diff --git a/Modules/CMakeDetermineCompilerId.cmake b/Modules/CMakeDetermineCompilerId.cmake
index eea82918c..c831928ac 100644
--- a/Modules/CMakeDetermineCompilerId.cmake
+++ b/Modules/CMakeDetermineCompilerId.cmake
@@ -54,8 +54,8 @@ FUNCTION(CMAKE_DETERMINE_COMPILER_ID lang flagvar src)
     MESSAGE(STATUS "The ${lang} compiler identification is unknown")
   ENDIF(CMAKE_${lang}_COMPILER_ID)
 
-  RAISE_SCOPE(CMAKE_${lang}_COMPILER_ID "${CMAKE_${lang}_COMPILER_ID}")
-  RAISE_SCOPE(CMAKE_${lang}_PLATFORM_ID "${CMAKE_${lang}_PLATFORM_ID}")
+  SET(CMAKE_${lang}_COMPILER_ID "${CMAKE_${lang}_COMPILER_ID}" PARENT_SCOPE)
+  SET(CMAKE_${lang}_PLATFORM_ID "${CMAKE_${lang}_PLATFORM_ID}" PARENT_SCOPE)
 ENDFUNCTION(CMAKE_DETERMINE_COMPILER_ID)
 
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ FUNCTION(CMAKE_DETERMINE_COMPILER_ID_BUILD lang testflags)
   ENDIF(CMAKE_${lang}_COMPILER_ID_RESULT)
 
   # Return the files produced by the compilation.
-  RAISE_SCOPE(COMPILER_${lang}_PRODUCED_FILES "${COMPILER_${lang}_PRODUCED_FILES}")
+  SET(COMPILER_${lang}_PRODUCED_FILES "${COMPILER_${lang}_PRODUCED_FILES}" PARENT_SCOPE)
 ENDFUNCTION(CMAKE_DETERMINE_COMPILER_ID_BUILD lang testflags)
 
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ FUNCTION(CMAKE_DETERMINE_COMPILER_ID_CHECK lang file)
   ENDIF(NOT CMAKE_EXECUTABLE_FORMAT)
 
   # Return the information extracted.
-  RAISE_SCOPE(CMAKE_${lang}_COMPILER_ID "${CMAKE_${lang}_COMPILER_ID}")
-  RAISE_SCOPE(CMAKE_${lang}_PLATFORM_ID "${CMAKE_${lang}_PLATFORM_ID}")
-  RAISE_SCOPE(CMAKE_EXECUTABLE_FORMAT "${CMAKE_EXECUTABLE_FORMAT}")
+  SET(CMAKE_${lang}_COMPILER_ID "${CMAKE_${lang}_COMPILER_ID}" PARENT_SCOPE)
+  SET(CMAKE_${lang}_PLATFORM_ID "${CMAKE_${lang}_PLATFORM_ID}" PARENT_SCOPE)
+  SET(CMAKE_EXECUTABLE_FORMAT "${CMAKE_EXECUTABLE_FORMAT}" PARENT_SCOPE)
 ENDFUNCTION(CMAKE_DETERMINE_COMPILER_ID_CHECK lang)
diff --git a/Modules/FindwxWidgets.cmake b/Modules/FindwxWidgets.cmake
index a41e43a4f..07dd29f69 100644
--- a/Modules/FindwxWidgets.cmake
+++ b/Modules/FindwxWidgets.cmake
@@ -799,8 +799,8 @@ FUNCTION(WX_SPLIT_ARGUMENTS_ON _keyword _leftvar _rightvar)
     ENDIF("${element}" STREQUAL "${_keyword}")
   ENDFOREACH(element)
 
-  RAISE_SCOPE(${_leftvar})
-  RAISE_SCOPE(${_rightvar})
+  SET(${_leftvar}  ${${_leftvar}}  PARENT_SCOPE)
+  SET(${_rightvar} ${${_rightvar}} PARENT_SCOPE)
 ENDFUNCTION(WX_SPLIT_ARGUMENTS_ON)
 
 #
@@ -839,7 +839,7 @@ FUNCTION(WX_GET_DEPENDENCIES_FROM_XML
     LIST(APPEND ${_depends} "${dep_file}")
   ENDFOREACH(dep_file)
 
-  RAISE_SCOPE(${_depends})
+  SET(${_depends} ${${_depends}} PARENT_SCOPE)
 ENDFUNCTION(WX_GET_DEPENDENCIES_FROM_XML)
 
 # 
@@ -953,5 +953,5 @@ FUNCTION(WXWIDGETS_ADD_RESOURCES _outfiles)
   # Add generated file to output file list.
   LIST(APPEND ${_outfiles} "${outfile}")
 
-  RAISE_SCOPE(${_outfiles})
+  SET(${_outfiles} ${${_outfiles}} PARENT_SCOPE)
 ENDFUNCTION(WXWIDGETS_ADD_RESOURCES)
diff --git a/Source/cmBootstrapCommands.cxx b/Source/cmBootstrapCommands.cxx
index 31533f07e..b713549b6 100644
--- a/Source/cmBootstrapCommands.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmBootstrapCommands.cxx
@@ -70,7 +70,6 @@
 #include "cmMessageCommand.cxx"
 #include "cmOptionCommand.cxx"
 #include "cmProjectCommand.cxx"
-#include "cmRaiseScopeCommand.cxx"
 #include "cmSetCommand.cxx"
 #include "cmSetPropertyCommand.cxx"
 #include "cmSetSourceFilesPropertiesCommand.cxx"
@@ -130,7 +129,6 @@ void GetBootstrapCommands(std::list<cmCommand*>& commands)
   commands.push_back(new cmMessageCommand);
   commands.push_back(new cmOptionCommand);
   commands.push_back(new cmProjectCommand);
-  commands.push_back(new cmRaiseScopeCommand);
   commands.push_back(new cmSetCommand);
   commands.push_back(new cmSetPropertyCommand);
   commands.push_back(new cmSetSourceFilesPropertiesCommand);
diff --git a/Source/cmRaiseScopeCommand.cxx b/Source/cmRaiseScopeCommand.cxx
deleted file mode 100644
index adf87d803..000000000
--- a/Source/cmRaiseScopeCommand.cxx
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,40 +0,0 @@
-/*=========================================================================
-
-  Program:   CMake - Cross-Platform Makefile Generator
-  Module:    $RCSfile$
-  Language:  C++
-  Date:      $Date$
-  Version:   $Revision$
-
-  Copyright (c) 2002 Kitware, Inc., Insight Consortium.  All rights reserved.
-  See Copyright.txt or http://www.cmake.org/HTML/Copyright.html for details.
-
-     This software is distributed WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even 
-     the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR 
-     PURPOSE.  See the above copyright notices for more information.
-
-=========================================================================*/
-#include "cmRaiseScopeCommand.h"
-
-// cmRaiseScopeCommand
-bool cmRaiseScopeCommand
-::InitialPass(std::vector<std::string> const& args)
-{
-  if (args.size() < 1)
-    {
-    this->SetError("called with incorrect number of arguments, "
-                   "raise scope must have at least one argument");
-    return false;
-    }
-
-  if (args.size() == 1)
-    {
-    this->Makefile->RaiseScope(args[0].c_str(), 0);
-    }
-  else
-    {
-    this->Makefile->RaiseScope(args[0].c_str(), args[1].c_str());
-    }
-  return true;
-}
-
diff --git a/Source/cmRaiseScopeCommand.h b/Source/cmRaiseScopeCommand.h
deleted file mode 100644
index 0ff2e4e36..000000000
--- a/Source/cmRaiseScopeCommand.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,86 +0,0 @@
-/*=========================================================================
-
-  Program:   CMake - Cross-Platform Makefile Generator
-  Module:    $RCSfile$
-  Language:  C++
-  Date:      $Date$
-  Version:   $Revision$
-
-  Copyright (c) 2002 Kitware, Inc., Insight Consortium.  All rights reserved.
-  See Copyright.txt or http://www.cmake.org/HTML/Copyright.html for details.
-
-     This software is distributed WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even 
-     the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR 
-     PURPOSE.  See the above copyright notices for more information.
-
-=========================================================================*/
-#ifndef cmRaiseScopeCommand_h
-#define cmRaiseScopeCommand_h
-
-#include "cmCommand.h"
-
-/** \class cmRaiseScopeCommand
- * \brief Raise the Scope a CMAKE variable one level up
- *
- * cmRaiseScopeCommand pushes the current state of a variable into
- * the scope above the current scope.
- */
-class cmRaiseScopeCommand : public cmCommand
-{
-public:
-  /**
-   * This is a virtual constructor for the command.
-   */
-  virtual cmCommand* Clone() 
-    {
-    return new cmRaiseScopeCommand;
-    }
-
-  /**
-   * This is called when the command is first encountered in
-   * the CMakeLists.txt file.
-   */
-  virtual bool InitialPass(std::vector<std::string> const& args);
-
-  /**
-   * The name of the command as specified in CMakeList.txt.
-   */
-  virtual const char* GetName() {return "raise_scope";}
-  
-  /**
-   * Succinct documentation.
-   */
-  virtual const char* GetTerseDocumentation() 
-    {
-    return "Raise the scope of the variables listed.";
-    }
-  
-  /**
-   * More documentation.
-   */
-  virtual const char* GetFullDocumentation()
-    {
-    return
-      "  raise_scope(VAR [VALUE])\n"
-      "Sets the value of a variable in the scope above the "
-      "current scope. Each new directory or function creates a new scope. "
-      "This command will set the value of a variable into the "
-      "parent directory or calling function (whichever is applicable to "
-      "the case at hand) If VALUE is not specified then the variable is "
-      "removed from the parent scope.";
-    }
-
-  /**
-   * This determines if the command is invoked when in script mode.
-   * mark_as_advanced() will have no effect in script mode, but this will
-   * make many of the modules usable in cmake/ctest scripts, (among them
-   * FindUnixMake.cmake used by the CTEST_BUILD command.
-  */
-  virtual bool IsScriptable() { return true; }
-
-  cmTypeMacro(cmRaiseScopeCommand, cmCommand);
-};
-
-
-
-#endif
diff --git a/Source/cmSetCommand.cxx b/Source/cmSetCommand.cxx
index ffa2ce0ed..082dd4186 100644
--- a/Source/cmSetCommand.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmSetCommand.cxx
@@ -74,29 +74,42 @@ bool cmSetCommand::InitialPass(std::vector<std::string> const& args)
   std::string value;  // optional
   bool cache = false; // optional
   bool force = false; // optional
+  bool parentScope = false;
   cmCacheManager::CacheEntryType type 
     = cmCacheManager::STRING; // required if cache
   const char* docstring = 0; // required if cache
   std::string::size_type cacheStart = 0;
   
-  // look for FORCE argument
-  if (args.size() > 4 && args[args.size()-1] == "FORCE")
+  unsigned int ignoreLastArgs = 0;
+  // look for PARENT_SCOPE argument
+  if (args.size() > 1 && args[args.size()-1] == "PARENT_SCOPE")
     {
-    force = true;
+    parentScope = true;
+    ignoreLastArgs++;
+    }
+  else
+    {
+    // look for FORCE argument
+    if (args.size() > 4 && args[args.size()-1] == "FORCE")
+      {
+      force = true;
+      ignoreLastArgs++;
+      }
+
+    // check for cache signature
+    if (args.size() > 3 && args[args.size() - 3 - (force ? 1 : 0)] == "CACHE")
+      {
+      cache = true;
+      ignoreLastArgs+=3;
+      }
     }
 
-  // check for cache signature
-  if (args.size() > 3 && args[args.size() - 3 - (force ? 1 : 0)] == "CACHE")
-    {
-    cache = true;
-    }
-  
   // collect any values into a single semi-colon seperated value list
   if(static_cast<unsigned short>(args.size()) >
-     static_cast<unsigned short>(1 + (cache ? 3 : 0) + (force ? 1 : 0)))
+     static_cast<unsigned short>(1 + ignoreLastArgs))
     {
     value = args[1];
-    size_t endPos = args.size() - (cache ? 3 : 0) - (force ? 1 : 0);
+    size_t endPos = args.size() - ignoreLastArgs;
     for(size_t i = 2; i < endPos; ++i)
       {
       value += ";";
@@ -104,6 +117,20 @@ bool cmSetCommand::InitialPass(std::vector<std::string> const& args)
       }
     }
 
+  if (parentScope)
+    {
+    if (value.empty())
+      {
+      this->Makefile->RaiseScope(variable, 0);
+      }
+    else
+      {
+      this->Makefile->RaiseScope(variable, value.c_str());
+      }
+      return true;
+    }
+
+
   // we should be nice and try to catch some simple screwups if the last or
   // next to last args are CACHE then they screwed up.  If they used FORCE
   // without CACHE they screwed up
diff --git a/Source/cmSetCommand.h b/Source/cmSetCommand.h
index 48b0642ad..6f6ecd2bc 100644
--- a/Source/cmSetCommand.h
+++ b/Source/cmSetCommand.h
@@ -65,7 +65,8 @@ public:
   virtual const char* GetFullDocumentation()
     {
     return
-      "  set(<variable> <value> [CACHE <type> <docstring> [FORCE]])\n"
+      "  set(<variable> <value> [[CACHE <type> <docstring> [FORCE]] | "
+      "PARENT_SCOPE])\n"
       "Within CMake sets <variable> to the value <value>.  <value> is expanded"
       "  before <variable> is set to it.  If CACHE is present, then the "
       "<variable> is put in the cache. <type> and <docstring> are then "
@@ -81,6 +82,12 @@ public:
       "cache variable, then this always writes into the current makefile. The "
       "FORCE option will overwrite the cache value removing any changes by "
       "the user.\n"
+      "If PARENT_SCOPE is present, the variable will be set in the scope "
+      "above the current scope. Each new directory or function creates a new "
+      "scope. This command will set the value of a variable into the parent "
+      "directory or calling function (whichever is applicable to the case at "
+      "hand) If VALUE is not specified then the variable is removed from the "
+      "parent scope.\n"
       "  set(<variable> <value1> ... <valueN>)\n"
       "In this case <variable> is set to a semicolon separated list of "
       "values.\n"
diff --git a/Tests/FunctionTest/CMakeLists.txt b/Tests/FunctionTest/CMakeLists.txt
index 1efdef1a8..91f51b66b 100644
--- a/Tests/FunctionTest/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/Tests/FunctionTest/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ Test_Argn_Function(ignored 3)
 
 # test argument naming and raise scope
 function(track_find_variable cache_variable is_changed)
- raise_scope("${is_changed}" changed)
+ set("${is_changed}" changed PARENT_SCOPE)
 endfunction(track_find_variable)
 track_find_variable(testvar is_changed)
 if ("${is_changed}" STREQUAL changed)
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ endif (tester_res STREQUAL "${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_FILE}")
 
 
 
-# test recursion and return via raise_scope
+# test recursion and return via set(... PARENT_SCOPE)
 function (factorial argument result)
   if (argument LESS 2)
     set (lresult 1)
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ function (factorial argument result)
     factorial (${temp} tresult)
     math (EXPR lresult "${argument}*${tresult}")
   endif (argument LESS 2)
-  raise_scope ("${result}" "${lresult}")
+  set ("${result}" "${lresult}" PARENT_SCOPE)
 endfunction (factorial)
 
 factorial (5 fresult)
@@ -88,8 +88,9 @@ endif (fresult EQUAL 120)
 
 # case test
 FUNCTION(strange_function m)
-  RAISE_SCOPE("${m}" strange_function)
+  SET("${m}" strange_function PARENT_SCOPE)
 ENDFUNCTION(strange_function m)
+
 STRANGE_FUNCTION(var)
 set(second_var "second_var")
 IF("${var}" STREQUAL "strange_function" AND "${second_var}" STREQUAL "second_var")
@@ -105,8 +106,9 @@ ENDFUNCTION(ADD_EXECUTABLE)
 
 # var undef case
 FUNCTION(undef_var m)
-  RAISE_SCOPE("${m}")
+  SET("${m}" PARENT_SCOPE)
 ENDFUNCTION(undef_var)
+
 SET(FUNCTION_UNDEFINED 1)
 undef_var(FUNCTION_UNDEFINED)
 IF(DEFINED FUNCTION_UNDEFINED)
diff --git a/Tests/FunctionTest/SubDirScope/CMakeLists.txt b/Tests/FunctionTest/SubDirScope/CMakeLists.txt
index 9241941e9..b67d30ef5 100644
--- a/Tests/FunctionTest/SubDirScope/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/Tests/FunctionTest/SubDirScope/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 SET(SUBDIR_DEFINED 1)
 SET(SUBDIR_UNDEFINED)
-RAISE_SCOPE(SUBDIR_DEFINED ${SUBDIR_DEFINED})
-RAISE_SCOPE(SUBDIR_UNDEFINED ${SUBDIR_UNDEFINED})
+SET(SUBDIR_DEFINED ${SUBDIR_DEFINED} PARENT_SCOPE)
+SET(SUBDIR_UNDEFINED ${SUBDIR_UNDEFINED} PARENT_SCOPE)
diff --git a/Tests/FunctionTest/Util.cmake b/Tests/FunctionTest/Util.cmake
index 2b40cdf40..f0c73b5da 100644
--- a/Tests/FunctionTest/Util.cmake
+++ b/Tests/FunctionTest/Util.cmake
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
 function(tester)
- set (tester_res "${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_FILE}")
- raise_scope(tester_res)
+ set (tester_res "${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_FILE}" PARENT_SCOPE)
 endfunction(tester)