diff --git a/windows/org.eclipse.cdt.msw.build/plugin.properties b/windows/org.eclipse.cdt.msw.build/plugin.properties
index 05150db9042..74d382d5ca5 100644
--- a/windows/org.eclipse.cdt.msw.build/plugin.properties
+++ b/windows/org.eclipse.cdt.msw.build/plugin.properties
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 toolchain.name=Microsoft Visual C++
 
-compiler.name=C/C++ Compiler (cl)
+compiler.name.abstract=Abstract Compiler
+compiler.name.c=C Compiler (cl)
+compiler.name.cpp=C++ Compiler (cl)
 rc.name=Resource Compiler (rc)
 linker.name=Linker (link)
 lib.name=Library Manager (lib)
diff --git a/windows/org.eclipse.cdt.msw.build/plugin.xml b/windows/org.eclipse.cdt.msw.build/plugin.xml
index 75f0b616041..768292ef0b2 100644
--- a/windows/org.eclipse.cdt.msw.build/plugin.xml
+++ b/windows/org.eclipse.cdt.msw.build/plugin.xml
@@ -4,32 +4,13 @@
    <extension
          point="org.eclipse.cdt.managedbuilder.core.buildDefinitions">
       <managedBuildRevision fileVersion="4.0.0"/>
-      <toolChain
-            archList="all"
-            configurationEnvironmentSupplier="org.eclipse.cdt.msw.build.WinEnvironmentVariableSupplier"
-            id="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.toolchain.base"
-            isAbstract="true"
-            name="%toolchain.name"
-            osList="win32"
-            targetTool="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.link;org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.lib">
-         <targetPlatform
-               archList="all"
-               binaryParser="org.eclipse.cdt.core.PE"
-               id="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.targetPlatform"
-               osList="win32">
-         </targetPlatform>
-         <builder
-               id="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.builder"
-               isVariableCaseSensitive="false"
-               superClass="org.eclipse.cdt.build.core.internal.builder">
-         </builder>
       <tool
             command="cl /c"
             commandLinePattern="${COMMAND} ${FLAGS} ${OUTPUT_FLAG}${OUTPUT_PREFIX}${OUTPUT} ${INPUTS}"
             errorParsers="org.eclipse.cdt.core.VCErrorParser"
-            id="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.cl"
-            name="%compiler.name"
-            natureFilter="both"
+            id="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.cl.abstract"
+            isAbstract="true"
+            name="%compiler.name.abstract"
             outputFlag="/Fo">
          <supportedProperties>
             <property
@@ -44,7 +25,8 @@
          </supportedProperties>
          <optionCategory
                id="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.cl.optionCategory.optimization"
-               name="Optimization"/>
+               name="Optimization">
+         </optionCategory>
          <option
                category="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.cl.optionCategory.optimization"
                id="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.cl.option.optimization"
@@ -54,17 +36,20 @@
             <enumeratedOptionValue
                   id="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.cl.option.optimization.default"
                   isDefault="false"
-                  name="Default"/>
+                  name="Default">
+            </enumeratedOptionValue>
             <enumeratedOptionValue
                   command="/O1"
                   id="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.cl.option.optimization.1"
                   isDefault="false"
-                  name="Minimize Size (/O1)"/>
+                  name="Minimize Size (/O1)">
+            </enumeratedOptionValue>
             <enumeratedOptionValue
                   command="/O2"
                   id="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.cl.option.optimization.2"
                   isDefault="true"
-                  name="Maximize Speed (/O2)"/>
+                  name="Maximize Speed (/O2)">
+            </enumeratedOptionValue>
             <enablement
                   attribute="value"
                   extensionAdjustment="false"
@@ -258,16 +243,55 @@
                name="Other Options"
                resourceFilter="all"
                valueType="stringList"/>
+         <outputType
+               id="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.cl.outputType"
+               outputs="obj">
+         </outputType>
+      </tool>
+      <toolChain
+            archList="all"
+            configurationEnvironmentSupplier="org.eclipse.cdt.msw.build.WinEnvironmentVariableSupplier"
+            id="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.toolchain.base"
+            isAbstract="true"
+            name="%toolchain.name"
+            osList="win32"
+            targetTool="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.link;org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.lib">
+         <targetPlatform
+               archList="all"
+               binaryParser="org.eclipse.cdt.core.PE"
+               id="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.targetPlatform"
+               osList="win32">
+         </targetPlatform>
+         <builder
+               id="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.builder"
+               isVariableCaseSensitive="false"
+               superClass="org.eclipse.cdt.build.core.internal.builder">
+         </builder>
+         <tool
+               id="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.cl.c"
+               isAbstract="false"
+               name="%compiler.name.c"
+               natureFilter="both"
+               superClass="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.cl.abstract">
+         <inputType
+               dependencyContentType="org.eclipse.cdt.core.cHeader"
+               id="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.cl.inputType.c"
+               scannerConfigDiscoveryProfileId="org.eclipse.cdt.msw.build.clScannerInfo"
+               sourceContentType="org.eclipse.cdt.core.cSource">
+         </inputType>
+      </tool>
+      <tool
+            id="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.cl.cpp"
+            isAbstract="false"
+            name="%compiler.name.cpp"
+            natureFilter="ccnature"
+            superClass="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.cl.abstract">
          <inputType
                dependencyContentType="org.eclipse.cdt.core.cxxHeader"
                id="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.cl.inputType"
                scannerConfigDiscoveryProfileId="org.eclipse.cdt.msw.build.clScannerInfo"
                sourceContentType="org.eclipse.cdt.core.cxxSource">
          </inputType>
-         <outputType
-               id="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.cl.outputType"
-               outputs="obj">
-         </outputType>
       </tool>
       <tool
             command="rc"
@@ -492,7 +516,7 @@
                </targetPlatform>
                <tool
                      id="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.cl.exe.debug"
-                     superClass="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.cl">
+                     superClass="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.cl.cpp">
                </tool>
                <tool
                      id="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.rc.exe.debug"
@@ -502,6 +526,10 @@
                      id="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.link.exe.debug"
                      superClass="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.link">
                </tool>
+               <tool
+                     id="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.cl.c.exe.debug"
+                     superClass="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.cl.c">
+               </tool>
             </toolChain>
          </configuration>
          <configuration
@@ -518,7 +546,7 @@
                </targetPlatform>
                <tool
                      id="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.cl.exe.release"
-                     superClass="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.cl">
+                     superClass="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.cl.cpp">
                </tool>
                <tool
                      id="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.rc.exe.release"
@@ -528,6 +556,10 @@
                      id="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.link.exe.release"
                      superClass="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.link">
                </tool>
+               <tool
+                     id="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.cl.c.exe.release"
+                     superClass="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.cl.c">
+               </tool>
             </toolChain>
          </configuration>
       </projectType>
@@ -549,7 +581,7 @@
                </targetPlatform>
                <tool
                      id="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.cl.dll.debug"
-                     superClass="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.cl">
+                     superClass="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.cl.cpp">
                </tool>
                <tool
                      id="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.rc.dll.debug"
@@ -559,6 +591,10 @@
                      id="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.link.dll.debug"
                      superClass="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.link">
                </tool>
+               <tool
+                     id="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.cl.c.dll.debug"
+                     superClass="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.cl.c">
+               </tool>
             </toolChain>
          </configuration>
          <configuration
@@ -575,7 +611,7 @@
                </targetPlatform>
                <tool
                      id="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.cl.dll.release"
-                     superClass="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.cl">
+                     superClass="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.cl.cpp">
                </tool>
                <tool
                      id="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.rc.dll.release"
@@ -585,6 +621,10 @@
                      id="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.link.dll.release"
                      superClass="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.link">
                </tool>
+               <tool
+                     id="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.cl.c.dll.release"
+                     superClass="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.cl.c">
+               </tool>
             </toolChain>
          </configuration>
       </projectType>
@@ -606,7 +646,7 @@
                </targetPlatform>
                <tool
                      id="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.cl.lib.debug"
-                     superClass="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.cl">
+                     superClass="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.cl.cpp">
                </tool>
                <tool
                      id="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.rc.lib.debug"
@@ -616,6 +656,10 @@
                      id="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.lib.lib.debug"
                      superClass="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.lib">
                </tool>
+               <tool
+                     id="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.cl.c.lib.debug"
+                     superClass="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.cl.c">
+               </tool>
             </toolChain>
          </configuration>
          <configuration
@@ -632,7 +676,7 @@
                </targetPlatform>
                <tool
                      id="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.cl.lib.release"
-                     superClass="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.cl">
+                     superClass="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.cl.cpp">
                </tool>
                <tool
                      id="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.rc.lib.release"
@@ -642,6 +686,10 @@
                      id="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.lib.lib.release"
                      superClass="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.lib">
                </tool>
+               <tool
+                     id="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.cl.c.lib.release"
+                     superClass="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.cl.c">
+               </tool>
             </toolChain>
          </configuration>
       </projectType>
@@ -655,5 +703,20 @@
             scope="project">
       </scannerInfoCollector>
    </extension>
+   <extension
+         point="org.eclipse.cdt.core.templateAssociations">
+      <template
+            id="org.eclipse.cdt.build.core.templates.HelloWorldCCProject">
+         <toolChain
+               id="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.toolchain.base">
+         </toolChain>
+      </template>
+      <template
+            id="org.eclipse.cdt.build.core.templates.HelloWorldCAnsiProject">
+         <toolChain
+               id="org.eclipse.cdt.msvc.toolchain.base">
+         </toolChain>
+      </template>
+   </extension>
 
 </plugin>