diff --git a/Source/cmListFileCache.cxx b/Source/cmListFileCache.cxx
index 876ee9fc1..00c6b1f70 100644
--- a/Source/cmListFileCache.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmListFileCache.cxx
@@ -39,14 +39,15 @@ void cmListFileCache::ClearCache()
 
 
 
-cmListFile* cmListFileCache::GetFileCache(const char* path)
+cmListFile* cmListFileCache::GetFileCache(const char* path,
+                                          bool requireProjectCommand)
 {
   ListFileMap::iterator sl = m_ListFileCache.find(path);
   if (sl == m_ListFileCache.end())
     {
     // if not already in the map, then parse and store the 
     // file
-    if(!this->CacheFile(path))
+    if(!this->CacheFile(path, requireProjectCommand))
       {
       return 0;
       }
@@ -61,7 +62,7 @@ cmListFile* cmListFileCache::GetFileCache(const char* path)
   cmListFile& ret = sl->second;
   if(cmSystemTools::ModifiedTime(path) > ret.m_ModifiedTime )
     {
-    if(!this->CacheFile(path))
+    if(!this->CacheFile(path, requireProjectCommand))
       {
       return 0;
       }
@@ -75,7 +76,7 @@ cmListFile* cmListFileCache::GetFileCache(const char* path)
 }
 
 
-bool cmListFileCache::CacheFile(const char* path)
+bool cmListFileCache::CacheFile(const char* path, bool requireProjectCommand)
 {
   if(!cmSystemTools::FileExists(path))
     {
@@ -106,6 +107,30 @@ bool cmListFileCache::CacheFile(const char* path)
       inFile.m_ModifiedTime = 0;
       }
     }
+  if(requireProjectCommand)
+    {
+    bool hasProject = false;
+    // search for a project command
+    for(std::vector<cmListFileFunction>::iterator i 
+          = inFile.m_Functions.begin();
+        i != inFile.m_Functions.end(); ++i)
+      {
+      if(i->m_Name == "PROJECT")
+        {
+        hasProject = true;
+        break;
+        }
+      }
+    // if no project command is found, add one
+    if(!hasProject)
+      {
+      cmListFileFunction project;
+      project.m_Name = "PROJECT";
+      project.m_Arguments.push_back("Project");
+      inFile.m_Functions.push_back(project);
+      std::cerr << "adding project command to file " << path << "\n";
+      }
+    }
   m_ListFileCache[path] = inFile;
   return true;
 }
diff --git a/Source/cmListFileCache.h b/Source/cmListFileCache.h
index 183223408..2520eca1d 100644
--- a/Source/cmListFileCache.h
+++ b/Source/cmListFileCache.h
@@ -52,16 +52,18 @@ public:
   /** Return the cached version of the given file.
    *  If the file is not already in the cache, a cache entry
    *  will be made.  If there is an error loading the file,
-   *  NULL is returned.
+   *  NULL is returned.  If requireProjectCommand is true,
+   *  then a PROJECT(Project) command will be added to the file
+   *  if it does not have a PROJECT command in it.
    */
-  cmListFile* GetFileCache(const char* path);
+  cmListFile* GetFileCache(const char* path, bool requireProjectCommand);
 
   //! Flush cache file out of cache.
   void FlushCache(const char* path);
 
 private:
   // Cache the file
-  bool CacheFile(const char* path);
+  bool CacheFile(const char* path, bool requireProjectCommand);
   // private data
   typedef std::map<cmStdString, cmListFile> ListFileMap;
   ListFileMap m_ListFileCache;  // file name to ListFile map
diff --git a/Source/cmMakefile.cxx b/Source/cmMakefile.cxx
index d180b84d1..dcb47f874 100644
--- a/Source/cmMakefile.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmMakefile.cxx
@@ -308,9 +308,26 @@ bool cmMakefile::ReadListFile(const char* filename, const char* external)
     {
     filenametoread= external;
     }
-
+  // try to see if the list file is the top most
+  // list file for a project, and if it is, then it
+  // must have a project command.   If there is not
+  // one, then cmake will provide one via the 
+  // cmListFileCache class.
+  bool requireProjectCommand = false;
+  if(!m_Inheriting && !external
+    && m_cmCurrentDirectory == m_cmHomeDirectory)
+    {
+    if(cmSystemTools::LowerCase(
+         cmSystemTools::GetFilenameName(filename)) == "cmakelists.txt")
+      {
+      requireProjectCommand = true;
+      std::cerr << "Require project command " << filename << "\n";
+      }
+    }
+      
   cmListFile* lf = 
-    cmListFileCache::GetInstance()->GetFileCache(filenametoread);
+    cmListFileCache::GetInstance()->GetFileCache(filenametoread,
+                                                 requireProjectCommand);
   if(!lf)
     {
     return false;