diff --git a/Modules/CMakeDetermineCCompiler.cmake b/Modules/CMakeDetermineCCompiler.cmake
index 72a2a0309..2198675e7 100644
--- a/Modules/CMakeDetermineCCompiler.cmake
+++ b/Modules/CMakeDetermineCCompiler.cmake
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 # as a default compiler
 
 IF(NOT CMAKE_C_COMPILER)
+  SET(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_INIT NOTFOUND)
+
   # if the user has specified CC via the environment, then use that without checking
   IF($ENV{CC} MATCHES ".+")
     GET_FILENAME_COMPONENT(CMAKE_C_COMPILER_INIT $ENV{CC} PROGRAM PROGRAM_ARGS CMAKE_C_FLAGS_ENV_INIT)
@@ -13,13 +15,21 @@ IF(NOT CMAKE_C_COMPILER)
     ELSE(EXISTS ${CMAKE_C_COMPILER_INIT})
       MESSAGE(SEND_ERROR "Could not find compiler set in environment variable CC:\n$ENV{CC}.") 
     ENDIF(EXISTS ${CMAKE_C_COMPILER_INIT})
-  ELSE($ENV{CC} MATCHES ".+")
+  ENDIF($ENV{CC} MATCHES ".+")
+
+  IF(CMAKE_GENERATOR_CC) 
+    IF(NOT CMAKE_CC_COMPILER_INIT)
+      SET(CMAKE_CC_COMPILER_INIT ${CMAKE_GENERATOR_CC})
+    ENDIF(NOT CMAKE_CC_COMPILER_INIT)
+  ENDIF(CMAKE_GENERATOR_CC)
+
+  IF(NOT CMAKE_CC_COMPILER_INIT)
   # if not in the envionment then search for the compiler in the path
-    SET(CMAKE_C_COMPILER_LIST ${CMAKE_GENERATOR_CC} gcc cc cl bcc )  
+    SET(CMAKE_C_COMPILER_LIST gcc cc cl bcc )  
     FIND_PROGRAM(CMAKE_C_COMPILER_FULLPATH NAMES ${CMAKE_C_COMPILER_LIST} )
     GET_FILENAME_COMPONENT(CMAKE_C_COMPILER_INIT
                            ${CMAKE_C_COMPILER_FULLPATH} NAME)
-  ENDIF($ENV{CC} MATCHES ".+")
+  ENDIF(NOT CMAKE_CC_COMPILER_INIT)
   # set this to notfound right after so that it is searched for each time this
   # file is included
   SET(CMAKE_C_COMPILER ${CMAKE_C_COMPILER_INIT} CACHE STRING "C compiler")
diff --git a/Modules/CMakeDetermineCXXCompiler.cmake b/Modules/CMakeDetermineCXXCompiler.cmake
index 101786a3f..6651943c4 100644
--- a/Modules/CMakeDetermineCXXCompiler.cmake
+++ b/Modules/CMakeDetermineCXXCompiler.cmake
@@ -6,20 +6,30 @@
 # as a default compiler
 
 IF(NOT CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER)
+  SET(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_INIT NOTFOUND)
+
   # if the user has specified CC via the environment, then use that without checking
   IF($ENV{CXX} MATCHES ".+")
     GET_FILENAME_COMPONENT(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_INIT $ENV{CXX} PROGRAM PROGRAM_ARGS CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_ENV_INIT)
     IF(EXISTS ${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_INIT})
     ELSE(EXISTS ${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_INIT})
-      MESSAGE(SEND_ERROR "Could not find compiler set in environment variable CXX:\n$ENV{CXX}.")
+      MESSAGE(SEND_ERROR "Could not find compiler set in environment variable CXX:\n$ENV{CXX}.\n${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_INIT}")
     ENDIF(EXISTS ${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_INIT})
-  ELSE($ENV{CXX} MATCHES ".+")
+  ENDIF($ENV{CXX} MATCHES ".+")
+
+  IF(CMAKE_GENERATOR_CXX)
+    IF(NOT CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_INIT)
+      SET(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_INIT ${CMAKE_GENERATOR_CXX})
+    ENDIF(NOT CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_INIT)
+  ENDIF(CMAKE_GENERATOR_CXX)
+
+  IF(NOT CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_INIT)
   # if not in the envionment then search for the compiler in the path
-    SET(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_LIST ${CMAKE_GENERATOR_CXX} c++ g++ CC aCC cl bcc )
+    SET(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_LIST c++ g++ CC aCC cl bcc )
     FIND_PROGRAM(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_FULLPATH NAMES ${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_LIST})
     GET_FILENAME_COMPONENT(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_INIT
                            ${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_FULLPATH} NAME)
-  ENDIF($ENV{CXX} MATCHES ".+")
+  ENDIF(NOT CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_INIT)
   SET(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER ${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_INIT} 
       CACHE STRING "C++ compiler") 
 ENDIF(NOT CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER)
diff --git a/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio6Generator.cxx b/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio6Generator.cxx
index a3d5f846d..ea3245ac6 100644
--- a/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio6Generator.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio6Generator.cxx
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ cmGlobalVisualStudio6Generator::cmGlobalVisualStudio6Generator()
 void cmGlobalVisualStudio6Generator::EnableLanguage(const char* lang, 
                                                     cmMakefile *mf)
 {
+  mf->AddDefinition("CMAKE_GENERATOR_CC", "cl");
+  mf->AddDefinition("CMAKE_GENERATOR_CXX", "cl");
   this->cmGlobalGenerator::EnableLanguage(lang, mf);
 }