diff --git a/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakebuildconfiguration.cpp b/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakebuildconfiguration.cpp
index 0dba078adca..029aba3d94e 100644
--- a/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakebuildconfiguration.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakebuildconfiguration.cpp
@@ -153,6 +153,13 @@ void CMakeBuildConfiguration::setMsvcVersion(const QString &msvcVersion)
     emit msvcVersionChanged();
 }
 
+ProjectExplorer::IOutputParser *CMakeBuildConfiguration::createOutputParser() const
+{
+    if (m_toolChain)
+        return m_toolChain->outputParser();
+    return 0;
+}
+
 /*!
   \class CMakeBuildConfigurationFactory
 */
diff --git a/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakebuildconfiguration.h b/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakebuildconfiguration.h
index 6fb65a90176..867838c46bc 100644
--- a/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakebuildconfiguration.h
+++ b/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakebuildconfiguration.h
@@ -62,6 +62,8 @@ public:
 
     QVariantMap toMap() const;
 
+    ProjectExplorer::IOutputParser *createOutputParser() const;
+
 signals:
     void msvcVersionChanged();
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/genericprojectmanager/genericbuildconfiguration.cpp b/src/plugins/genericprojectmanager/genericbuildconfiguration.cpp
index 1d575e33c37..ab83eb03547 100644
--- a/src/plugins/genericprojectmanager/genericbuildconfiguration.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/genericprojectmanager/genericbuildconfiguration.cpp
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ const char * const BUILD_DIRECTORY_KEY("GenericProjectManager.GenericBuildConfig
 GenericBuildConfiguration::GenericBuildConfiguration(GenericTarget *parent)
     : BuildConfiguration(parent, QLatin1String(GENERIC_BC_ID))
 {
+
 }
 
 GenericBuildConfiguration::GenericBuildConfiguration(GenericTarget *parent, const QString &id)
@@ -116,6 +117,14 @@ GenericTarget *GenericBuildConfiguration::genericTarget() const
     return static_cast<GenericTarget *>(target());
 }
 
+ProjectExplorer::IOutputParser *GenericBuildConfiguration::createOutputParser() const
+{
+    ProjectExplorer::ToolChain *tc = genericTarget()->genericProject()->toolChain();
+    if (tc)
+        return tc->outputParser();
+    return 0;
+}
+
 
 /*!
   \class GenericBuildConfigurationFactory
diff --git a/src/plugins/genericprojectmanager/genericbuildconfiguration.h b/src/plugins/genericprojectmanager/genericbuildconfiguration.h
index cc70616ff15..eae5d0e749c 100644
--- a/src/plugins/genericprojectmanager/genericbuildconfiguration.h
+++ b/src/plugins/genericprojectmanager/genericbuildconfiguration.h
@@ -57,6 +57,8 @@ public:
 
     QVariantMap toMap() const;
 
+    ProjectExplorer::IOutputParser *createOutputParser() const;
+
 protected:
     GenericBuildConfiguration(GenericTarget *parent, GenericBuildConfiguration *source);
     GenericBuildConfiguration(GenericTarget *parent, const QString &id);
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/buildconfiguration.h b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/buildconfiguration.h
index e2c938656dc..d095206106e 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/buildconfiguration.h
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/buildconfiguration.h
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
 namespace ProjectExplorer {
 
 class Target;
+class IOutputParser;
 
 class PROJECTEXPLORER_EXPORT BuildConfiguration : public ProjectConfiguration
 {
@@ -73,6 +74,13 @@ public:
 
     virtual QVariantMap toMap() const;
 
+    // Creates a suitable outputparser for custom build steps
+    // (based on the toolchain)
+    // TODO this is not great API
+    // it's mainly so that custom build systems are better integrated
+    // with the generic project manager
+    virtual IOutputParser *createOutputParser() const = 0;
+
 signals:
     void environmentChanged();
     void buildDirectoryChanged();
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/processstep.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/processstep.cpp
index fbb9ee8e351..7254dc59c7c 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/processstep.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/processstep.cpp
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ bool ProcessStep::init()
     AbstractProcessStep::setCommand(m_command);
     AbstractProcessStep::setEnabled(m_enabled);
     AbstractProcessStep::setArguments(m_arguments);
-    setOutputParser(0);
+    setOutputParser(buildConfiguration()->createOutputParser());
     return AbstractProcessStep::init();
 }
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/qt4projectmanager/qt4buildconfiguration.cpp b/src/plugins/qt4projectmanager/qt4buildconfiguration.cpp
index 4c014c06d63..b8807d8eef7 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qt4projectmanager/qt4buildconfiguration.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/qt4projectmanager/qt4buildconfiguration.cpp
@@ -556,6 +556,14 @@ QString Qt4BuildConfiguration::extractSpecFromArgumentList(const QStringList &li
     return parsedSpec;
 }
 
+ProjectExplorer::IOutputParser *Qt4BuildConfiguration::createOutputParser() const
+{
+    ToolChain *tc = toolChain();
+    if (tc)
+        return toolChain()->outputParser();
+    return 0;
+}
+
 /*!
   \class Qt4BuildConfigurationFactory
 */
diff --git a/src/plugins/qt4projectmanager/qt4buildconfiguration.h b/src/plugins/qt4projectmanager/qt4buildconfiguration.h
index 93a3a435f89..e9fea988955 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qt4projectmanager/qt4buildconfiguration.h
+++ b/src/plugins/qt4projectmanager/qt4buildconfiguration.h
@@ -106,6 +106,8 @@ public:
 
     QVariantMap toMap() const;
 
+    ProjectExplorer::IOutputParser *createOutputParser() const;
+
 signals:
     /// emitted if the qt version changes (either directly, or because the default qt version changed
     /// or because the user changed the settings for the qt version