diff --git a/v2/tools/builtin.jam b/v2/tools/builtin.jam
index 13a7bf272..f05b9c51e 100644
--- a/v2/tools/builtin.jam
+++ b/v2/tools/builtin.jam
@@ -156,10 +156,6 @@ feature.feature warnings-as-errors :
 # define some of the values here and leave it up to the user to extend this set
 # as he needs using the feature.extend rule.
 #
-# If a specific toolset requires a default value for this feature other than the
-# one defined here it should set the feature's default value using the
-# feature.set-default rule.
-#
 # TODO: This should be upgraded as soon as Boost Build adds support for custom
 # validated feature values or at least features allowing any positive integral
 # value. See related Boost Build related trac ticket #194.
@@ -172,7 +168,7 @@ feature.feature c++-template-depth
         # conforming programs.
         17
     :
-        incidental propagated ;
+        incidental optional propagated ;
 
 feature.feature source              :            : free dependency incidental ;
 feature.feature library             :            : free dependency incidental ;
diff --git a/v2/tools/gcc.jam b/v2/tools/gcc.jam
index 7f6920431..72e8ca3dc 100644
--- a/v2/tools/gcc.jam
+++ b/v2/tools/gcc.jam
@@ -367,6 +367,21 @@ rule compile.c++
         LANG on $(<) = "-x c++" ;
     }
     DEPENDS $(<) : [ on $(<) return $(PCH_FILE) ] ;
+    
+    # Here we want to raise the template-depth parameter value to something
+    # higher than the default value of 17. Note that we could do this using the
+    # feature.set-default rule but we do not want to set the default value for
+    # all toolsets as well.
+    #
+    # TODO: This 'modified default' has been inherited from some 'older Boost
+    # Build implementation' and has most likely been added to make some Boost
+    # library parts compile correctly. We should see what exactly prompted this
+    # and whether we can get around the problem more locally.
+    local template-depth = [ on $(<) return $(TEMPLATE_DEPTH) ] ;
+    if ! $(template-depth)
+    {
+        TEMPLATE_DEPTH on $(<) = 128 ;
+    }
 }
 
 rule compile.c
diff --git a/v2/tools/qcc.jam b/v2/tools/qcc.jam
index 390c36aef..960309197 100644
--- a/v2/tools/qcc.jam
+++ b/v2/tools/qcc.jam
@@ -80,9 +80,26 @@ flags qcc.compile INCLUDES <include> ;
 flags qcc.compile OPTIONS <link>shared : -shared ;
 
 flags qcc.compile.c++ TEMPLATE_DEPTH <c++-template-depth> ;
-feature.set-default c++-template-depth : 100 ;
 
 
+rule compile.c++
+{
+    # Here we want to raise the template-depth parameter value to something
+    # higher than the default value of 17. Note that we could do this using the
+    # feature.set-default rule but we do not want to set the default value for
+    # all toolsets as well.
+    #
+    # TODO: This 'modified default' has been inherited from some 'older Boost
+    # Build implementation' and has most likely been added to make some Boost
+    # library parts compile correctly. We should see what exactly prompted this
+    # and whether we can get around the problem more locally.
+    local template-depth = [ on $(1) return $(TEMPLATE_DEPTH) ] ;
+    if ! $(template-depth)
+    {
+        TEMPLATE_DEPTH on $(1) = 100 ;
+    }
+}
+
 actions compile.c++
 {
     "$(CONFIG_COMMAND)" -Wc,-ftemplate-depth-$(TEMPLATE_DEPTH) $(OPTIONS) -D$(DEFINES) -I"$(INCLUDES)" -c -o "$(<)" "$(>)"