diff --git a/src/build/feature.jam b/src/build/feature.jam
index ef1fdb51e..3930e8b38 100644
--- a/src/build/feature.jam
+++ b/src/build/feature.jam
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import regex ;
 import set ;
 import utility ;
 import modules indirect ;
+import assert : * ;
 
 local rule setup ( )
 {
@@ -694,7 +695,7 @@ rule expand-composites ( properties * )
 # Return true iff f is an ordinary subfeature of the parent-property's
 # feature, or if f is a subfeature fo the parent-property's feature
 # specific to the parent-property's value
-local rule is-subfeature ( parent-property f )
+local rule is-subfeature-of ( parent-property f )
 {
     if subfeature in $($(f).attributes)
     {
@@ -725,9 +726,9 @@ local rule is-subfeature ( parent-property f )
 }
 
 # as above, for subproperties
-local rule is-subproperty ( parent-property p )
+local rule is-subproperty-of ( parent-property p )
 {
-    return [ is-subfeature $(parent-property) $(p:G) ] ;
+    return [ is-subfeature-of $(parent-property) $(p:G) ] ;
 }
 
 # Given a property, return the subset of features consisting of all
@@ -736,13 +737,13 @@ local rule is-subproperty ( parent-property p )
 # property's value.
 local rule select-subfeatures ( parent-property : features * )
 {
-    return [ sequence.filter is-subfeature $(parent-property) : $(features) ] ;
+    return [ sequence.filter is-subfeature-of $(parent-property) : $(features) ] ;
 }
   
 # as above, for subproperties
 local rule select-subproperties ( parent-property : properties * )
 {
-    return [ sequence.filter is-subproperty $(parent-property) : $(properties) ] ;
+    return [ sequence.filter is-subproperty-of $(parent-property) : $(properties) ] ;
 }
 
 # Given a property set which may consist of composite and implicit
@@ -781,11 +782,7 @@ local rule move-subfeatures-to-the-end ( properties * )
     local x2 ;
     for local p in $(properties)
     {
-        # Check if grist contains dash. If it is, this
-        # is possibly subfeature, so move it to the end
-        # FIXME: in general, this may be ordinary feature.
-        local g = $(p:G) ;
-        if [ MATCH "(-)" : $(g) ] 
+        if subfeature in $($(p:G).attributes)
         {
             x2 += $(p) ;
         }
@@ -867,6 +864,48 @@ rule minimize ( properties * )
     return $(result) ;
 }
 
+# Combine all subproperties into their parent properties
+#
+# Requires: for every subproperty, there is a parent property.  All
+# features are explicitly expressed.
+#
+# This rule probably shouldn't be needed, but
+# build-request.expand-no-defaults is being abused for unintended
+# purposes and it needs help
+rule compress-subproperties ( properties * )
+{
+    local all-subs matched-subs result ;
+    
+    for local p in $(properties)
+    {
+        if ! $(p:G)
+        {
+            assert.nonempty-variable p:G ; # expecting fully-gristed properties
+        }
+        
+        
+        if ! subfeature in $($(p:G).attributes)
+        {
+            local subs = [ 
+              sequence.insertion-sort
+                [ sequence.filter is-subproperty-of $(p) : $(properties) ]
+            ] ;
+            
+            matched-subs += $(subs) ;
+
+            local subvalues = -$(subs:G=:J=-) ;
+            subvalues ?= "" ;
+            result += $(p)$(subvalues) ;
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            all-subs += $(p) ;
+        }
+    }
+    assert.result true : set.equal $(all-subs) : $(matched-subs) ;
+    return $(result) ;
+}
+  
 # given an ungristed string, finds the longest prefix which is a
 # top-level feature name followed by a dash, and return a pair
 # consisting of the parts before and after that dash.  More
diff --git a/src/build/project.jam b/src/build/project.jam
index 745139f4e..6fef16687 100644
--- a/src/build/project.jam
+++ b/src/build/project.jam
@@ -260,10 +260,6 @@ local rule load-jamfile (
             "Please consult the documentation at 'http://www.boost.org'." ;
     }
 
-    # The module of the jamfile.
-    #
-    local jamfile-module = [ module-name  [ path.parent $(jamfile-to-load[1]) ] ] ;
-
     # Multiple Jamfiles found in the same place. Warn about this.
     # And ensure we use only one of them.
     #
@@ -272,10 +268,14 @@ local rule load-jamfile (
         ECHO
           "WARNING: Found multiple Jamfiles at this '"$(dir)"' location!"
             "Loading the first one: '" [ path.basename $(jamfile-to-load[1]) ]  "'." ;
+        
+        jamfile-to-load = $(jamfile-to-load[1]) ;
     }
     
-    jamfile-to-load = $(jamfile-to-load[1]) ;
-    
+    # The module of the jamfile.
+    #
+    local jamfile-module = [ module-name  [ path.parent $(jamfile-to-load) ] ] ;
+
     # Initialize the jamfile module before loading.
     #
     initialize $(jamfile-module) : [ path.parent $(jamfile-to-load) ] ;
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ rule inherit-attributes ( project-module : project-root-module : parent-module ?
     {
         local attributes = $($(project-module).attributes) ;        
         local pattributes = [ attributes $(parent-module) ] ;
-        $(attributes).set parent : [ path.parent $(parent) ] ;
+        $(attributes).set parent : [ path.parent $(parent-module) ] ;
         $(attributes).set default-build 
             : [ $(pattributes).get default-build ] ;
         $(attributes).set requirements
@@ -561,7 +561,7 @@ rule use ( id : location )
 module project-rules
 {
 
-    rule project ( id ? : option1 * : option2 * : option3 * )
+    rule project ( id ? : options * : * )
     {
         import project ;
         import path ;
@@ -574,17 +574,13 @@ module project-rules
            $(attributes).set id : $(id) ;
         }
 
-        if $(option1) 
+        for n in 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
         {
-            $(attributes).set $(option1[1]) : $(option1[2-]) ;
-        }
-        if $(option2) 
-        {
-            $(attributes).set $(option2[1]) : $(option2[2-]) ;
-        }
-        if $(option3) 
-        {
-            $(attributes).set $(option3[1]) : $(option3[2-]) ;
+            local option = $($(n)) ;
+            if $(option) 
+            {
+                $(attributes).set $(option[1]) : $(option[2-]) ;
+            }
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/build/targets.jam b/src/build/targets.jam
index 588167fe1..8b89c276e 100644
--- a/src/build/targets.jam
+++ b/src/build/targets.jam
@@ -449,8 +449,26 @@ class main-target : abstract-target
         local result ;
         if $(defaults-to-apply)
         {
-            properties = [ build-request.expand-no-defaults 
-                $(raw) $(defaults-to-apply) ] ;
+            properties = [ 
+              build-request.expand-no-defaults 
+                
+                # We have to compress subproperties here to prevent
+                # property lists like:
+                #
+                #    <toolset>msvc <toolset-msvc:version>7.1 <threading>multi
+                #
+                # from being expanded into:
+                #
+                #    <toolset-msvc:version>7.1/<threading>multi
+                #    <toolset>msvc/<toolset-msvc:version>7.1/<threading>multi
+                #
+                # due to cross-product property combination.  That may
+                # be an indication that
+                # build-request.expand-no-defaults is the wrong rule
+                # to use here.
+                [ feature.compress-subproperties $(raw) ] 
+                  $(defaults-to-apply)
+            ] ;
             
             if $(properties)
             {                
@@ -509,7 +527,9 @@ class main-target : abstract-target
             # why it can't be build.
             print.wrapped-text 
                 "warning: skipped build of" [ full-name ]
-                "with properties" [ $(property-set).raw ]  ;            
+                "with properties" [ $(property-set).raw ]
+                  "because no best-matching alternative could be found"
+                  ; 
         }
         else if $(best-alternatives[2])
         {