diff --git a/configure/CONFIG.gnuCommon b/configure/CONFIG.gnuCommon
index f21bcc3df..9e8061520 100644
--- a/configure/CONFIG.gnuCommon
+++ b/configure/CONFIG.gnuCommon
@@ -42,5 +42,5 @@ STATIC_LDFLAGS_NO =
 SHRLIB_LDFLAGS_YES =  -shared
 SHRLIB_LDFLAGS_NO =
 
-HDEPENDS_FLAGS = -MM
+HDEPENDS_FLAGS_CMPLR = -MM
 
diff --git a/configure/CONFIG_COMMON b/configure/CONFIG_COMMON
index b5836cf96..f35e01b41 100644
--- a/configure/CONFIG_COMMON
+++ b/configure/CONFIG_COMMON
@@ -237,12 +237,25 @@ COMPILE.cpp = $(CCC) -c $(CPPFLAGS) $(CXXFLAGS) $(INCLUDES) $(SOURCE_CXXFLAG)
 #--------------------------------------------------
 # Build depends command here
 
-HDEPENDS.c = $(CC)
-HDEPENDS.cpp = $(CCC)
-HDEPENDS_CMD.c   = -$(HDEPENDS.c) $(HDEPENDS_CFLAGS) $(HDEPENDSFLAGS) $< > $*$(DEP)
-HDEPENDS_CMD.cpp = -$(HDEPENDS.cpp) $(HDEPENDS_CXXFLAGS) $(HDEPENDSFLAGS) $< > $*$(DEP)
+HOST_HDEPENDS_CMD = CMPLR
+CROSS_HDEPENDS_CMD = CMPLR
+HDEPENDS_CMD = $($(BUILD_CLASS)_HDEPENDS_CMD)
+
+HDEPENDS.c_CMPLR = $(CC)
+HDEPENDS.cpp_CMPLR = $(CCC)
+HDEPENDSFLAGS_CMPLR += $(CPPFLAGS) $(INCLUDES) $< > $*$(DEP)
+
+HDEPENDS.c_MKMF =  $(PERL) $(TOOLS)/mkmf.pl
+HDEPENDS.cpp_MKMF = $(PERL) $(TOOLS)/mkmf.pl
+HDEPENDSFLAGS_MKMF += -c "$(CPPFLAGS)" -m $*$(DEP) -f $(subst -I,,$(INCLUDES)) $<
+
+HDEPENDS.c = $(HDEPENDS.c_$(HDEPENDS_CMD))
+HDEPENDS.cpp = $(HDEPENDS.cpp_$(HDEPENDS_CMD))
+HDEPENDSFLAGS = $(HDEPENDSFLAGS_$(HDEPENDS_CMD))
+HDEPENDS_FLAGS = $(HDEPENDS_FLAGS_$(HDEPENDS_CMD))
+HDEPENDS_CMD.c   = -$(HDEPENDS.c) $(HDEPENDS_FLAGS) $(HDEPENDSFLAGS)
+HDEPENDS_CMD.cpp = -$(HDEPENDS.cpp) $(HDEPENDS_FLAGS) $(HDEPENDSFLAGS)
 HDEPENDS_TARGETS_CMD = @$(PERL) $(TOOLS)/makeDependsTargets.pl $*$(DEP)
-HDEPENDSFLAGS += $(CPPFLAGS) $(INCLUDES) $(HDEPENDS_FLAGS)
 
 #--------------------------------------------------
 # depends definition
diff --git a/configure/CONFIG_SITE b/configure/CONFIG_SITE
index b95ae1e34..ff95df840 100644
--- a/configure/CONFIG_SITE
+++ b/configure/CONFIG_SITE
@@ -91,12 +91,19 @@ STATIC_BUILD=NO
 #  Should header dependancy files be automatically generated
 #  for each C/C++ source code file?
 #        must be either YES or NO
-#
-#  Note: On solaris and WIN32 hosts, the gnu compilers gcc and g++ are
-#        used to generate the dependancy files, and they must be in
-#        your path.
 HDEPENDS=YES
 
+# Default command to generate header dependancies for host builds
+# only used if HDEPENDS=YES
+# must be either CMPLR or MKMF
+# CMPLR - use c/c++ compiler (recommended)
+# MKMF  - use mkmf.pl perl script in tools directory (has limitations)
+#
+# CMPLR Note: On solaris and WIN32 hosts, gnu compilers gcc and g++
+#             are used to generate dependancy files for host builds,
+#             and they must be in your path. 
+HOST_HDEPENDS_CMD=CMPLR
+
 #  Host build optimization
 #	must be either YES or NO
 HOST_OPT=YES
diff --git a/configure/os/CONFIG.hpux-parisc.hpux-parisc b/configure/os/CONFIG.hpux-parisc.hpux-parisc
index ffd070bc6..35c101393 100644
--- a/configure/os/CONFIG.hpux-parisc.hpux-parisc
+++ b/configure/os/CONFIG.hpux-parisc.hpux-parisc
@@ -53,5 +53,5 @@ STATIC_LDLIBS_NO=
 
 SHRLIB_LDFLAGS_YES =  -G -h $@
 
-HDEPENDS_FLAGS = +m
+HDEPENDS_FLAGS_CMPLR = +m
 
diff --git a/configure/os/CONFIG.osf-alpha.osf-alpha b/configure/os/CONFIG.osf-alpha.osf-alpha
index 04361771a..06d967f22 100644
--- a/configure/os/CONFIG.osf-alpha.osf-alpha
+++ b/configure/os/CONFIG.osf-alpha.osf-alpha
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ STATIC_LDLIBS_NO=
 
 SHRLIB_LDFLAGS_YES = -shared
 
-HDEPENDS_FLAGS =
+HDEPENDS_FLAGS_CMPLR =
 
 #############  ???????????
 #####ACC_SFLAGS_YES= -non_shared
diff --git a/configure/os/CONFIG.solaris-sparc.solaris-sparc b/configure/os/CONFIG.solaris-sparc.solaris-sparc
index 0ad06ab81..e5138793d 100644
--- a/configure/os/CONFIG.solaris-sparc.solaris-sparc
+++ b/configure/os/CONFIG.solaris-sparc.solaris-sparc
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ SHRLIB_LDFLAGS_YES = -G -h $@
 # gnu compiler used because Sun compiler output
 # includes headers from /opt/SUNWspro and does
 # not work for c++ headers without .h suffix.
-HDEPENDS_FLAGS = -MM
-HDEPENDS.c = gcc
-HDEPENDS.cpp = g++
+HDEPENDS_FLAGS_CMPLR = -MM
+HDEPENDS.c_CMPLR = gcc
+HDEPENDS.cpp_CMPLR = g++
 
diff --git a/configure/os/CONFIG.solaris-x86.solaris-x86 b/configure/os/CONFIG.solaris-x86.solaris-x86
index 9c30e8fd3..19d2ece5f 100644
--- a/configure/os/CONFIG.solaris-x86.solaris-x86
+++ b/configure/os/CONFIG.solaris-x86.solaris-x86
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ SHRLIB_LDFLAGS_YES = -G -h $@
 # gnu compiler used because Sun compiler output
 # includes headers from /opt/SUNWspro and does
 # not work for c++ headers without .h suffix.
-HDEPENDS_FLAGS = -MM
-HDEPENDS.cpp = g++
+HDEPENDS_FLAGS_CMPLR = -MM
+HDEPENDS.c_CMPLR = gcc
+HDEPENDS.cpp_CMPLR = g++
 
diff --git a/configure/os/CONFIG.sun4-68k.sun4-68k b/configure/os/CONFIG.sun4-68k.sun4-68k
index 965c1b3ae..1a9a14fb4 100644
--- a/configure/os/CONFIG.sun4-68k.sun4-68k
+++ b/configure/os/CONFIG.sun4-68k.sun4-68k
@@ -46,5 +46,5 @@ STATIC_LDLIBS_NO=
 
 SHRLIB_LDFLAGS_YES = -assert pure-text -h $@
 
-HDEPENDS_FLAGS = -xM1
+HDEPENDS_FLAGS_CMPLR = -xM1
 
diff --git a/configure/os/CONFIG.win32-x86.win32-x86 b/configure/os/CONFIG.win32-x86.win32-x86
index 30a1af90c..a37dcf94c 100644
--- a/configure/os/CONFIG.win32-x86.win32-x86
+++ b/configure/os/CONFIG.win32-x86.win32-x86
@@ -29,10 +29,10 @@ ARCMD = lib /nologo /verbose /out:$@ $(LIBRARY_LD_OBJS)
 
 BAFCMD = bscmake /nologo /o $@
 
-# gnu compiler used to create depends files (not available in Visual C++)
-HDEPENDS_FLAGS = -MM  $(addprefix -I,$(subst ;, ,$(INCLUDE)))
-HDEPENDS.c = gcc
-HDEPENDS.cpp = g++
+# gnu compiler used to create depends files 
+HDEPENDS_FLAGS_CMPLR = -MM
+HDEPENDS.c_CMPLR = gcc
+HDEPENDS.cpp_CMPLR = g++
 
 #
 # Configure OS vendor C compiler