diff --git a/new/builtin.jam b/new/builtin.jam
index 41a92f497..37becc243 100644
--- a/new/builtin.jam
+++ b/new/builtin.jam
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import symlink ;
 import alias ;
 import property ;
 import print ;
+import utility ;
 
 # This feature is used to determine which OS we're on.
 # In future, this may become <target-os> and <host-os>
@@ -298,10 +299,11 @@ rule response-file ( target : sources * : properties * )
         response-file-2 $(target) : $(sources[2-]) ;
     }
     print.output $(target) ;
-    print.text [ on $(target)
-                 return "$(LIBRARY_OPTION)$(FINDLIBS_ST:S=.lib)"
-                        "$(LIBRARY_OPTION)$(FINDLIBS_SA:S=.lib)"
-               ] : : suffix ;
+    print.text [ utility.apply-default-suffix .lib :
+        [ on $(target)
+          return "$(LIBRARY_OPTION)$(FINDLIBS_ST)"
+            "$(LIBRARY_OPTION)$(FINDLIBS_SA)"
+        ] ] ;
 }
 
 actions quietly response-file-1
diff --git a/new/utility.jam b/new/utility.jam
index 1230b1d84..0fd45e847 100644
--- a/new/utility.jam
+++ b/new/utility.jam
@@ -76,6 +76,26 @@ rule less ( a b )
     }
 }
 
+# For all elements of 'list' which do not have a suffix,
+# add 'suffix'.
+rule apply-default-suffix ( suffix : list * )
+{
+    local result ;
+    for local i in $(list)
+    {
+        if $(i:S)
+        {
+            result += $(i) ;
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            result += $(i:S=$(suffix)) ;
+        }        
+    }
+    return $(result) ;    
+}
+
+
 local rule __test__ ( )
 {
     import assert ;
@@ -110,6 +130,8 @@ local rule __test__ ( )
     assert.true equal 1 1 ;
     assert.false equal 1 2 ;
     assert.result "not sure" : equal [ new test-class__ ] 1 ;
+    
+    assert.result foo.lib foo.a : apply-default-suffix .lib : foo foo.a ;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/tools/msvc.jam b/tools/msvc.jam
index 342addbd6..6a6706b1b 100644
--- a/tools/msvc.jam
+++ b/tools/msvc.jam
@@ -306,7 +306,6 @@ flags msvc LINKFLAGS <main-target-type>LIB/<link>shared : /DLL ;
 
 toolset.flags msvc.link USER_LINKFLAGS <linkflags> ;
 toolset.flags msvc.link LINKPATH <library-path> ;
-toolset.flags msvc.link FINDLIBS <find-static-library> <find-shared-library> ;
 
 flags builtin.response-file LIBRARY_PATH_OPTION <toolset>msvc : /LIBPATH: : unchecked ;
 flags builtin.response-file LIBRARY_OPTION <toolset>msvc : "" : unchecked ;
@@ -353,6 +352,6 @@ else # CYGWIN
 
 actions link
 {
-    $(.LD) $(LINKFLAGS) /out:"$(<[1]:W)" $(.implib)"$(<[2]:W)" /LIBPATH:"$(LINKPATH:W)" "$(FINDLIBS:S=.lib)" $(USER_LINKFLAGS) @"$(>:W)"
+    $(.LD) $(LINKFLAGS) /out:"$(<[1]:W)" $(.implib)"$(<[2]:W)" /LIBPATH:"$(LINKPATH:W)" $(USER_LINKFLAGS) @"$(>:W)"
 }
         
diff --git a/v2/tools/builtin.jam b/v2/tools/builtin.jam
index 41a92f497..37becc243 100644
--- a/v2/tools/builtin.jam
+++ b/v2/tools/builtin.jam
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import symlink ;
 import alias ;
 import property ;
 import print ;
+import utility ;
 
 # This feature is used to determine which OS we're on.
 # In future, this may become <target-os> and <host-os>
@@ -298,10 +299,11 @@ rule response-file ( target : sources * : properties * )
         response-file-2 $(target) : $(sources[2-]) ;
     }
     print.output $(target) ;
-    print.text [ on $(target)
-                 return "$(LIBRARY_OPTION)$(FINDLIBS_ST:S=.lib)"
-                        "$(LIBRARY_OPTION)$(FINDLIBS_SA:S=.lib)"
-               ] : : suffix ;
+    print.text [ utility.apply-default-suffix .lib :
+        [ on $(target)
+          return "$(LIBRARY_OPTION)$(FINDLIBS_ST)"
+            "$(LIBRARY_OPTION)$(FINDLIBS_SA)"
+        ] ] ;
 }
 
 actions quietly response-file-1
diff --git a/v2/tools/msvc.jam b/v2/tools/msvc.jam
index 342addbd6..6a6706b1b 100644
--- a/v2/tools/msvc.jam
+++ b/v2/tools/msvc.jam
@@ -306,7 +306,6 @@ flags msvc LINKFLAGS <main-target-type>LIB/<link>shared : /DLL ;
 
 toolset.flags msvc.link USER_LINKFLAGS <linkflags> ;
 toolset.flags msvc.link LINKPATH <library-path> ;
-toolset.flags msvc.link FINDLIBS <find-static-library> <find-shared-library> ;
 
 flags builtin.response-file LIBRARY_PATH_OPTION <toolset>msvc : /LIBPATH: : unchecked ;
 flags builtin.response-file LIBRARY_OPTION <toolset>msvc : "" : unchecked ;
@@ -353,6 +352,6 @@ else # CYGWIN
 
 actions link
 {
-    $(.LD) $(LINKFLAGS) /out:"$(<[1]:W)" $(.implib)"$(<[2]:W)" /LIBPATH:"$(LINKPATH:W)" "$(FINDLIBS:S=.lib)" $(USER_LINKFLAGS) @"$(>:W)"
+    $(.LD) $(LINKFLAGS) /out:"$(<[1]:W)" $(.implib)"$(<[2]:W)" /LIBPATH:"$(LINKPATH:W)" $(USER_LINKFLAGS) @"$(>:W)"
 }
         
diff --git a/v2/util/utility.jam b/v2/util/utility.jam
index 1230b1d84..0fd45e847 100644
--- a/v2/util/utility.jam
+++ b/v2/util/utility.jam
@@ -76,6 +76,26 @@ rule less ( a b )
     }
 }
 
+# For all elements of 'list' which do not have a suffix,
+# add 'suffix'.
+rule apply-default-suffix ( suffix : list * )
+{
+    local result ;
+    for local i in $(list)
+    {
+        if $(i:S)
+        {
+            result += $(i) ;
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            result += $(i:S=$(suffix)) ;
+        }        
+    }
+    return $(result) ;    
+}
+
+
 local rule __test__ ( )
 {
     import assert ;
@@ -110,6 +130,8 @@ local rule __test__ ( )
     assert.true equal 1 1 ;
     assert.false equal 1 2 ;
     assert.result "not sure" : equal [ new test-class__ ] 1 ;
+    
+    assert.result foo.lib foo.a : apply-default-suffix .lib : foo foo.a ;
 }