diff --git a/Source/cmMSProjectGenerator.cxx b/Source/cmMSProjectGenerator.cxx
index 5fb546a9e..9a6f4f1ea 100644
--- a/Source/cmMSProjectGenerator.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmMSProjectGenerator.cxx
@@ -69,3 +69,7 @@ cmMSProjectGenerator::~cmMSProjectGenerator()
   delete m_DSWMakefile;
 }
 
+void cmMSProjectGenerator::SetLocal(bool local)
+{
+  m_BuildDSW = !local;
+}
diff --git a/Source/cmMSProjectGenerator.h b/Source/cmMSProjectGenerator.h
index b80e03bca..a4f568b93 100644
--- a/Source/cmMSProjectGenerator.h
+++ b/Source/cmMSProjectGenerator.h
@@ -70,20 +70,21 @@ public:
    */
   virtual void GenerateMakefile();
 
+  //! controls the DSW/DSP settings
+  virtual void SetLocal(bool);
+
   /**
    * Turn off the generation of a Microsoft Visual C++ DSW file.
    * This causes only the dsp file to be created.  This
    * is used to run as a command line program from inside visual
    * studio.
    */
-  void BuildDSWOff() 
-    {m_BuildDSW = false;}
+  void BuildDSWOff()  {m_BuildDSW = false;}
 
   /**
    * Turn on the generation of a Microsoft Visual C++ DSW file.
    */
-  void BuildDSWOn() 
-    {m_BuildDSW = true;}
+  void BuildDSWOn() {m_BuildDSW = true;}
 
   /**
    * Retrieve a pointer to a cmDSWMakefile instance.
diff --git a/Source/cmMakefileGenerator.h b/Source/cmMakefileGenerator.h
index fec80a2b5..72832b270 100644
--- a/Source/cmMakefileGenerator.h
+++ b/Source/cmMakefileGenerator.h
@@ -67,6 +67,15 @@ public:
    */
   virtual void GenerateMakefile() = 0;
 
+  /**
+   * The local setting indicates that the generator is producing a
+   * fully configured makefile in the current directory. In Microsoft
+   * terms it is producing a DSP file if local is true and a DSW file
+   * if local is false. On UNIX when local is false it skips the
+   * dependecy check and recurses the full tree building the structure
+   */
+  virtual void SetLocal(bool ) {};
+
 protected:
   cmMakefile* m_Makefile;
 };
diff --git a/Source/cmUnixMakefileGenerator.cxx b/Source/cmUnixMakefileGenerator.cxx
index 71936d54f..081a6c974 100644
--- a/Source/cmUnixMakefileGenerator.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmUnixMakefileGenerator.cxx
@@ -875,3 +875,17 @@ void cmUnixMakefileGenerator::OutputMakeRule(std::ostream& fout,
 
 }
 
+
+void cmUnixMakefileGenerator::SetLocal (bool local)
+{
+  if (local)
+    {
+    m_CacheOnly = false;
+    m_Recurse = false;
+    }
+  else
+    {
+    m_CacheOnly = true;
+    m_Recurse = true;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/Source/cmUnixMakefileGenerator.h b/Source/cmUnixMakefileGenerator.h
index 0188d8adc..81990175c 100644
--- a/Source/cmUnixMakefileGenerator.h
+++ b/Source/cmUnixMakefileGenerator.h
@@ -55,7 +55,10 @@ class cmUnixMakefileGenerator : public cmMakefileGenerator
 public:
   ///! Set cache only and recurse to false by default.
   cmUnixMakefileGenerator();
-  
+
+  //! just sets the Cache Only and Recurse flags
+  virtual void SetLocal(bool local);
+
   /**
    * If cache only is on.
    * and only stub makefiles are generated, and no depends, for speed.