC+0100 Przemyslaw Czerpak (druzus/at/poczta.onet.pl)
   * contrib/hbssl/hbssl.h
   * contrib/hbssl/evppkey.c
diff --git a/config/global.mk b/config/global.mk
index b9429955cc..675bcbda95 100644
--- a/config/global.mk
+++ b/config/global.mk
@@ -1125,14 +1125,23 @@ ifeq ($(HB_COMPILER),)
       ifneq ($(call find_in_path_prw,os2.h,$(INCLUDE)),)
          HB_PLATFORM := os2
       else
-      ifneq ($(call find_in_path_prw,dirent.h,$(INCLUDE)),)
+      ifneq ($(call find_in_path_prw,windows.h,$(INCLUDE)),)
+         HB_PLATFORM := win
+      else
+      ifneq ($(findstring $(subst \,/,$(WATCOM))/lh,$(subst \,/,$(INCLUDE))),)
          HB_PLATFORM := linux
       else
-      ifeq ($(call find_in_path_prw,windows.h,$(INCLUDE)),)
+      ifneq ($(findstring $(subst \,/,$(WATCOM))/LH,$(subst \,/,$(INCLUDE))),)
+         HB_PLATFORM := linux
+      else
+      ifneq ($(HB_PLAT_AUTO),)
+         # at least let's not override user-specified platform without strong reasons
          HB_PLATFORM := dos
       endif
       endif
       endif
+      endif
+      endif
    endif
 else
    ifneq ($(wildcard $(TOP)$(ROOT)config/$(HB_PLATFORM)/$(HB_COMPILER)-noauto.mk),)