diff --git a/Modules/CMakeVCManifestExe.cmake b/Modules/CMakeVCManifestExe.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5066bc869
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Modules/CMakeVCManifestExe.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 ${CMD}\;\#1 RESULT_VARIABLE RESULT)
+
+  # Check whether the command failed.
+  IF(NOT "${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};#1\""
+      )
+  ENDIF(NOT "${RESULT}" MATCHES "^0$")
+ENDIF(EXISTS "${TARGET}.manifest")
diff --git a/Modules/Platform/Windows-cl.cmake b/Modules/Platform/Windows-cl.cmake
index 361dbbc69..a2338ef50 100644
--- a/Modules/Platform/Windows-cl.cmake
+++ b/Modules/Platform/Windows-cl.cmake
@@ -218,10 +218,10 @@ IF(MSVC80)
   # create a C shared module just copy the shared library rule
   SET(CMAKE_C_CREATE_SHARED_MODULE "${CMAKE_C_CREATE_SHARED_LIBRARY}")
   SET(CMAKE_CXX_LINK_EXECUTABLE "${CMAKE_CXX_LINK_EXECUTABLE}"
-    "$(CMAKE_COMMAND) -DTARGET=<TARGET> -DCMAKE_CL_NOLOGO=${CMAKE_CL_NOLOGO} -P \"${CMAKE_ROOT}/Modules/CMakeVCManifest.cmake\""
+    "$(CMAKE_COMMAND) -DTARGET=<TARGET> -DCMAKE_CL_NOLOGO=${CMAKE_CL_NOLOGO} -P \"${CMAKE_ROOT}/Modules/CMakeVCManifestExe.cmake\""
     )
   SET(CMAKE_C_LINK_EXECUTABLE "${CMAKE_C_LINK_EXECUTABLE}"
-    "$(CMAKE_COMMAND) -DTARGET=<TARGET> -DCMAKE_CL_NOLOGO=${CMAKE_CL_NOLOGO} -P \"${CMAKE_ROOT}/Modules/CMakeVCManifest.cmake\""
+    "$(CMAKE_COMMAND) -DTARGET=<TARGET> -DCMAKE_CL_NOLOGO=${CMAKE_CL_NOLOGO} -P \"${CMAKE_ROOT}/Modules/CMakeVCManifestExe.cmake\""
     )
 
   SET(CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE_INIT Debug)