diff --git a/src/tools/types/exe.jam b/src/tools/types/exe.jam
index 178355eb2..af6b33e46 100644
--- a/src/tools/types/exe.jam
+++ b/src/tools/types/exe.jam
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 # Copyright David Abrahams 2004. Distributed under the Boost
 # Software License, Version 1.0. (See accompanying
 # file LICENSE_1_0.txt or copy at http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt)
-type EXE : exe : : NT CYGWIN ;
-type EXE ;
+
+import type ;
+
+type.register EXE ;
+type.set-generated-target-suffix EXE : <target-os>windows : "exe" ;
+type.set-generated-target-suffix EXE : <target-os>cygiwn : "exe" ;
diff --git a/src/tools/types/lib.jam b/src/tools/types/lib.jam
index 6421aab07..45446cbe1 100644
--- a/src/tools/types/lib.jam
+++ b/src/tools/types/lib.jam
@@ -7,23 +7,25 @@ import os ;
 
 type.register LIB ;
 
-if [ os.on-unix ]
-{
-    type.set-generated-target-prefix LIB : : "lib" ;
-}
+type.set-generated-target-prefix LIB : : "lib" ;
+type.set-generated-target-prefix LIB : <target-os>windows : "" ;
+type.set-generated-target-prefix LIB : <target-os>cygwin : "" ;
 
-type STATIC_LIB : lib a : LIB : NT CYGWIN ;
-type STATIC_LIB : a : LIB : MACOSX ;
-type STATIC_LIB : a : LIB ;
+# FIXME: should not register both extensions on both
+# platforms.
+type.register STATIC_LIB : a lib : LIB ;
+
+type.set-generated-target-suffix STATIC_LIB : <target-os>windows : lib ;
+type.set-generated-target-suffix STATIC_LIB : <target-os>cygwin : lib ;
 type.set-generated-target-prefix STATIC_LIB : : lib ;
 
 type IMPORT_LIB : : STATIC_LIB ;
 type.set-generated-target-suffix IMPORT_LIB : : lib ;
 type.set-generated-target-prefix IMPORT_LIB : : "" ;
 
-type SHARED_LIB : dll : LIB : NT CYGWIN ;
-type SHARED_LIB : dylib : LIB : MACOSX ;
-type SHARED_LIB : so : LIB ;
+type.register SHARED_LIB : so dll dylib : LIB ;
+type.set-generated-target-suffix SHARED_LIB : <target-os>windows : dll ;
+type.set-generated-target-suffix SHARED_LIB : <target-os>darwin : dylib ;
 
 type SEARCHED_LIB : : LIB ;
 # This is needed so that when we create a target of SEARCHED_LIB
diff --git a/src/tools/types/obj.jam b/src/tools/types/obj.jam
index d505b71f7..6afbcaa6f 100644
--- a/src/tools/types/obj.jam
+++ b/src/tools/types/obj.jam
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 # Copyright David Abrahams 2004. Distributed under the Boost
 # Software License, Version 1.0. (See accompanying
 # file LICENSE_1_0.txt or copy at http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt)
-type OBJ : obj : : NT CYGWIN ;
-type OBJ : o ;
+
+import type ;
+
+type.register OBJ : o obj ;
+type.set-generated-target-suffix OBJ : <target-os>windows : obj ;
+type.set-generated-target-suffix OBJ : <target-os>cygwin : obj ;