diff --git a/Source/cmVisualStudio10TargetGenerator.cxx b/Source/cmVisualStudio10TargetGenerator.cxx
index 93842721e8..5387f02605 100644
--- a/Source/cmVisualStudio10TargetGenerator.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmVisualStudio10TargetGenerator.cxx
@@ -4550,32 +4550,35 @@ bool cmVisualStudio10TargetGenerator::ComputeLinkOptions(
   }
 
   if (this->MSTools) {
-    if (this->GeneratorTarget->IsWin32Executable(config)) {
-      if (this->GlobalGenerator->TargetsWindowsCE()) {
-        linkOptions.AddFlag("SubSystem", "WindowsCE");
-        if (this->GeneratorTarget->GetType() == cmStateEnums::EXECUTABLE) {
-          if (this->ClOptions[config]->UsingUnicode()) {
-            linkOptions.AddFlag("EntryPointSymbol", "wWinMainCRTStartup");
-          } else {
-            linkOptions.AddFlag("EntryPointSymbol", "WinMainCRTStartup");
+    if (this->GeneratorTarget->GetType() == cmStateEnums::EXECUTABLE) {
+      // Specify an entry point for executables.
+      if (this->GeneratorTarget->IsWin32Executable(config)) {
+        if (this->GlobalGenerator->TargetsWindowsCE()) {
+          linkOptions.AddFlag("SubSystem", "WindowsCE");
+          if (this->GeneratorTarget->GetType() == cmStateEnums::EXECUTABLE) {
+            if (this->ClOptions[config]->UsingUnicode()) {
+              linkOptions.AddFlag("EntryPointSymbol", "wWinMainCRTStartup");
+            } else {
+              linkOptions.AddFlag("EntryPointSymbol", "WinMainCRTStartup");
+            }
           }
+        } else {
+          linkOptions.AddFlag("SubSystem", "Windows");
         }
       } else {
-        linkOptions.AddFlag("SubSystem", "Windows");
+        if (this->GlobalGenerator->TargetsWindowsCE()) {
+          linkOptions.AddFlag("SubSystem", "WindowsCE");
+          if (this->GeneratorTarget->GetType() == cmStateEnums::EXECUTABLE) {
+            if (this->ClOptions[config]->UsingUnicode()) {
+              linkOptions.AddFlag("EntryPointSymbol", "mainWCRTStartup");
+            } else {
+              linkOptions.AddFlag("EntryPointSymbol", "mainACRTStartup");
+            }
+          }
+        } else {
+          linkOptions.AddFlag("SubSystem", "Console");
+        };
       }
-    } else {
-      if (this->GlobalGenerator->TargetsWindowsCE()) {
-        linkOptions.AddFlag("SubSystem", "WindowsCE");
-        if (this->GeneratorTarget->GetType() == cmStateEnums::EXECUTABLE) {
-          if (this->ClOptions[config]->UsingUnicode()) {
-            linkOptions.AddFlag("EntryPointSymbol", "mainWCRTStartup");
-          } else {
-            linkOptions.AddFlag("EntryPointSymbol", "mainACRTStartup");
-          }
-        }
-      } else {
-        linkOptions.AddFlag("SubSystem", "Console");
-      };
     }
 
     if (cmValue stackVal = this->Makefile->GetDefinition(
@@ -4660,6 +4663,26 @@ bool cmVisualStudio10TargetGenerator::ComputeLinkOptions(
     }
   }
 
+  if (this->ProjectType == VsProjectType::vcxproj && this->MSTools) {
+    // Suppress MSBuild default settings for which the project
+    // specifies no flags.
+    if (!linkOptions.HasFlag("DataExecutionPrevention")) {
+      linkOptions.AddFlag("DataExecutionPrevention", "");
+    }
+    if (!linkOptions.HasFlag("ImageHasSafeExceptionHandlers")) {
+      linkOptions.AddFlag("ImageHasSafeExceptionHandlers", "");
+    }
+    if (!linkOptions.HasFlag("LinkErrorReporting")) {
+      linkOptions.AddFlag("LinkErrorReporting", "");
+    }
+    if (!linkOptions.HasFlag("RandomizedBaseAddress")) {
+      linkOptions.AddFlag("RandomizedBaseAddress", "");
+    }
+    if (!linkOptions.HasFlag("SubSystem")) {
+      linkOptions.AddFlag("SubSystem", "");
+    }
+  }
+
   this->LinkOptions[config] = std::move(pOptions);
   return true;
 }
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/VS10Project/VsDefaultFlags-check.cmake b/Tests/RunCMake/VS10Project/VsDefaultFlags-check.cmake
index 724d63ccd5..afecdf3535 100644
--- a/Tests/RunCMake/VS10Project/VsDefaultFlags-check.cmake
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/VS10Project/VsDefaultFlags-check.cmake
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-macro(VsDefaultFlags_check tgt)
+macro(VsDefaultCompilerFlags_check tgt)
   set(vcProjectFile "${RunCMake_TEST_BINARY_DIR}/${tgt}.vcxproj")
   if(NOT EXISTS "${vcProjectFile}")
     set(RunCMake_TEST_FAILED "Project file ${tgt}.vcxproj does not exist.")
@@ -38,4 +38,83 @@ macro(VsDefaultFlags_check tgt)
   endif()
 endmacro()
 
-VsDefaultFlags_check(empty)
+macro(VsDefaultLinkerFlags_check tgt needs_subsystem_console)
+  set(HAVE_DataExecutionPrevention 0)
+  set(HAVE_ImageHasSafeExceptionHandlers 0)
+  set(HAVE_LinkErrorReporting 0)
+  set(HAVE_RandomizedBaseAddress 0)
+  set(HAVE_SubSystem 0)
+  set(HAVE_SubSystem_Console 0)
+
+  file(STRINGS "${vcProjectFile}" lines)
+  foreach(line IN LISTS lines)
+    if(line MATCHES "^ *<DataExecutionPrevention></DataExecutionPrevention>")
+      set(HAVE_DataExecutionPrevention 1)
+    endif()
+    if(line MATCHES "^ *<ImageHasSafeExceptionHandlers></ImageHasSafeExceptionHandlers>")
+      set(HAVE_ImageHasSafeExceptionHandlers 1)
+    endif()
+    if(line MATCHES "^ *<LinkErrorReporting></LinkErrorReporting>")
+      set(HAVE_LinkErrorReporting 1)
+    endif()
+    if(line MATCHES "^ *<RandomizedBaseAddress></RandomizedBaseAddress>")
+      set(HAVE_RandomizedBaseAddress 1)
+    endif()
+    if(line MATCHES "^ *<SubSystem></SubSystem>")
+      set(HAVE_SubSystem 1)
+    endif()
+    if(line MATCHES "^ *<SubSystem>Console</SubSystem>")
+      set(HAVE_SubSystem_Console 1)
+    endif()
+  endforeach()
+
+  if(NOT HAVE_DataExecutionPrevention)
+    set(RunCMake_TEST_FAILED "Project file ${tgt}.vcxproj does not have a <DataExecutionPrevention> property.")
+    return()
+  endif()
+
+  if(NOT HAVE_ImageHasSafeExceptionHandlers)
+    set(RunCMake_TEST_FAILED "Project file ${tgt}.vcxproj does not have a <ImageHasSafeExceptionHandlers> property.")
+    return()
+  endif()
+
+  if(NOT HAVE_LinkErrorReporting)
+    set(RunCMake_TEST_FAILED "Project file ${tgt}.vcxproj does not have a <LinkErrorReporting> property.")
+    return()
+  endif()
+
+  if(NOT HAVE_RandomizedBaseAddress)
+    set(RunCMake_TEST_FAILED "Project file ${tgt}.vcxproj does not have a <RandomizedBaseAddress> property.")
+    return()
+  endif()
+
+  if(${needs_subsystem_console})
+    if(HAVE_SubSystem)
+      set(RunCMake_TEST_FAILED "Project file ${tgt}.vcxproj has a <SubSystem> property.")
+      return()
+    endif()
+
+    if(NOT HAVE_SubSystem_Console)
+      set(RunCMake_TEST_FAILED "Project file ${tgt}.vcxproj does not have a <SubSystem> property with 'Console' value.")
+      return()
+    endif()
+  else()
+    if(NOT HAVE_SubSystem)
+      set(RunCMake_TEST_FAILED "Project file ${tgt}.vcxproj does not have a <SubSystem> property.")
+      return()
+    endif()
+
+    if(HAVE_SubSystem_Console)
+      set(RunCMake_TEST_FAILED "Project file ${tgt}.vcxproj has a <SubSystem> property with 'Console' value.")
+      return()
+    endif()
+  endif()
+endmacro()
+
+VsDefaultCompilerFlags_check(emptyStatic)
+
+VsDefaultCompilerFlags_check(emptyShared)
+VsDefaultLinkerFlags_check(emptyShared OFF)
+
+VsDefaultCompilerFlags_check(main)
+VsDefaultLinkerFlags_check(main ON)
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/VS10Project/VsDefaultFlags.cmake b/Tests/RunCMake/VS10Project/VsDefaultFlags.cmake
index a0094385db..caeedd5a6e 100644
--- a/Tests/RunCMake/VS10Project/VsDefaultFlags.cmake
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/VS10Project/VsDefaultFlags.cmake
@@ -1,2 +1,4 @@
 enable_language(C)
-add_library(empty empty.c)
+add_library(emptyStatic STATIC empty.c)
+add_library(emptyShared SHARED empty.c)
+add_executable(main main.c)
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/VS10Project/main.c b/Tests/RunCMake/VS10Project/main.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d123e0977a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/VS10Project/main.c
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+int main(int argc, char** argv)
+{
+  return 0;
+}