diff --git a/src/actions/vstudio/vs2010_vcxproj.lua b/src/actions/vstudio/vs2010_vcxproj.lua
index 2b442485..65aaba46 100644
--- a/src/actions/vstudio/vs2010_vcxproj.lua
+++ b/src/actions/vstudio/vs2010_vcxproj.lua
@@ -496,7 +496,7 @@
 						vc2010.element(3, "Outputs", condition, '%s', table.concat(outputs, " "))
 
 						if filecfg.buildmessage then
-							_p(3,'<Message %s>%s</Message>', condition, premake.esc(filecfg.buildmessage))
+							vc2010.element(3, "Message", condition, '%s', premake.esc(filecfg.buildmessage))
 						end
 					end
 				end
diff --git a/src/base/detoken.lua b/src/base/detoken.lua
index bd0749aa..a3aab4bb 100644
--- a/src/base/detoken.lua
+++ b/src/base/detoken.lua
@@ -34,6 +34,12 @@
 		setmetatable(environ, {__index = _G})
 
 		function expandtoken(token, environ)
+			-- check if we should leave the path alone
+			local leavealone = token:startswith("ro-")
+			if leavealone then
+				token = token:sub(4)
+			end
+
 			-- convert the token into a function to execute
 			local func, err = loadstring("return " .. token)
 			if not func then
@@ -71,7 +77,7 @@
 			-- will contain it. Otherwise I ended up with an absolute path in
 			-- the generated project, and it can no longer be moved around.
 
-			if isAbs and not ispath and basedir then
+			if isAbs and not ispath and basedir and not leavealone then
 				result = path.getrelative(basedir, result)
 			end