diff --git a/Help/manual/cmake-variables.7.rst b/Help/manual/cmake-variables.7.rst
index 59e806443..d1176ad46 100644
--- a/Help/manual/cmake-variables.7.rst
+++ b/Help/manual/cmake-variables.7.rst
@@ -65,7 +65,10 @@ Variables that Provide Information
    /variable/CMAKE_TWEAK_VERSION
    /variable/CMAKE_VERBOSE_MAKEFILE
    /variable/CMAKE_VERSION
+   /variable/CMAKE_VS_DEVENV_COMMAND
    /variable/CMAKE_VS_INTEL_Fortran_PROJECT_VERSION
+   /variable/CMAKE_VS_MSBUILD_COMMAND
+   /variable/CMAKE_VS_MSDEV_COMMAND
    /variable/CMAKE_VS_PLATFORM_TOOLSET
    /variable/CMAKE_XCODE_PLATFORM_TOOLSET
    /variable/PROJECT_BINARY_DIR
diff --git a/Help/variable/CMAKE_MAKE_PROGRAM.rst b/Help/variable/CMAKE_MAKE_PROGRAM.rst
index 0c851ad20..97caa8a64 100644
--- a/Help/variable/CMAKE_MAKE_PROGRAM.rst
+++ b/Help/variable/CMAKE_MAKE_PROGRAM.rst
@@ -29,6 +29,10 @@ to configure the project:
 * The Visual Studio generators set this to the full path to
   ``MSBuild.exe`` (VS >= 10), ``devenv.com`` (VS 7,8,9),
   ``VCExpress.exe`` (VS Express 8,9), or ``msdev.exe`` (VS 6).
+  (See also variables
+  :variable:`CMAKE_VS_MSBUILD_COMMAND`,
+  :variable:`CMAKE_VS_DEVENV_COMMAND`, and
+  :variable:`CMAKE_VS_MSDEV_COMMAND`.)
 
   These generators prefer to lookup the build tool at build time
   rather than to store ``CMAKE_MAKE_PROGRAM`` in the CMake cache
diff --git a/Help/variable/CMAKE_VS_DEVENV_COMMAND.rst b/Help/variable/CMAKE_VS_DEVENV_COMMAND.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..14cc50ac6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Help/variable/CMAKE_VS_DEVENV_COMMAND.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+CMAKE_VS_DEVENV_COMMAND
+-----------------------
+
+The generators for :generator:`Visual Studio 7` and above set this
+variable to the ``devenv.com`` command installed with the corresponding
+Visual Studio version.  Note that this variable may be empty on
+Visual Studio Express editions because they do not provide this tool.
+
+This variable is not defined by other generators even if ``devenv.com``
+is installed on the computer.
+
+The :variable:`CMAKE_VS_MSBUILD_COMMAND` is also provided for
+:generator:`Visual Studio 10 2010` and above.
+See also the :variable:`CMAKE_MAKE_PROGRAM` variable.
diff --git a/Help/variable/CMAKE_VS_MSBUILD_COMMAND.rst b/Help/variable/CMAKE_VS_MSBUILD_COMMAND.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..58f2bef4c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Help/variable/CMAKE_VS_MSBUILD_COMMAND.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+CMAKE_VS_MSBUILD_COMMAND
+------------------------
+
+The generators for :generator:`Visual Studio 10 2010` and above set this
+variable to the ``MSBuild.exe`` command installed with the corresponding
+Visual Studio version.
+
+This variable is not defined by other generators even if ``MSBuild.exe``
+is installed on the computer.
+
+The :variable:`CMAKE_VS_DEVENV_COMMAND` is also provided for the
+non-Express editions of Visual Studio.
+See also the :variable:`CMAKE_MAKE_PROGRAM` variable.
diff --git a/Help/variable/CMAKE_VS_MSDEV_COMMAND.rst b/Help/variable/CMAKE_VS_MSDEV_COMMAND.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..718baaf82
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Help/variable/CMAKE_VS_MSDEV_COMMAND.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+CMAKE_VS_MSDEV_COMMAND
+----------------------
+
+The :generator:`Visual Studio 6` generator sets this variable to the
+``msdev.exe`` command installed with Visual Studio 6.
+
+This variable is not defined by other generators even if ``msdev.exe``
+is installed on the computer.
+
+See also the :variable:`CMAKE_MAKE_PROGRAM` variable.
diff --git a/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio10Generator.cxx b/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio10Generator.cxx
index 29401c6bf..d0fe5d943 100644
--- a/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio10Generator.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio10Generator.cxx
@@ -255,6 +255,14 @@ std::string cmGlobalVisualStudio10Generator::GetUserMacrosRegKeyBase()
   return "Software\\Microsoft\\VisualStudio\\10.0\\vsmacros";
 }
 
+//----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+void cmGlobalVisualStudio10Generator::FindMakeProgram(cmMakefile* mf)
+{
+  this->cmGlobalVisualStudio8Generator::FindMakeProgram(mf);
+  mf->AddDefinition("CMAKE_VS_MSBUILD_COMMAND",
+                    this->GetMSBuildCommand().c_str());
+}
+
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 std::string const& cmGlobalVisualStudio10Generator::GetMSBuildCommand()
 {
diff --git a/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio10Generator.h b/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio10Generator.h
index 66440ea66..976d41fa1 100644
--- a/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio10Generator.h
+++ b/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio10Generator.h
@@ -91,6 +91,8 @@ public:
 
   virtual const char* GetToolsVersion() { return "4.0"; }
 
+  virtual void FindMakeProgram(cmMakefile*);
+
 protected:
   virtual const char* GetIDEVersion() { return "10.0"; }
 
diff --git a/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio6Generator.cxx b/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio6Generator.cxx
index 8651da7b5..614a79af1 100644
--- a/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio6Generator.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio6Generator.cxx
@@ -77,6 +77,14 @@ void cmGlobalVisualStudio6Generator::GenerateConfigurations(cmMakefile* mf)
     }
 }
 
+//----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+void cmGlobalVisualStudio6Generator::FindMakeProgram(cmMakefile* mf)
+{
+  this->cmGlobalVisualStudioGenerator::FindMakeProgram(mf);
+  mf->AddDefinition("CMAKE_VS_MSDEV_COMMAND",
+                    this->GetMSDevCommand().c_str());
+}
+
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 std::string const& cmGlobalVisualStudio6Generator::GetMSDevCommand()
 {
diff --git a/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio6Generator.h b/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio6Generator.h
index 8fe5792c9..cb6cb8b5b 100644
--- a/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio6Generator.h
+++ b/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio6Generator.h
@@ -89,6 +89,8 @@ public:
   ///! What is the configurations directory variable called?
   virtual const char* GetCMakeCFGIntDir() const { return "$(IntDir)"; }
 
+  virtual void FindMakeProgram(cmMakefile*);
+
 protected:
   virtual const char* GetIDEVersion() { return "6.0"; }
 private:
diff --git a/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio7Generator.cxx b/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio7Generator.cxx
index 3d939f353..35d7796e9 100644
--- a/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio7Generator.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio7Generator.cxx
@@ -110,6 +110,14 @@ void cmGlobalVisualStudio7Generator
 
 }
 
+//----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+void cmGlobalVisualStudio7Generator::FindMakeProgram(cmMakefile* mf)
+{
+  this->cmGlobalVisualStudioGenerator::FindMakeProgram(mf);
+  mf->AddDefinition("CMAKE_VS_DEVENV_COMMAND",
+                    this->GetDevEnvCommand().c_str());
+}
+
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 std::string const& cmGlobalVisualStudio7Generator::GetDevEnvCommand()
 {
diff --git a/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio7Generator.h b/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio7Generator.h
index c7b008190..59e74baf1 100644
--- a/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio7Generator.h
+++ b/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio7Generator.h
@@ -107,6 +107,8 @@ public:
 
   const char* GetIntelProjectVersion();
 
+  virtual void FindMakeProgram(cmMakefile*);
+
 protected:
   virtual const char* GetIDEVersion() { return "7.0"; }