diff --git a/Source/CMakeLists.txt b/Source/CMakeLists.txt
index f9d1c03594..c01c490f6f 100644
--- a/Source/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/Source/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -355,18 +355,18 @@ IF (WIN32)
   ENDIF(NOT UNIX)
 ENDIF (WIN32)
 
-# turn on Ninja by default
+# Turn on Ninja by default, but disable it
+# on platforms where it does not pass all tests.
+# Enforce Ninja support by setting CMAKE_USE_NINJA
 set(_CMAKE_DEFAULT_NINJA_VALUE TRUE)
-# turn it off for platforms where it does not pass all the
-# tests
 if(WIN32 OR APPLE)
   SET(_CMAKE_DEFAULT_NINJA_VALUE FALSE)
 endif()
 SET(CMAKE_ENABLE_NINJA ${_CMAKE_DEFAULT_NINJA_VALUE} CACHE BOOL
-    "Enable the ninja generator for CMake. currently not fully working for Windows or OSX")
+    "Enable the ninja generator for CMake. On Windows and OSX broken")
 MARK_AS_ADVANCED(CMAKE_ENABLE_NINJA)
 IF(CMAKE_ENABLE_NINJA)
-  MESSAGE(STATUS "Enable ninja generator.")
+  MESSAGE(STATUS "Ninja generator enabled.")
   SET(SRCS ${SRCS}
     cmGlobalNinjaGenerator.cxx
     cmGlobalNinjaGenerator.h
@@ -382,7 +382,7 @@ IF(CMAKE_ENABLE_NINJA)
     )
   ADD_DEFINITIONS(-DCMAKE_USE_NINJA)
 ELSE()
-  MESSAGE(STATUS "Disable ninja generator.")
+  MESSAGE(STATUS "Ninja generator disabled, enforce with -DCMAKE_ENABLE_NINJA=ON")
 ENDIF()
 
 # create a library used by the command line and the GUI
diff --git a/Source/cmExtraCodeBlocksGenerator.cxx b/Source/cmExtraCodeBlocksGenerator.cxx
index ccb17f0992..084c904e09 100644
--- a/Source/cmExtraCodeBlocksGenerator.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmExtraCodeBlocksGenerator.cxx
@@ -59,6 +59,9 @@ cmExtraCodeBlocksGenerator::cmExtraCodeBlocksGenerator()
   this->SupportedGlobalGenerators.push_back("NMake Makefiles");
 // disable until somebody actually tests it:
 //  this->SupportedGlobalGenerators.push_back("MSYS Makefiles");
+#endif
+#ifdef CMAKE_USE_NINJA
+  this->SupportedGlobalGenerators.push_back("Ninja");
 #endif
   this->SupportedGlobalGenerators.push_back("Unix Makefiles");
 }
diff --git a/Source/cmNinjaNormalTargetGenerator.cxx b/Source/cmNinjaNormalTargetGenerator.cxx
index 2bad32c5d4..cf2b4271e9 100644
--- a/Source/cmNinjaNormalTargetGenerator.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmNinjaNormalTargetGenerator.cxx
@@ -47,8 +47,7 @@ cmNinjaNormalTargetGenerator(cmTarget* target)
     {
     // on Windows the output dir is already needed at compile time
     // ensure the directory exists (OutDir test)
-    std::string outpath = target->GetDirectory(this->GetConfigName());
-    cmSystemTools::MakeDirectory(outpath.c_str());
+    EnsureDirectoryExists(target->GetDirectory(this->GetConfigName()));
     }
 }
 
@@ -56,6 +55,21 @@ cmNinjaNormalTargetGenerator::~cmNinjaNormalTargetGenerator()
 {
 }
 
+void
+cmNinjaNormalTargetGenerator
+::EnsureDirectoryExists(const std::string& dir)
+{
+  cmSystemTools::MakeDirectory(dir.c_str());
+}
+
+void
+cmNinjaNormalTargetGenerator
+::EnsureParentDirectoryExists(const std::string& path)
+{
+  EnsureDirectoryExists(cmSystemTools::GetParentDirectory(path.c_str()));
+}
+
+
 void cmNinjaNormalTargetGenerator::Generate()
 {
   if (!this->TargetLinkLanguage) {
@@ -380,13 +394,18 @@ void cmNinjaNormalTargetGenerator::WriteLinkStatement()
     }
   }
 
+  std::string path;
   if (!this->TargetNameImport.empty()) {
-    vars["TARGET_IMPLIB"] = this->GetLocalGenerator()->ConvertToOutputFormat(
-      targetOutputImplib.c_str(), cmLocalGenerator::SHELL);
+    path = this->GetLocalGenerator()->ConvertToOutputFormat(
+                    targetOutputImplib.c_str(), cmLocalGenerator::SHELL);
+    vars["TARGET_IMPLIB"] = path;
+    EnsureParentDirectoryExists(path);
   }
 
-  vars["TARGET_PDB"] = this->GetLocalGenerator()->ConvertToOutputFormat(
-    this->GetTargetPDB().c_str(), cmLocalGenerator::SHELL);
+  path = this->GetLocalGenerator()->ConvertToOutputFormat(
+                   this->GetTargetPDB().c_str(), cmLocalGenerator::SHELL);
+  vars["TARGET_PDB"] = path;
+  EnsureParentDirectoryExists(path);
 
   std::vector<cmCustomCommand> *cmdLists[3] = {
     &this->GetTarget()->GetPreBuildCommands(),
@@ -413,7 +432,7 @@ void cmNinjaNormalTargetGenerator::WriteLinkStatement()
   // If we have any PRE_LINK commands, we need to go back to HOME_OUTPUT for
   // the link commands.
   if (!preLinkCmdLines.empty()) {
-    std::string path = this->GetLocalGenerator()->ConvertToOutputFormat(
+    path = this->GetLocalGenerator()->ConvertToOutputFormat(
       this->GetMakefile()->GetHomeOutputDirectory(),
       cmLocalGenerator::SHELL);
     preLinkCmdLines.push_back("cd " + path);
diff --git a/Source/cmNinjaNormalTargetGenerator.h b/Source/cmNinjaNormalTargetGenerator.h
index 1702cafe85..7acbe8f6f7 100644
--- a/Source/cmNinjaNormalTargetGenerator.h
+++ b/Source/cmNinjaNormalTargetGenerator.h
@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@ private:
   void WriteObjectLibStatement();
   std::vector<std::string> ComputeLinkCmd();
 
+  void EnsureDirectoryExists(const std::string& dir);
+  void EnsureParentDirectoryExists(const std::string& path);
+
 private:
   // Target name info.
   std::string TargetNameOut;