diff --git a/src/_premake_init.lua b/src/_premake_init.lua
index 0a49df62..717ac4d1 100644
--- a/src/_premake_init.lua
+++ b/src/_premake_init.lua
@@ -183,6 +183,17 @@
 		kind = "boolean"
 	}
 
+	api.register {
+		name = "compileas",
+		scope = "config",
+		kind = "string",
+		allowed = {
+			"Default",
+			"C",
+			"C++",
+		}
+	}
+
 	api.register {
 		name = "configmap",
 		scope = "project",
diff --git a/src/actions/vstudio/vs2010_vcxproj.lua b/src/actions/vstudio/vs2010_vcxproj.lua
index 9d08315f..c3f70184 100644
--- a/src/actions/vstudio/vs2010_vcxproj.lua
+++ b/src/actions/vstudio/vs2010_vcxproj.lua
@@ -1216,9 +1216,9 @@
 
 
 	function m.compileAs(cfg)
-		if p.languages.isc(cfg.language) then
+		if p.languages.isc(cfg.compileas) then
 			m.element("CompileAs", nil, "CompileAsC")
-		elseif p.languages.iscpp(cfg.language) then
+		elseif p.languages.iscpp(cfg.compileas) then
 			m.element("CompileAs", nil, "CompileAsCpp")
 		end
 	end
diff --git a/tests/actions/vstudio/vc2010/test_compile_settings.lua b/tests/actions/vstudio/vc2010/test_compile_settings.lua
index ce90bd93..af44e971 100644
--- a/tests/actions/vstudio/vc2010/test_compile_settings.lua
+++ b/tests/actions/vstudio/vc2010/test_compile_settings.lua
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@
 	<PrecompiledHeader>NotUsing</PrecompiledHeader>
 	<WarningLevel>Level3</WarningLevel>
 	<Optimization>Disabled</Optimization>
-	<CompileAs>CompileAsCpp</CompileAs>
 </ClCompile>
 		]]
 	end
@@ -224,7 +223,6 @@
 	<PrecompiledHeader>NotUsing</PrecompiledHeader>
 	<WarningLevel>Level3</WarningLevel>
 	<Optimization>Disabled</Optimization>
-	<CompileAs>CompileAsCpp</CompileAs>
 </ClCompile>
 		]]
 	end
@@ -237,7 +235,6 @@
 	<PrecompiledHeader>NotUsing</PrecompiledHeader>
 	<WarningLevel>Level3</WarningLevel>
 	<Optimization>Disabled</Optimization>
-	<CompileAs>CompileAsCpp</CompileAs>
 </ClCompile>
 		]]
 	end
@@ -462,7 +459,6 @@
 	<PrecompiledHeader>NotUsing</PrecompiledHeader>
 	<WarningLevel>Level3</WarningLevel>
 	<Optimization>Disabled</Optimization>
-	<CompileAs>CompileAsCpp</CompileAs>
 </ClCompile>
 		]]
 	end
@@ -476,7 +472,6 @@
 	<WarningLevel>Level3</WarningLevel>
 	<DebugInformationFormat>None</DebugInformationFormat>
 	<Optimization>Disabled</Optimization>
-	<CompileAs>CompileAsCpp</CompileAs>
 </ClCompile>
 		]]
 	end
@@ -490,7 +485,6 @@
 	<WarningLevel>Level3</WarningLevel>
 	<DebugInformationFormat>EditAndContinue</DebugInformationFormat>
 	<Optimization>Disabled</Optimization>
-	<CompileAs>CompileAsCpp</CompileAs>
 </ClCompile>
 		]]
 	end
@@ -927,7 +921,6 @@
 	<PrecompiledHeader>NotUsing</PrecompiledHeader>
 	<WarningLevel>Level3</WarningLevel>
 	<Optimization>Disabled</Optimization>
-	<CompileAs>CompileAsCpp</CompileAs>
 </ClCompile>
 		]]
 	end
@@ -1030,7 +1023,6 @@
 	<PrecompiledHeader>NotUsing</PrecompiledHeader>
 	<WarningLevel>Level3</WarningLevel>
 	<Optimization>Disabled</Optimization>
-	<CompileAs>CompileAsC</CompileAs>
 </ClCompile>
 		]]
 	end
@@ -1039,6 +1031,35 @@
 		language 'C++'
 		prepare()
 		test.capture [[
+<ClCompile>
+	<PrecompiledHeader>NotUsing</PrecompiledHeader>
+	<WarningLevel>Level3</WarningLevel>
+	<Optimization>Disabled</Optimization>
+</ClCompile>
+		]]
+	end
+
+
+--
+-- Check handling of the compileAs api
+--
+	function suite.onCompileAsC()
+		compileas 'C'
+		prepare()
+		test.capture [[
+<ClCompile>
+	<PrecompiledHeader>NotUsing</PrecompiledHeader>
+	<WarningLevel>Level3</WarningLevel>
+	<Optimization>Disabled</Optimization>
+	<CompileAs>CompileAsC</CompileAs>
+</ClCompile>
+		]]
+	end
+
+	function suite.onCompileAsCpp()
+		compileas 'C++'
+		prepare()
+		test.capture [[
 <ClCompile>
 	<PrecompiledHeader>NotUsing</PrecompiledHeader>
 	<WarningLevel>Level3</WarningLevel>