diff --git a/src/actions/vstudio/vs2005.lua b/src/actions/vstudio/vs2005.lua
index 7b18389b..244a310d 100644
--- a/src/actions/vstudio/vs2005.lua
+++ b/src/actions/vstudio/vs2005.lua
@@ -34,7 +34,12 @@
 			premake.generate(prj, ".csproj.user", vstudio.cs2005.generateUser)
 		elseif premake.project.iscpp(prj) then
 			premake.generate(prj, ".vcproj", vstudio.vc200x.generate)
-			premake.generate(prj, ".vcproj.user", vstudio.vc200x.generateUser)
+
+			-- Skip generation of empty user files
+			local user = p.capture(function() vstudio.vc200x.generateUser(prj) end)
+			if #user > 0 then
+				p.generate(prj, ".vcproj.user", function() p.out(user) end)
+			end
 		end
 	end
 
diff --git a/src/actions/vstudio/vs200x_vcproj_user.lua b/src/actions/vstudio/vs200x_vcproj_user.lua
index 201b3cbe..be12e605 100644
--- a/src/actions/vstudio/vs200x_vcproj_user.lua
+++ b/src/actions/vstudio/vs200x_vcproj_user.lua
@@ -21,18 +21,38 @@
 
 	function m.generateUser(prj)
 		p.indent("\t")
-		m.xmlElement()
-		m.visualStudioUserFile()
 
-		p.push('<Configurations>')
+		-- Only want output if there is something to configure
+		local contents = {}
+		local generate = false
+
 		for cfg in p.project.eachconfig(prj) do
-			m.userConfiguration(cfg)
-			p.callArray(m.elements.user, cfg)
-			p.pop('</Configuration>')
+			contents[cfg] = p.capture(function()
+				p.push(4)
+				p.callArray(m.elements.user, cfg)
+				p.pop(4)
+			end)
+			if #contents[cfg] > 0 then
+				generate = true
+			end
 		end
-		p.pop('</Configurations>')
 
-		p.pop('</VisualStudioUserFile>')
+		if generate then
+			m.xmlElement()
+			m.visualStudioUserFile()
+			p.push('<Configurations>')
+			for cfg in p.project.eachconfig(prj) do
+				m.userConfiguration(cfg)
+				p.push('<DebugSettings')
+				if #contents[cfg] > 0 then
+					p.outln(contents[cfg])
+				end
+				p.pop('/>')
+				p.pop('</Configuration>')
+			end
+			p.pop('</Configurations>')
+			p.pop('</VisualStudioUserFile>')
+		end
 	end
 
 
@@ -78,9 +98,7 @@
 	end
 
 	function m.debugSettings(cfg)
-		p.push('<DebugSettings')
 		p.callArray(m.elements.debugSettings, cfg)
-		p.pop('/>')
 	end
 
 
diff --git a/tests/_tests.lua b/tests/_tests.lua
index 6e9702c8..4255dad1 100644
--- a/tests/_tests.lua
+++ b/tests/_tests.lua
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ return {
 	"actions/vstudio/vc200x/test_project.lua",
 	"actions/vstudio/vc200x/test_project_refs.lua",
 	"actions/vstudio/vc200x/test_resource_compiler.lua",
+	"actions/vstudio/vc200x/test_user_file.lua",
 
 	-- Visual Studio 2010 C/C++ projects
 	"actions/vstudio/vc2010/test_assembly_refs.lua",
@@ -116,9 +117,9 @@ return {
 	"actions/vstudio/vc2010/test_project_configs.lua",
 	"actions/vstudio/vc2010/test_project_refs.lua",
 	"actions/vstudio/vc2010/test_prop_sheet.lua",
-	"actions/vstudio/vc2010/test_user_file.lua",
 	"actions/vstudio/vc2010/test_resource_compile.lua",
 	"actions/vstudio/vc2010/test_rule_vars.lua",
+	"actions/vstudio/vc2010/test_user_file.lua",
 
 	-- Makefile tests
 	"actions/make/test_make_escaping.lua",
diff --git a/tests/actions/vstudio/vc200x/test_debug_settings.lua b/tests/actions/vstudio/vc200x/test_debug_settings.lua
index fc2a4560..6cc0bf1f 100644
--- a/tests/actions/vstudio/vc200x/test_debug_settings.lua
+++ b/tests/actions/vstudio/vc200x/test_debug_settings.lua
@@ -32,10 +32,7 @@
 
 	function suite.emptyBlock_onNoSettings()
 		prepare()
-		test.capture [[
-<DebugSettings
-/>
-		]]
+		test.isemptycapture()
 	end
 
 
@@ -49,9 +46,7 @@
 		debugcommand "bin/emulator.exe"
 		prepare()
 		test.capture [[
-<DebugSettings
-	Command="..\bin\emulator.exe"
-/>
+Command="..\bin\emulator.exe"
 		]]
 	end
 
@@ -66,9 +61,7 @@
 		debugdir "bin/debug"
 		prepare()
 		test.capture [[
-<DebugSettings
-	WorkingDirectory="..\bin\debug"
-/>
+WorkingDirectory="..\bin\debug"
 		]]
 	end
 
@@ -81,9 +74,7 @@
 		debugargs { "arg1", "arg2" }
 		prepare()
 		test.capture [[
-<DebugSettings
-	CommandArguments="arg1 arg2"
-/>
+CommandArguments="arg1 arg2"
 		]]
 	end
 
@@ -96,9 +87,7 @@
 		debugenvs { "key=value" }
 		prepare()
 		test.capture [[
-<DebugSettings
-	Environment="key=value"
-/>
+Environment="key=value"
 		]]
 	end
 
@@ -111,9 +100,7 @@
 		debugenvs { 'key="value"' }
 		prepare()
 		test.capture [[
-<DebugSettings
-	Environment="key=&quot;value&quot;"
-/>
+Environment="key=&quot;value&quot;"
 		]]
 	end
 
@@ -127,9 +114,7 @@
 		debugenvs { "key=value", "foo=bar" }
 		prepare()
 		test.capture [[
-<DebugSettings
-	Environment="key=value&#x0A;foo=bar"
-/>
+Environment="key=value&#x0A;foo=bar"
 		]]
 	end
 
@@ -144,9 +129,7 @@
 		flags { "DebugEnvsDontMerge" }
 		prepare()
 		test.capture [[
-<DebugSettings
-	Environment="key=value"
-	EnvironmentMerge="false"
-/>
+Environment="key=value"
+EnvironmentMerge="false"
 		]]
 	end
diff --git a/tests/actions/vstudio/vc200x/test_user_file.lua b/tests/actions/vstudio/vc200x/test_user_file.lua
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0808f57f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/actions/vstudio/vc200x/test_user_file.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+--
+-- tests/actions/vstudio/vc200x/test_user_file.lua
+-- Verify handling of empty and non-empty .user files for VC'200x.
+-- Copyright (c) 2015 Jason Perkins and the Premake project
+--
+
+	local suite = test.declare("vstudio_vs200x_user_file")
+	local vc200x = premake.vstudio.vc200x
+	local project = premake.project
+
+
+--
+-- Setup
+--
+
+	local sln
+
+	function suite.setup()
+		_ACTION = "vs2008"
+		sln = test.createsolution()
+	end
+
+	local function prepare()
+		local prj = test.getproject(sln, 1)
+		vc200x.generateUser(prj)
+	end
+
+
+--
+-- If no debugger settings have been specified, then the .user
+-- file should not be written at all.
+--
+
+	function suite.noOutput_onNoSettings()
+		prepare()
+		test.isemptycapture()
+	end
+
+
+--
+-- If a debugger setting has been specified, output.
+--
+
+	function suite.doesOutput_onDebugSettings()
+		debugcommand "bin/emulator.exe"
+		prepare()
+		test.hasoutput()
+	end
+