diff --git a/v2/build-system.jam b/v2/build-system.jam
index 535bd6b1a..df48ec11f 100644
--- a/v2/build-system.jam
+++ b/v2/build-system.jam
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import utility ;
 import version ;
 import virtual-target ;
 import generators ;
+import configure ;
 
 ################################################################################
 #
@@ -113,6 +114,11 @@ rule set-default-toolset ( toolset : version ? )
     .default-toolset-version = $(version) ;
 }
 
+rule set-pre-build-hook ( function )
+{
+    .pre-build-hook = $(function) ;
+}
+
 rule set-post-build-hook ( function )
 {
     .post-build-hook = $(function) ;
@@ -702,6 +708,17 @@ local rule should-clean-project ( project )
         generators.dump ;
     }
     
+    # We wish to put config.log in the build directory corresponding
+    # to Jamroot, so that the location does not differ depending on
+    # directory where we do build.  The amount of indirection necessary
+    # here is scary.
+    local first-project = [ $(targets[0]).project ] ;
+    local first-project-root-location = [ $(first-project).get project-root ] ;
+    local first-project-root-module = [ project.load $(first-project-root-location) ] ;
+    local first-project-root = [ project.target  $(first-project-root-module) ] ;
+    local first-build-build-dir = [ $(first-project-root).build-dir ] ;
+    configure.set-log-file $(first-build-build-dir)/config.log ;
+    
     # Now that we have a set of targets to build and a set of property sets to
     # build the targets with, we can start the main build process by using each
     # property set to generate virtual targets from all of our listed targets
@@ -952,6 +969,13 @@ local rule should-clean-project ( project )
     }
     else
     {      
+        configure.print-configure-checks-summary ;        
+        
+        if $(.pre-build-hook)
+        {
+            $(.pre-build-hook) ;
+        }
+        
         DEPENDS all : $(actual-targets) ;
         if UPDATE_NOW in [ RULENAMES ]
         {            
diff --git a/v2/build/configure.jam b/v2/build/configure.jam
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b1cd60402
--- /dev/null
+++ b/v2/build/configure.jam
@@ -0,0 +1,157 @@
+# Copyright (c) 2010 Vladimir Prus.
+#
+# Use, modification and distribution is subject to the Boost Software
+# License Version 1.0. (See accompanying file LICENSE_1_0.txt or
+# http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt)
+
+# This module defines function to help with two main tasks:
+#
+# - Discovering build-time configuration for the purposes of adjusting
+#   build process.  
+# - Reporting what is built, and how it is configured.
+
+import targets ; 
+import errors ;
+import targets ;
+import sequence ;
+
+rule log-summary ( )
+{
+    
+}
+
+.width = 30 ;
+
+rule set-width ( width )
+{
+    .width = $(width) ;
+}
+
+# Declare that the components specified by the parameter exist.
+rule register-components ( components * )
+{
+    .components += $(components) ;
+}
+
+# Declare that the components specified by the parameters will
+# be build.
+rule components-building ( components * )
+{
+    .built-components += $(components) ;
+}
+
+# Report something about component configuration that the
+# user should better know.
+rule log-component-configuration ( component : message )
+{
+    # FIXME: implement per-property-set logs
+    .component-logs.$(component) += $(message) ;
+}
+
+rule log-check-result ( result )
+{
+    .check-results += $(result) ;
+}
+
+rule print-component-configuration ( )
+{
+    local c = [ sequence.unique $(.components) ] ;
+    
+    ECHO "Component configuration:\n" ;
+    for c in $(.components)
+    {
+        local s ;
+        if $(c) in $(.built-components)
+        {
+            s = "building" ;
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            s = "not building" ;
+        }
+        ECHO [ PAD "    - $(c)" : $(.width) ] ": $(s)" ;
+        for local m in $(.component-logs.$(c))
+        {
+            ECHO "        -" $(m) ;
+        }        
+    }
+    ECHO ;
+}
+
+rule print-configure-checks-summary ( )
+{
+    # FIXME: the problem with that approach is tha
+    # the user sees checks summary when all checks are
+    # done, and has no progress reporting while the
+    # checks are being executed.    
+    if $(.check-results)
+    {        
+        ECHO "Configuration checks summary\n" ;
+    
+        for local r in $(.check-results)
+        {
+            ECHO $(r) ;
+        }
+        ECHO ;
+    }    
+}
+
+# Attempt to build a metatarget named by 'metatarget-reference'
+# in context of 'project' with properties 'ps'.
+# Returns non-empty value if build is OK.
+rule builds ( metatarget-reference : project : ps : what )
+{   
+    local result ;
+    
+    if ! $(.$(what)-tested.$(ps))
+    {
+        .$(what)-tested.$(ps) = true ;
+
+        local targets = [ targets.generate-from-reference 
+            $(metatarget-reference) : $(project) : $(ps) ] ;
+        
+        local jam-targets ;
+        for local t in $(targets[2-])
+        {
+            jam-targets += [ $(t).actualize ] ;
+        }
+                    
+        if ! UPDATE_NOW in [ RULENAMES ]
+        {
+            # Cannot determine. Assume existance.
+        }
+        else 
+        {           
+            local x = [ PAD "    - $(what)" : $(.width) ] ;            
+            if [ UPDATE_NOW $(jam-targets) : $(.log-fd) : ignore-minus-n ] 
+            {
+                .$(what)-supported.$(ps) = yes ;
+                result = true ;
+                log-check-result "$(x) : yes" ;
+            }        
+            else
+            {
+                log-check-result "$(x) : no" ;
+            }
+        }        
+        return $(result) ;
+    }    
+    else
+    {
+        return $(.$(what)-supported.$(ps)) ;
+    }
+}
+
+# Called by Boost.Build startup code to specify name of a file
+# that will receive results of configure checks.  This
+# should never be called by users.
+rule set-log-file ( log-file )
+{
+    # FIXME: remove this check as soon as Boost regression tests
+    # start using trunk bjam
+    if FILE_OPEN in [ RULENAMES ]
+    {        
+        .log-fd = [ FILE_OPEN $(log-file) : "w" ] ;
+    }    
+}
+