diff --git a/Source/cmQtAutoGenerators.cxx b/Source/cmQtAutoGenerators.cxx
index 576de7a31..7f7dbadb6 100644
--- a/Source/cmQtAutoGenerators.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmQtAutoGenerators.cxx
@@ -410,9 +410,11 @@ cmQtAutoGenerators::WriteOldMocDefinitionsFile(
 
 void cmQtAutoGenerators::Init()
 {
+  this->OutMocCppFilenameRel = this->TargetName;
+  this->OutMocCppFilenameRel += ".cpp";
+
   this->OutMocCppFilename = this->Builddir;
-  this->OutMocCppFilename += this->TargetName;
-  this->OutMocCppFilename += ".cpp";
+  this->OutMocCppFilename += this->OutMocCppFilenameRel;
 
   std::vector<std::string> cdefList;
   cmSystemTools::ExpandListArgument(this->MocCompileDefinitionsStr, cdefList);
@@ -589,14 +591,11 @@ bool cmQtAutoGenerators::RunAutogen(cmMakefile* makefile)
   std::map<std::string, std::string> notIncludedMocs;
   this->ParseHeaders(headerFiles, includedMocs, notIncludedMocs, includedUis);
 
-  // run moc on all the moc's that are #included in source files
-  for(std::map<std::string, std::string>::const_iterator
-                                                     it = includedMocs.begin();
-      it != includedMocs.end();
-      ++it)
+  if(!this->MocExecutable.empty())
     {
-    this->GenerateMoc(it->first, it->second);
+    this->GenerateMocFiles ( includedMocs, notIncludedMocs );
     }
+
   for(std::map<std::string, std::vector<std::string> >::const_iterator
       it = includedUis.begin();
       it != includedUis.end();
@@ -615,38 +614,11 @@ bool cmQtAutoGenerators::RunAutogen(cmMakefile* makefile)
     this->GenerateQrcFiles();
     }
 
-  std::stringstream outStream;
-  outStream << "/* This file is autogenerated, do not edit*/\n";
-
-  bool automocCppChanged = false;
-  if (notIncludedMocs.empty())
-    {
-    outStream << "enum some_compilers { need_more_than_nothing };\n";
-    }
-  else
-    {
-    // run moc on the remaining headers and include them in
-    // the _automoc.cpp file
-    for(std::map<std::string, std::string>::const_iterator
-                                                  it = notIncludedMocs.begin();
-        it != notIncludedMocs.end();
-        ++it)
-      {
-      bool mocSuccess = this->GenerateMoc(it->first, it->second);
-      if (mocSuccess)
-        {
-        automocCppChanged = true;
-        }
-      outStream << "#include \"" << it->second << "\"\n";
-      }
-    }
-
   if (this->RunMocFailed)
     {
     std::cerr << "moc failed..." << std::endl;
     return false;
     }
-
   if (this->RunUicFailed)
     {
     std::cerr << "uic failed..." << std::endl;
@@ -657,25 +629,6 @@ bool cmQtAutoGenerators::RunAutogen(cmMakefile* makefile)
     std::cerr << "rcc failed..." << std::endl;
     return false;
     }
-  outStream.flush();
-  std::string automocSource = outStream.str();
-  if (!automocCppChanged)
-    {
-    // compare contents of the _automoc.cpp file
-    const std::string oldContents = ReadAll(this->OutMocCppFilename);
-    if (oldContents == automocSource)
-      {
-      // nothing changed: don't touch the _automoc.cpp file
-      return true;
-      }
-    }
-
-  // source file that includes all remaining moc files (_automoc.cpp file)
-  cmsys::ofstream outfile;
-  outfile.open(this->OutMocCppFilename.c_str(),
-               std::ios::trunc);
-  outfile << automocSource;
-  outfile.close();
 
   return true;
 }
@@ -1119,6 +1072,102 @@ void cmQtAutoGenerators::ParseHeaders(const std::set<std::string>& absHeaders,
     }
 }
 
+
+bool cmQtAutoGenerators::GenerateMocFiles(
+                    const std::map<std::string, std::string>& includedMocs,
+                    const std::map<std::string, std::string>& notIncludedMocs )
+{
+  // generate moc files that are included by source files.
+  for(std::map<std::string, std::string>::const_iterator
+      it = includedMocs.begin(); it != includedMocs.end(); ++it)
+    {
+    if (!this->GenerateMoc(it->first, it->second))
+      {
+      if (this->RunMocFailed)
+        {
+        return false;
+        }
+      }
+    }
+
+  // generate moc files that are _not_ included by source files.
+  bool automocCppChanged = false;
+  for(std::map<std::string, std::string>::const_iterator
+      it = notIncludedMocs.begin(); it != notIncludedMocs.end(); ++it)
+    {
+    if (this->GenerateMoc(it->first, it->second))
+      {
+      automocCppChanged = true;
+      }
+    else
+      {
+      if (this->RunMocFailed)
+        {
+        return false;
+        }
+      }
+    }
+
+  // compose _automoc.cpp content
+  std::string automocSource;
+    {
+    std::stringstream outStream;
+    outStream << "/* This file is autogenerated, do not edit*/\n";
+    if( notIncludedMocs.empty() )
+      {
+      outStream << "enum some_compilers { need_more_than_nothing };\n";
+      }
+    else
+      {
+      for(std::map<std::string, std::string>::const_iterator
+          it = notIncludedMocs.begin();
+          it != notIncludedMocs.end();
+          ++it)
+        {
+        outStream << "#include \"" << it->second << "\"\n";
+        }
+      }
+    outStream.flush();
+    automocSource = outStream.str();
+    }
+
+  // check if we even need to update _automoc.cpp
+  if (!automocCppChanged)
+    {
+    // compare contents of the _automoc.cpp file
+    const std::string oldContents = ReadAll(this->OutMocCppFilename);
+    if (oldContents == automocSource)
+      {
+      // nothing changed: don't touch the _automoc.cpp file
+      if (this->Verbose)
+        {
+        std::cout << "AUTOGEN: " << this->OutMocCppFilenameRel
+          << " still up to date" << std::endl;
+        }
+      return true;
+      }
+    }
+
+  // actually write _automoc.cpp
+    {
+    std::string msg = "Generating ";
+    msg += this->OutMocCppFilenameRel;
+    cmSystemTools::MakefileColorEcho(cmsysTerminal_Color_ForegroundBlue
+                                     |cmsysTerminal_Color_ForegroundBold,
+                                     msg.c_str(), true, this->ColorOutput);
+    }
+    {
+    cmsys::ofstream outfile;
+    outfile.open(this->OutMocCppFilename.c_str(),
+                 std::ios::trunc);
+    outfile << automocSource;
+    outfile.close();
+    }
+
+  return true;
+}
+
+
 bool cmQtAutoGenerators::GenerateMoc(const std::string& sourceFile,
                               const std::string& mocFileName)
 {
diff --git a/Source/cmQtAutoGenerators.h b/Source/cmQtAutoGenerators.h
index 5b33d1631..51959be5f 100644
--- a/Source/cmQtAutoGenerators.h
+++ b/Source/cmQtAutoGenerators.h
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@ private:
   std::string MakeCompileSettingsString(cmMakefile* makefile);
 
   bool RunAutogen(cmMakefile* makefile);
+  bool GenerateMocFiles(
+              const std::map<std::string, std::string>& includedMocs,
+              const std::map<std::string, std::string>& notIncludedMocs);
   bool GenerateMoc(const std::string& sourceFile,
                    const std::string& mocFileName);
   bool GenerateUi(const std::string& realName, const std::string& uiFileName);
@@ -100,6 +103,7 @@ private:
   std::string CurrentCompileSettingsStr;
   std::string OldCompileSettingsStr;
 
+  std::string OutMocCppFilenameRel;
   std::string OutMocCppFilename;
   std::list<std::string> MocIncludes;
   std::list<std::string> MocDefinitions;