diff --git a/Modules/CMakeVCManifest.cmake b/Modules/CMakeVCManifest.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6675f99d7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Modules/CMakeVCManifest.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+
+# Leave the first line of this file empty so this module will not be
+# included in the documentation.
+
+# This script is invoked from Windows-cl.cmake and passed the TARGET
+# variable on the command line.
+
+# Conditionally embed the manifest in the executable if it exists.
+IF(EXISTS "${TARGET}.manifest")
+  # Construct the manifest embedding command.
+  SET(CMD
+    mt ${CMAKE_CL_NOLOGO} /manifest ${TARGET}.manifest
+    /outputresource:${TARGET}
+    )
+
+  # Run the embedding command.
+  EXECUTE_PROCESS(COMMAND ${CMD}\;\#2 RESULT_VARIABLE RESULT)
+
+  # Check whether the command failed.
+  IF(NOT "${RESULT}" MATCHES "^0$")
+    # The embedding failed remove the target and the manifest.
+    FILE(REMOVE ${TARGET} ${TARGET}.manifest)
+
+    # Describe the failure in a message.
+    STRING(REGEX REPLACE ";" " " CMD "${CMD}")
+    MESSAGE(FATAL_ERROR
+      "Failed to embed manifest in ${TARGET} using command \"${CMD};#2\""
+      )
+  ENDIF(NOT "${RESULT}" MATCHES "^0$")
+ENDIF(EXISTS "${TARGET}.manifest")
diff --git a/Modules/Platform/Windows-cl.cmake b/Modules/Platform/Windows-cl.cmake
index 9a99652f0..d5c1976e3 100644
--- a/Modules/Platform/Windows-cl.cmake
+++ b/Modules/Platform/Windows-cl.cmake
@@ -209,17 +209,21 @@ ENDIF(CMAKE_FORCE_WIN64)
 # default to Debug builds
 IF(MSVC80)
   # for 2005 make sure the manifest is put in the dll with mt
-  SET(CMAKE_CXX_CREATE_SHARED_LIBRARY "${CMAKE_CXX_CREATE_SHARED_LIBRARY}" 
-    "mt ${CMAKE_CL_NOLOGO} /manifest <TARGET>.manifest /outputresource:<TARGET>\;#2")
+  SET(CMAKE_CXX_CREATE_SHARED_LIBRARY "${CMAKE_CXX_CREATE_SHARED_LIBRARY}"
+    "$(CMAKE_COMMAND) -DTARGET=<TARGET> -DCMAKE_CL_NOLOGO=${CMAKE_CL_NOLOGO} -P \"${CMAKE_ROOT}/Modules/CMakeVCManifest.cmake\""
+    )
   SET(CMAKE_CXX_CREATE_SHARED_MODULE "${CMAKE_CXX_CREATE_SHARED_LIBRARY}")
   # create a C shared library
   SET(CMAKE_C_CREATE_SHARED_LIBRARY "${CMAKE_CXX_CREATE_SHARED_LIBRARY}")
   # create a C shared module just copy the shared library rule
   SET(CMAKE_C_CREATE_SHARED_MODULE "${CMAKE_C_CREATE_SHARED_LIBRARY}")
   SET(CMAKE_CXX_LINK_EXECUTABLE "${CMAKE_CXX_LINK_EXECUTABLE}"
-    "mt ${CMAKE_CL_NOLOGO} /manifest <TARGET>.manifest /outputresource:<TARGET>\;#2")
+    "$(CMAKE_COMMAND) -DTARGET=<TARGET> -DCMAKE_CL_NOLOGO=${CMAKE_CL_NOLOGO} -P \"${CMAKE_ROOT}/Modules/CMakeVCManifest.cmake\""
+    )
   SET(CMAKE_C_LINK_EXECUTABLE "${CMAKE_C_LINK_EXECUTABLE}"
-    "mt ${CMAKE_CL_NOLOGO} /manifest <TARGET>.manifest /outputresource:<TARGET>\;#2")
+    "$(CMAKE_COMMAND) -DTARGET=<TARGET> -DCMAKE_CL_NOLOGO=${CMAKE_CL_NOLOGO} -P \"${CMAKE_ROOT}/Modules/CMakeVCManifest.cmake\""
+    )
+
   SET(CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE_INIT Debug)
   SET (CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_INIT "/DWIN32 /D_WINDOWS /W3 /Zm1000 /EHsc /GR")
   SET (CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG_INIT "/D_DEBUG /MDd /Zi /Ob0 /Od /RTC1")
@@ -232,6 +236,7 @@ IF(MSVC80)
   SET (CMAKE_C_FLAGS_RELEASE_INIT "/MD /O2 /Ob2 /D NDEBUG")
   SET (CMAKE_C_FLAGS_RELWITHDEBINFO_INIT "/MD /Zi /O2 /Ob1 /D NDEBUG")
   SET (CMAKE_C_STANDARD_LIBRARIES_INIT "kernel32.lib user32.lib gdi32.lib winspool.lib shell32.lib ole32.lib oleaut32.lib uuid.lib comdlg32.lib advapi32.lib ")
+  SET (CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS_INIT "${CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS_INIT} /MANIFEST")
 ELSE(MSVC80)
   IF(CMAKE_USING_VC_FREE_TOOLS)
     MESSAGE(STATUS "Using FREE VC TOOLS, NO DEBUG available")
@@ -269,9 +274,11 @@ SET(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_LIBRARIES_INIT "${CMAKE_C_STANDARD_LIBRARIES_INIT}")
 SET (CMAKE_LINK_DEF_FILE_FLAG "/DEF:")
 # set the stack size and the machine type
 IF(CMAKE_CL_64)
-  SET (CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS_INIT "/STACK:10000000 /machine:x64")
+  SET (CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS_INIT
+    "${CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS_INIT} /STACK:10000000 /machine:x64")
 ELSE(CMAKE_CL_64)
-  SET (CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS_INIT "/STACK:10000000 /machine:I386")
+  SET (CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS_INIT
+    "${CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS_INIT} /STACK:10000000 /machine:I386")
 ENDIF(CMAKE_CL_64)
 
 # add /debug and /INCREMENTAL:YES to DEBUG and RELWITHDEBINFO also add pdbtyp
diff --git a/Source/cmLocalVisualStudio7Generator.cxx b/Source/cmLocalVisualStudio7Generator.cxx
index 784ce0c4c..e8a5dba34 100644
--- a/Source/cmLocalVisualStudio7Generator.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmLocalVisualStudio7Generator.cxx
@@ -326,6 +326,8 @@ cmVS7FlagTable cmLocalVisualStudio7GeneratorFlagTable[] =
 cmVS7FlagTable cmLocalVisualStudio7GeneratorLinkFlagTable[] =
 {
   // option flags (some flags map to the same option)
+  {"GenerateManifest", "MANIFEST:NO", "disable manifest generation", "FALSE"},
+  {"GenerateManifest", "MANIFEST", "enable manifest generation", "TRUE"},
   {"LinkIncremental", "INCREMENTAL:NO", "link incremental", "1"},
   {"LinkIncremental", "INCREMENTAL:YES", "link incremental", "2"},
   {0,0,0,0 }