diff --git a/bindist/bindist.configure.in b/bindist/bindist.configure.in
index fba3d8ddc..0511c9985 100644
--- a/bindist/bindist.configure.in
+++ b/bindist/bindist.configure.in
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ AC_SUBST(LIB_LIBPATH)
 AC_SUBST(LINK_LIB)
 AC_SUBST(LINK_OPT_SEP)
 AC_SUBST(FIX_PATH_FOR_CC)
+AC_SUBST(CYGPATH)
 AC_SUBST(MATH_LIB)
 AC_SUBST(SHARED_LIBS_SH)
 AC_SUBST(CGIDIR)
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index bde036ea3..09c85a238 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -392,6 +392,8 @@ AC_EGREP_CPP(yes,
 ] AC_MSG_RESULT(yes), [ac_microsoft=no
 ] AC_MSG_RESULT(no))
 
+AC_CHECK_PROG(CYGPATH, cygpath, cygpath -w, echo)
+
 if test "$ac_microsoft" = "yes" ; then
 	# Use MS-style file names and command-line options
 	OBJ_SUFFIX="obj"
@@ -408,7 +410,10 @@ if test "$ac_microsoft" = "yes" ; then
 
 	USING_MICROSOFT_CL_COMPILER="yes"
 
-	FIX_PATH_FOR_CC="cygpath -w"
+	case "$CYGPATH" in "echo")
+		AC_MSG_WARN("cygpath required with Microsoft Visual C++") ;;
+	esac
+	FIX_PATH_FOR_CC="$CYGPATH"
 
 		# MS doesn't use a ranlib.
 	RANLIB="echo"
@@ -459,6 +464,7 @@ AC_SUBST(LIB_LIBPATH)
 AC_SUBST(LINK_LIB)
 AC_SUBST(LINK_OPT_SEP)
 AC_SUBST(FIX_PATH_FOR_CC)
+AC_SUBST(CYGPATH)
 
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------#
 # Microsoft.NET configuration
diff --git a/scripts/Mmake.vars.in b/scripts/Mmake.vars.in
index 8da032376..32e61cada 100644
--- a/scripts/Mmake.vars.in
+++ b/scripts/Mmake.vars.in
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ LIB_CFLAGS	= $(patsubst %,-I %,$(EXTRA_C_INCL_DIRS))
 
 # MS_CL is the command line version of Microsoft Visual C++, which we
 # use to compile Managed C++ code in the .NET backend.
-FIX_PATH_FOR_CL	= cygpath -w
+FIX_PATH_FOR_CL	= @CYGPATH@
 MS_CL		= @MS_CL@
 MS_VISUALCPP_DIR = @MS_VISUALCPP_DIR@
 ALL_MS_CLFLAGS	= $(MS_CLFLAGS) $(EXTRA_MS_CLFLAGS) $(TARGET_MS_CLFLAGS) \
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ MS_AL		= al
 # which have a different command-line interface. 
 # (What about Rotor?)
 
-FIX_PATH_FOR_CSC = cygpath -w
+FIX_PATH_FOR_CSC = @CYGPATH@
 MS_CSC		= csc
 ALL_MS_CSCFLAGS	= $(MS_CSCFLAGS) $(EXTRA_MS_CSCFLAGS) $(TARGET_MS_CSCFLAGS) \
 		$(LIB_MS_CSCFLAGS)