diff --git a/build-windows.cmd b/build-windows.cmd
index 1af63a34ead..0fa0ae1d31b 100644
--- a/build-windows.cmd
+++ b/build-windows.cmd
@@ -5,14 +5,16 @@ for /f "usebackq tokens=*" %%i in (`"%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Microsoft Visual Studio
   set InstallDir=%%i
 )
 
-if not exist "%InstallDir%\MSBuild\15.0\Bin\MSBuild.exe" (
-  echo ERROR: MsBuild couldn't be found
-  exit /b 1
-)
-
-if not defined VcpkgInstallRoot (
-  echo ERROR: VcpkgInstallRoot must be set
-  exit /b 1
+REM Enable injecting of msbuild path (rather than relying on an installed version of Visual Studio),
+REM but fallback to detection path if not provided.
+if not defined msBuildPath (
+  if not exist "%InstallDir%\MSBuild\15.0\Bin\MSBuild.exe" (
+    echo ERROR: MsBuild couldn't be found
+    exit /b 1
+  )
+  else (
+    SET "msBuildPath=%InstallDir%\MSBuild\15.0\Bin\MSBuild.exe"
+  )
 )
 
 call "%InstallDir%\Common7\Tools\VsDevCmd.bat"
@@ -30,7 +32,6 @@ nuget install -o packages bindings\cs\rl.net.native\packages.config
 nuget install -o packages rlclientlib\packages.config
 nuget install -o packages unit_tests\packages.config
 
-
 dotnet restore rl.sln
 
 "%InstallDir%\MSBuild\15.0\Bin\MSBuild.exe" "rl.sln" /m /verbosity:normal /p:Configuration=Release;Platform=x64
diff --git a/ext_libs/vowpal_wabbit b/ext_libs/vowpal_wabbit
index fdc14769939..6dd314d20df 160000
--- a/ext_libs/vowpal_wabbit
+++ b/ext_libs/vowpal_wabbit
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit fdc14769939a81ca393575b477df72fbb6681912
+Subproject commit 6dd314d20dfde9211b2d614a8b13d387fd93778d
diff --git a/rlclientlib/vw_model/safe_vw.cc b/rlclientlib/vw_model/safe_vw.cc
index 6350887ba65..a7b4c3be9f2 100644
--- a/rlclientlib/vw_model/safe_vw.cc
+++ b/rlclientlib/vw_model/safe_vw.cc
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 // VW headers
 #include "example.h"
 #include "parse_example_json.h"
+#include "parser.h"
 
 namespace reinforcement_learning {
 
@@ -85,7 +86,6 @@ namespace reinforcement_learning {
 
     // cleanup VW instance
     reset_source(*_vw, _vw->num_bits);
-    release_parser_datastructures(*_vw);
 
     VW::finish(*_vw);
   }