diff --git a/build/org.eclipse.cdt.cmake.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/cmake/core/internal/CMakeBuildConfiguration.java b/build/org.eclipse.cdt.cmake.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/cmake/core/internal/CMakeBuildConfiguration.java
index 31be86178bc..8be3ee22b21 100644
--- a/build/org.eclipse.cdt.cmake.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/cmake/core/internal/CMakeBuildConfiguration.java
+++ b/build/org.eclipse.cdt.cmake.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/cmake/core/internal/CMakeBuildConfiguration.java
@@ -109,7 +109,16 @@ public class CMakeBuildConfiguration extends CBuildConfiguration {
 
 			outStream.write(String.format(Messages.CMakeBuildConfiguration_BuildingIn, buildDir.toString()));
 
-			if (!Files.exists(buildDir.resolve("CMakeFiles"))) { //$NON-NLS-1$
+			boolean runCMake;
+			switch (generator) {
+			case "Ninja": //$NON-NLS-1$
+				runCMake = !Files.exists(buildDir.resolve("build.ninja")); //$NON-NLS-1$
+				break;
+			default:
+				runCMake = !Files.exists(buildDir.resolve("CMakeFiles")); //$NON-NLS-1$
+			}
+
+			if (runCMake) { // $NON-NLS-1$
 				List<String> command = new ArrayList<>();
 
 				// TODO location of CMake out of preferences if not found here
@@ -155,14 +164,8 @@ public class CMakeBuildConfiguration extends CBuildConfiguration {
 				epm.setOutputStream(console.getOutputStream());
 				
 				String buildCommand = getProperty(BUILD_COMMAND);
-				if (buildCommand == null) {
-					if (generator.equals("Ninja")) { //$NON-NLS-1$
-						buildCommand = "ninja"; //$NON-NLS-1$
-					} else {
-						buildCommand = "make"; //$NON-NLS-1$
-					}
-				}
-				String[] command = buildCommand.split(" "); //$NON-NLS-1$
+				String[] command = buildCommand != null && !buildCommand.trim().isEmpty() ? buildCommand.split(" ") //$NON-NLS-1$
+						: new String[] { "cmake", "--build", "." }; //$NON-NLS-1$ //$NON-NLS-2$ //$NON-NLS-3$
 
 				Path cmdPath = findCommand(command[0]);
 				if (cmdPath != null) {
@@ -181,6 +184,8 @@ public class CMakeBuildConfiguration extends CBuildConfiguration {
 			// Load compile_commands.json file
 			processCompileCommandsFile(monitor);
 
+			outStream.write(String.format(Messages.CMakeBuildConfiguration_BuildingComplete, buildDir.toString()));
+
 			return new IProject[] { project };
 		} catch (IOException e) {
 			throw new CoreException(Activator.errorStatus(String.format(Messages.CMakeBuildConfiguration_Building, project.getName()), e));
diff --git a/build/org.eclipse.cdt.cmake.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/cmake/core/internal/Messages.java b/build/org.eclipse.cdt.cmake.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/cmake/core/internal/Messages.java
index e420dab906e..26f166eae40 100644
--- a/build/org.eclipse.cdt.cmake.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/cmake/core/internal/Messages.java
+++ b/build/org.eclipse.cdt.cmake.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/cmake/core/internal/Messages.java
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ public class Messages extends NLS {
 	private static final String BUNDLE_NAME = "org.eclipse.cdt.cmake.core.internal.messages"; //$NON-NLS-1$
 	public static String CMakeBuildConfiguration_Building;
 	public static String CMakeBuildConfiguration_BuildingIn;
+	public static String CMakeBuildConfiguration_BuildingComplete;
 	public static String CMakeBuildConfiguration_Cleaning;
 	public static String CMakeBuildConfiguration_NotFound;
 	public static String CMakeBuildConfiguration_ProcCompCmds;
diff --git a/build/org.eclipse.cdt.cmake.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/cmake/core/internal/messages.properties b/build/org.eclipse.cdt.cmake.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/cmake/core/internal/messages.properties
index d4be3821762..09b418b25be 100644
--- a/build/org.eclipse.cdt.cmake.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/cmake/core/internal/messages.properties
+++ b/build/org.eclipse.cdt.cmake.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/cmake/core/internal/messages.properties
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 ################################################################################
 CMakeBuildConfiguration_Building=Building %s
 CMakeBuildConfiguration_BuildingIn=Building in: %s\n
+CMakeBuildConfiguration_BuildingComplete=Build complete: %s\n
 CMakeBuildConfiguration_Cleaning=Cleaning %s
 CMakeBuildConfiguration_NotFound=CMakeFiles not found. Assuming clean.
 CMakeBuildConfiguration_ProcCompCmds=Processing compile commands %s