diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/msvctoolchain.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/msvctoolchain.cpp
index 24b528154de..17bf393a4c1 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/msvctoolchain.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/msvctoolchain.cpp
@@ -776,6 +776,8 @@ void MsvcToolChain::updateEnvironmentModifications(QList<Utils::EnvironmentItem>
 
 void MsvcToolChain::detectInstalledAbis()
 {
+    if (!m_supportedAbis.isEmpty()) // Build Tools 2015
+        return;
     static QMap<QString, Abis> abiCache;
     const QString vcVarsBase
             = QDir::fromNativeSeparators(m_vcvarsBat).left(m_vcvarsBat.lastIndexOf('/'));
@@ -1282,6 +1284,13 @@ void MsvcToolChain::changeVcVarsCall(const QString &varsBat, const QString &vars
     }
 }
 
+void MsvcToolChain::setSupportedAbi(const Abi &abi)
+{
+    // Hack for Build Tools 2015 only.
+    QTC_CHECK(m_supportedAbis.isEmpty());
+    m_supportedAbis = { abi };
+}
+
 // --------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // MsvcBasedToolChainConfigWidget: Creates a simple GUI without error label
 // to display name and varsBat. Derived classes should add the error label and
@@ -1900,6 +1909,7 @@ static void detectCppBuildTools2015(QList<ToolChain *> *list)
                                         QLatin1String(e.varsBatArg));
             tc->setDetection(ToolChain::AutoDetection);
             tc->setLanguage(language);
+            tc->setSupportedAbi(abi);
             list->append(tc);
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/msvctoolchain.h b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/msvctoolchain.h
index bc0adb00bae..63d3e865529 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/msvctoolchain.h
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/msvctoolchain.h
@@ -98,6 +98,8 @@ public:
     void setVarsBatArg(const QString &varsBA) { m_varsBatArg = varsBA; }
     void changeVcVarsCall(const QString &varsBat, const QString &varsBatArgs = QString());
 
+    void setSupportedAbi(const Abi &abi);
+
     bool operator==(const ToolChain &) const override;
 
     bool isJobCountSupported() const override { return false; }