diff --git a/Source/cmGlobalNMakeMakefileGenerator.cxx b/Source/cmGlobalNMakeMakefileGenerator.cxx
index 88dd81d5b..446881bf2 100644
--- a/Source/cmGlobalNMakeMakefileGenerator.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmGlobalNMakeMakefileGenerator.cxx
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ cmLocalGenerator *cmGlobalNMakeMakefileGenerator::CreateLocalGenerator()
   lg->SetGlobalGenerator(this);
   lg->SetIgnoreLibPrefix(true);
   lg->SetPassMakeflags(true);
+  lg->SetNMake(true);
   lg->SetUnixCD(false);
   return lg;
 }
diff --git a/Source/cmLocalGenerator.cxx b/Source/cmLocalGenerator.cxx
index e7d78cd23..4253848ff 100644
--- a/Source/cmLocalGenerator.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmLocalGenerator.cxx
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ cmLocalGenerator::cmLocalGenerator()
   this->WindowsVSIDE = false;
   this->WatcomWMake = false;
   this->MinGWMake = false;
+  this->NMake = false;
   this->MSYSShell = false;
   this->IgnoreLibPrefix = false;
   this->UseRelativePaths = false;
@@ -2884,6 +2885,10 @@ std::string cmLocalGenerator::EscapeForShell(const char* str, bool makeVars,
     {
     flags |= cmsysSystem_Shell_Flag_MinGWMake;
     }
+  if(this->NMake)
+    {
+    flags |= cmsysSystem_Shell_Flag_NMake;
+    }
 
   // Compute the buffer size needed.
   int size = (this->WindowsShell ?
diff --git a/Source/cmLocalGenerator.h b/Source/cmLocalGenerator.h
index 587a6f2b2..12e745162 100644
--- a/Source/cmLocalGenerator.h
+++ b/Source/cmLocalGenerator.h
@@ -341,6 +341,7 @@ protected:
   bool WindowsVSIDE;
   bool WatcomWMake;
   bool MinGWMake;
+  bool NMake;
   bool ForceUnixPath;
   bool MSYSShell;
   bool UseRelativePaths;
diff --git a/Source/cmLocalUnixMakefileGenerator3.h b/Source/cmLocalUnixMakefileGenerator3.h
index c6fcb99fa..d3216439b 100644
--- a/Source/cmLocalUnixMakefileGenerator3.h
+++ b/Source/cmLocalUnixMakefileGenerator3.h
@@ -101,6 +101,11 @@ public:
    */
   void SetMinGWMake(bool v)  {this->MinGWMake = v;}
 
+  /**
+   * Set to true if the make tool being used is NMake.
+   */
+  void SetNMake(bool v)  {this->NMake = v;}
+
   /**
    * Set to true if the shell being used is the MSYS shell.
    * This controls if statements in the makefile and the SHELL variable.
diff --git a/Source/cmLocalVisualStudio7Generator.cxx b/Source/cmLocalVisualStudio7Generator.cxx
index 1c144e279..51ebcbc17 100644
--- a/Source/cmLocalVisualStudio7Generator.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmLocalVisualStudio7Generator.cxx
@@ -76,7 +76,8 @@ void cmLocalVisualStudio7Generator::FixGlobalTargets()
       {
       std::vector<std::string> no_depends;
       cmCustomCommandLine force_command;
-      force_command.push_back(";");
+      force_command.push_back("cd");
+      force_command.push_back(".");
       cmCustomCommandLines force_commands;
       force_commands.push_back(force_command);
       const char* no_main_dependency = 0;
diff --git a/Source/kwsys/System.c b/Source/kwsys/System.c
index ec328f802..de85c3a5d 100644
--- a/Source/kwsys/System.c
+++ b/Source/kwsys/System.c
@@ -315,13 +315,23 @@ static int kwsysSystem_Shell__GetArgumentSize(const char* in,
       {
       if((flags & kwsysSystem_Shell_Flag_VSIDE) ||
          ((flags & kwsysSystem_Shell_Flag_Make) &&
-          (flags & kwsysSystem_Shell_Flag_MinGWMake)))
+          ((flags & kwsysSystem_Shell_Flag_MinGWMake) ||
+           (flags & kwsysSystem_Shell_Flag_NMake))))
         {
-        /* In the VS IDE or MinGW make a percent is written %% so we
-           need one extra characters.  */
+        /* In the VS IDE, NMake, or MinGW make a percent is written %%
+           so we need one extra characters.  */
         size += 1;
         }
       }
+    else if(*c == ';')
+      {
+      if(flags & kwsysSystem_Shell_Flag_VSIDE)
+        {
+        /* In a VS IDE a semicolon is written ";" so we need two extra
+           characters.  */
+        size += 2;
+        }
+      }
     }
 
   /* Check whether the argument needs surrounding quotes.  */
@@ -471,9 +481,10 @@ static char* kwsysSystem_Shell__GetArgument(const char* in, char* out,
       {
       if((flags & kwsysSystem_Shell_Flag_VSIDE) ||
          ((flags & kwsysSystem_Shell_Flag_Make) &&
-          (flags & kwsysSystem_Shell_Flag_MinGWMake)))
+          ((flags & kwsysSystem_Shell_Flag_MinGWMake) ||
+           (flags & kwsysSystem_Shell_Flag_NMake))))
         {
-        /* In the VS IDE or MinGW make a percent is written %%.  */
+        /* In the VS IDE, NMake, or MinGW make a percent is written %%.  */
         *out++ = '%';
         *out++ = '%';
         }
@@ -483,6 +494,25 @@ static char* kwsysSystem_Shell__GetArgument(const char* in, char* out,
         *out++ = '%';
         }
       }
+    else if(*c == ';')
+      {
+      if(flags & kwsysSystem_Shell_Flag_VSIDE)
+        {
+        /* In a VS IDE a semicolon is written ";".  If this is written
+           in an un-quoted argument it starts a quoted segment,
+           inserts the ; and ends the segment.  If it is written in a
+           quoted argument it ends quoting, inserts the ; and restarts
+           quoting.  Either way the ; is isolated.  */
+        *out++ = '"';
+        *out++ = ';';
+        *out++ = '"';
+        }
+      else
+        {
+        /* Otherwise a semicolon is written just ;. */
+        *out++ = ';';
+        }
+      }
     else
       {
       /* Store this character.  */
diff --git a/Source/kwsys/System.h.in b/Source/kwsys/System.h.in
index b19026211..e76c499e4 100644
--- a/Source/kwsys/System.h.in
+++ b/Source/kwsys/System.h.in
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 #define kwsysSystem_Shell_Flag_EchoWindows           kwsys_ns(System_Shell_Flag_EchoWindows)
 #define kwsysSystem_Shell_Flag_WatcomWMake           kwsys_ns(System_Shell_Flag_WatcomWMake)
 #define kwsysSystem_Shell_Flag_MinGWMake             kwsys_ns(System_Shell_Flag_MinGWMake)
+#define kwsysSystem_Shell_Flag_NMake                 kwsys_ns(System_Shell_Flag_NMake)
 #define kwsysSystem_Shell_Flag_AllowMakeVariables    kwsys_ns(System_Shell_Flag_AllowMakeVariables)
 
 #if defined(__cplusplus)
@@ -90,6 +91,9 @@ enum kwsysSystem_Shell_Flag_e
   /** The target shell is in a MinGW Make makefile.  */
   kwsysSystem_Shell_Flag_MinGWMake          = (1<<4),
 
+  /** The target shell is in a NMake makefile.  */
+  kwsysSystem_Shell_Flag_NMake              = (1<<6),
+
   /** Make variable reference syntax $(MAKEVAR) should not be escaped
       to allow a build tool to replace it.  Replacement values
       containing spaces, quotes, backslashes, or other
@@ -117,6 +121,7 @@ enum kwsysSystem_Shell_Flag_e
 # undef kwsysSystem_Shell_Flag_EchoWindows
 # undef kwsysSystem_Shell_Flag_WatcomWMake
 # undef kwsysSystem_Shell_Flag_MinGWMake
+# undef kwsysSystem_Shell_Flag_NMake
 # undef kwsysSystem_Shell_Flag_AllowMakeVariables
 #endif