diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 924d0367c2..e216d304c8 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -110,17 +110,6 @@ set(HIFI_CMAKE_DIR "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake")
 set(MACRO_DIR "${HIFI_CMAKE_DIR}/macros")
 set(EXTERNAL_PROJECT_DIR "${HIFI_CMAKE_DIR}/externals")
 
-STRING(REGEX REPLACE " " "-" CMAKE_GENERATOR_FOLDER_NAME ${CMAKE_GENERATOR})
-
-set(EXTERNALS_BINARY_ROOT_DIR "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/build-externals")
-if (ANDROID)
-  set(EXTERNALS_BINARY_DIR "${EXTERNALS_BINARY_ROOT_DIR}/android/${CMAKE_GENERATOR_FOLDER_NAME}")
-else ()
-  set(EXTERNALS_BINARY_DIR "${EXTERNALS_BINARY_ROOT_DIR}/${CMAKE_GENERATOR_FOLDER_NAME}")
-endif ()
-
-set_property(DIRECTORY PROPERTY EP_PREFIX "project")
-
 file(GLOB HIFI_CUSTOM_MACROS "cmake/macros/*.cmake")
 foreach(CUSTOM_MACRO ${HIFI_CUSTOM_MACROS})
   include(${CUSTOM_MACRO})
@@ -133,6 +122,9 @@ if (ANDROID)
   endforeach()
 endif ()
 
+set_property(DIRECTORY PROPERTY EP_PREFIX "project")
+setup_externals_binary_dir()
+
 if (WIN32)
   add_paths_to_lib_paths("${QT_DIR}/bin")
 endif ()
diff --git a/cmake/macros/SetupExternalsBinaryDir.cmake b/cmake/macros/SetupExternalsBinaryDir.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0e59328a23
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmake/macros/SetupExternalsBinaryDir.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+# 
+#  SetupExternalsBinaryDir.cmake
+#  cmake/macros
+# 
+#  Copyright 2015 High Fidelity, Inc.
+#  Created by Stephen Birarda on February 19, 2014
+#
+#  Distributed under the Apache License, Version 2.0.
+#  See the accompanying file LICENSE or http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.html
+# 
+
+macro(SETUP_EXTERNALS_BINARY_DIR)
+
+  # get a short name for the generator to use in the path
+  STRING(REGEX REPLACE " " "-" CMAKE_GENERATOR_FOLDER_NAME ${CMAKE_GENERATOR})
+
+  if (CMAKE_GENERATOR_FOLDER_NAME STREQUAL "Unix-Makefiles")
+    set(CMAKE_GENERATOR_FOLDER_NAME "makefiles")
+  elseif (CMAKE_GENERATOR_FOLDER_NAME STREQUAL "Visual-Studio-12")
+    set(CMAKE_GENERATOR_FOLDER_NAME "vs12")
+  endif ()
+
+  set(EXTERNALS_BINARY_ROOT_DIR "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/build-externals")
+  if (ANDROID)
+    set(EXTERNALS_BINARY_DIR "${EXTERNALS_BINARY_ROOT_DIR}/android/${CMAKE_GENERATOR_FOLDER_NAME}")
+  else ()
+    set(EXTERNALS_BINARY_DIR "${EXTERNALS_BINARY_ROOT_DIR}/${CMAKE_GENERATOR_FOLDER_NAME}")
+  endif ()
+
+endmacro()
\ No newline at end of file