diff --git a/src/tools/borland.jam b/src/tools/borland.jam
index a444c35dc..1b2dce884 100644
--- a/src/tools/borland.jam
+++ b/src/tools/borland.jam
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ import common ;
 
 toolset.register borland ;
 
-rule init ( version ? : command ? )
+rule init ( version ? : command * )
 {
     local condition = [ common.check-init-parameters borland :
         version $(version) ] ;
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ rule init ( version ? : command ? )
     local command = [ common.get-invocation-command borland : bcc32.exe 
         : $(command) ] ;
     
-    local root = [ common.get-absolute-tool-path $(command) ] ;
+    local root = [ common.get-absolute-tool-path $(command[-1]) ] ;
     root = $(root:D) ;
     
     toolset.flags borland.compile STDHDRS $(condition) : $(root)/include/ ;
diff --git a/src/tools/common.jam b/src/tools/common.jam
index 6e2ca5f6e..10c9450e2 100644
--- a/src/tools/common.jam
+++ b/src/tools/common.jam
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ rule check-init-parameters ( toolset : * )
 # This rule returns the command to be used when invoking the tool. If we can't
 # find the tool, a warning is issued.
 rule get-invocation-command ( 
-    toolset : tool : user-provided-command ? : additional-paths * )
+    toolset : tool : user-provided-command * : additional-paths * )
 {
     local command ;
     if ! $(user-provided-command)
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ rule get-invocation-command (
     }
     else
     {
-        command = [ common.check-tool $(user-provided-command) ] ;
+        command = [ common.check-tool $(user-provided-command) ] ;        
     }
     if ! $(command)
     {
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ rule get-invocation-command (
     return $(command) ;
 }
 
-# Given an invocation command returned by 'get-invocation-command',
+# Given an invocation command,
 # return the absolute path to the command. This works even if commnad
 # has not path element and is present in PATH.
 rule get-absolute-tool-path ( command )
@@ -172,20 +172,21 @@ rule find-tool ( name : additional-paths * )
 # If command is not an absolute path, checks if it can be found in 'path'.
 # If comand is absolute path, check that it exists. Returns 'command'
 # if ok and empty string otherwise.
-rule check-tool ( command )
+rule check-tool ( xcommand + )
 {
+    local command = $(xcommand[1]) ;
     if $(command:D)
     {
         if [ path.exists $(command) ]
         {
-            return $(command) ;
+            return $(xcommand) ;
         }        
     }
     else
     {
         if [ GLOB [ modules.peek : PATH Path path ] : $(command) ]
         {
-            return $(command) ;
+            return $(xcommand) ;
         }        
     }        
 }
diff --git a/src/tools/darwin.jam b/src/tools/darwin.jam
index 9724b9b13..f25e8ecec 100644
--- a/src/tools/darwin.jam
+++ b/src/tools/darwin.jam
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ toolset.inherit-rules darwin : gcc ;
 flags darwin.link ST_OPTIONS <debug-symbols>off : -s ;
 
 # No additional initialization should be necessary
-rule init ( version ? : command ? )
+rule init ( version ? : command * )
 {
     local condition = [ common.check-init-parameters darwin : version $(version) ] ;    
     local command = [ common.get-invocation-command darwin : g++ : $(command) ] ;
diff --git a/src/tools/gcc.jam b/src/tools/gcc.jam
index 5f957e3a9..806ff166d 100644
--- a/src/tools/gcc.jam
+++ b/src/tools/gcc.jam
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ type.set-generated-target-suffix STATIC_LIB : <toolset>gcc : a ;
 # Initializes the gcc toolset
 # The name parameter specifies the name used to invoke the compiler, and
 # can be absolute.
-rule init ( version ? : command ? )
+rule init ( version ? : command * )
 {
     local condition = [ common.check-init-parameters gcc : version $(version) ] ;
     
diff --git a/src/tools/intel-linux.jam b/src/tools/intel-linux.jam
index e6ab9cbb9..27dd25b64 100644
--- a/src/tools/intel-linux.jam
+++ b/src/tools/intel-linux.jam
@@ -25,15 +25,15 @@ toolset.inherit-rules intel-linux : gcc ;
 #   version in mandatory
 #   name (default icc) is used to invoke the specified intellinux complier
 #   compile and link options allow you to specify addition command line options for each version
-rule init ( version ? :  name ? : compile_options * : link_options * )
+rule init ( version ? :  command * : compile_options * : link_options * )
 {
     local condition = [ common.check-init-parameters intel-linux
         : version $(version) ] ;
     
     name = [ common.get-invocation-command intel-linux : icc 
-        : $(name) : /opt/intel_cc_80/bin ] ;
+        : $(command) : /opt/intel_cc_80/bin ] ;
                 
-    flags intel-linux CONFIG_NAME $(condition) : $(name) ;
+    flags intel-linux CONFIG_COMMAND $(condition) : $(command) ;
     flags intel-linux CONFIG_COMPILE $(condition) : $(compile_options) ;
     flags intel-linux CONFIG_LINK $(condition) : $(link_options) ;
 }
@@ -44,21 +44,21 @@ flags intel-linux.compile OPTIONS <inlining>full : "-Ob2" ;
 flags intel-linux.compile OPTIONS <optimization>space : "-O1" ; # no specific space optimization flag in icc
 actions compile.c++
 {
-    $(CONFIG_NAME) -c -xc++ $(CONFIG_COMPILE) $(OPTIONS) -D$(DEFINES) -I"$(INCLUDES)" -c -o "$(<)" "$(>)"
+    "$(CONFIG_COMMAND)" -c -xc++ $(CONFIG_COMPILE) $(OPTIONS) -D$(DEFINES) -I"$(INCLUDES)" -c -o "$(<)" "$(>)"
 }
 
 actions compile.c
 {
-    $(CONFIG_NAME) -c -xc $(CONFIG_COMPILE) $(OPTIONS) -D$(DEFINES) -I"$(INCLUDES)" -c -o "$(<)" "$(>)"
+    "$(CONFIG_COMMAND)" -c -xc $(CONFIG_COMPILE) $(OPTIONS) -D$(DEFINES) -I"$(INCLUDES)" -c -o "$(<)" "$(>)"
 }
 
 actions link bind LIBRARIES
 {
-    $(CONFIG_NAME) $(CONFIG_LINK) $(OPTIONS) -L"$(LINKPATH)" -Wl,-R$(SPACE)-Wl,"$(RPATH)" -Wl,-rpath-link$(SPACE)-Wl,"$(RPATH_LINK)" -o "$(<)" "$(>)" "$(LIBRARIES)" -Wl,-Bdynamic -l$(FINDLIBS-SA) -Wl,-Bstatic -l$(FINDLIBS-ST) -Wl,-B$(LINK-RUNTIME)
+    "$(CONFIG_COMMAND)" $(CONFIG_LINK) $(OPTIONS) -L"$(LINKPATH)" -Wl,-R$(SPACE)-Wl,"$(RPATH)" -Wl,-rpath-link$(SPACE)-Wl,"$(RPATH_LINK)" -o "$(<)" "$(>)" "$(LIBRARIES)" -Wl,-Bdynamic -l$(FINDLIBS-SA) -Wl,-Bstatic -l$(FINDLIBS-ST) -Wl,-B$(LINK-RUNTIME)
 }
 
 # Differ from 'link' above only by -shared.
 actions link.dll bind LIBRARIES
 {
-    $(CONFIG_NAME) $(CONFIG_LINK) $(OPTIONS) -L"$(LINKPATH)" -Wl,-R$(SPACE)-Wl,"$(RPATH)" -o "$(<)" -Wl,-h$(SPACE)-Wl,$(<[1]:D=) -shared "$(>)"  "$(LIBRARIES)" -Wl,-Bdynamic -l$(FINDLIBS-SA) -Wl,-Bstatic -l$(FINDLIBS-ST) "$(LIBRARIES)" -Wl,-Bdynamic -l$(FINDLIBS-SA) -Wl,-Bstatic -l$(FINDLIBS-ST) -Wl,-B$(LINK-RUNTIME)
+    "$(CONFIG_COMMAND)" $(CONFIG_LINK) $(OPTIONS) -L"$(LINKPATH)" -Wl,-R$(SPACE)-Wl,"$(RPATH)" -o "$(<)" -Wl,-h$(SPACE)-Wl,$(<[1]:D=) -shared "$(>)"  "$(LIBRARIES)" -Wl,-Bdynamic -l$(FINDLIBS-SA) -Wl,-Bstatic -l$(FINDLIBS-ST) "$(LIBRARIES)" -Wl,-Bdynamic -l$(FINDLIBS-SA) -Wl,-Bstatic -l$(FINDLIBS-ST) -Wl,-B$(LINK-RUNTIME)
 }
diff --git a/src/tools/intel-win.jam b/src/tools/intel-win.jam
index 2e191a572..16fe445e5 100644
--- a/src/tools/intel-win.jam
+++ b/src/tools/intel-win.jam
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ toolset.inherit-rules intel-win : msvc ;
 
 # Initializes the intel toolset for windows
 rule init ( version ? :     # the compiler version
-            command ? :     # the command to invoke the compiler itself
+            command * :     # the command to invoke the compiler itself
             compatibility ? # Compatibility mode: either 'vc6', 'vc7', 'vc7.1'
                             # or 'native'(default).
           )
@@ -34,30 +34,23 @@ rule init ( version ? :     # the compiler version
     command = [ common.get-invocation-command intel-win : icc.exe :
         $(command) ] ;    
 
+    local root = [ common.get-absolute-tool-path $(command[-1]) ] ;)
     
     local setup ;
-    if $(command:D)
-    {                                   
-        setup = $(command:D)/iclvars.bat ;
-        setup = "call \""$(setup)"\" > nul " ;
+    setup = $(root:D)/iclvars.bat ;
+    setup = "call \""$(setup)"\" > nul " ;
         
-        if [ os.name ] = NT
-        {
-            setup = $(setup)"
+    if [ os.name ] = NT
+    {
+        setup = $(setup)"
 " ;
-        }
-        else
-        {
-            setup = "cmd /S /C "$(setup)" \"&&\" " ;
-        }
     }
     else
     {
-        setup = "" ;
+        setup = "cmd /S /C "$(setup)" \"&&\" " ;
     }
     
     
-    
     flags intel-win.compile .CC $(condition) : $(setup)icl ; 
     flags intel-win.link .LD $(condition) : $(setup)xilink ; 
     flags intel-win.archive .LD $(condition) : $(setup)xilink ;       
diff --git a/src/tools/msvc.jam b/src/tools/msvc.jam
index 3c4610a09..e0f9645e1 100644
--- a/src/tools/msvc.jam
+++ b/src/tools/msvc.jam
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ feature.subfeature toolset msvc : vendor
 rule init ( 
   version ? # the msvc version which is being configured. When omitted
             # the tools invoked when no explicit version is given will be configured.
-    : command ? 
+    : command * 
    # the command to invoke the compiler. If not specified:
    #       - if version is given, default location for that version will be searched
    # 
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ rule init (
         
     if $(command)
     {        
-        command = [ common.get-absolute-tool-path $(command) ] ;
+        command = [ common.get-absolute-tool-path $(command[-1]) ] ;
     }
     local root = $(command:D) ;
                   
diff --git a/src/tools/sun.jam b/src/tools/sun.jam
index 8377cb51b..47d194c9f 100644
--- a/src/tools/sun.jam
+++ b/src/tools/sun.jam
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ feature.compose <stdlib>sun-stlport
     : <cxxflags>-library=stlport4 <linkflags>-library=stlport4
     ;
 
-rule init ( version ? : command ? )
+rule init ( version ? : command * )
 {
     local condition = [ 
       common.check-init-parameters sun : version $(version) ] ;