diff --git a/plugins/CMakeLists.txt b/plugins/CMakeLists.txt
index b4a1081f68f..4f139f8b32b 100644
--- a/plugins/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/plugins/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -91,8 +91,6 @@ ENDIF("${PLUGIN_LIST}" STREQUAL "")
 IF(MSVC)
 	SET(MSVC_INCOMPATIBLE_PLUGINS
 		LadspaEffect
-		sid
-		#VstEffect
 		zynaddsubfx
 	)
 	message(WARNING "Compiling with MSVC. The following plugins are not available: ${MSVC_INCOMPATIBLE_PLUGINS}")
diff --git a/plugins/sid/sid_instrument.cpp b/plugins/sid/sid_instrument.cpp
index 2eb46be565f..e671d4f0521 100644
--- a/plugins/sid/sid_instrument.cpp
+++ b/plugins/sid/sid_instrument.cpp
@@ -324,7 +324,8 @@ void sidInstrument::playNote( NotePlayHandle * _n,
 
 	cSID *sid = static_cast<cSID *>( _n->m_pluginData );
 	int delta_t = clockrate * frames / samplerate + 4;
-	short buf[frames];
+	// avoid variable length array for msvc compat
+	short* buf = reinterpret_cast<short*>(_working_buffer + offset);
 	unsigned char sidreg[NUMSIDREGS];
 
 	for (int c = 0; c < NUMSIDREGS; c++)
@@ -429,7 +430,8 @@ void sidInstrument::playNote( NotePlayHandle * _n,
 	if(num!=frames)
 		printf("!!!Not enough samples\n");
 
-	for( fpp_t frame = 0; frame < frames; ++frame )
+	// loop backwards to avoid overwriting data in the short-to-float conversion
+	for( fpp_t frame = frames - 1; frame >= 0; frame-- )
 	{
 		sample_t s = float(buf[frame])/32768.0;
 		for( ch_cnt_t ch = 0; ch < DEFAULT_CHANNELS; ++ch )