diff --git a/Code/qtiplot/MantidQt/mantidqt.pri b/Code/qtiplot/MantidQt/mantidqt.pri
index 79e924e749313ff8eee2c6085afddc6cb47a06e2..7f8fe7629831796fef1cd16c8ee64e8dbacf4f12 100644
--- a/Code/qtiplot/MantidQt/mantidqt.pri
+++ b/Code/qtiplot/MantidQt/mantidqt.pri
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 #------------------------
 # Compile mode
 #------------------------
-CONFIG += qt warn_on exceptions debug_and_release
+CONFIG += qt warn_on exceptions
 
 QMAKESPEC=win32-msvc2005
 
@@ -29,14 +29,17 @@ RESOURCES = "$$TOPBUILDDIR/../../../Images/images.qrc"
 
 # My variables
 MANTIDPATH = "$$TOPBUILDDIR/../../Mantid"
-build_pass:CONFIG(release, debug|release) {
-  # Put both Scons and Visual Studio output directories on the search path
-  LIBPATH += "$$MANTIDPATH/release"
-  MANTIDLIBPATH = "$$MANTIDPATH/Bin/Shared"
-  LIBPATH += $$MANTIDLIBPATH
-} else{
-  MANTIDLIBPATH = "$$MANTIDPATH/debug"
+MANTIDLIBPATH = "$$MANTIDPATH/Bin/Shared"
+win32 {
   LIBPATH += $$MANTIDLIBPATH
+  build_pass:CONFIG(release, debug|release) {
+    # Put both Scons and Visual Studio output directories on the search path
+    LIBPATH += "$$MANTIDPATH/release"
+  }
+  build_pass:CONFIG(debug, debug|release) {
+    MANTIDLIBPATH = "$$MANTIDPATH/debug"
+    LIBPATH += $$MANTIDLIBPATH
+  }
 }
 
 THIRDPARTY = "$$TOPBUILDDIR/../../Third_Party"
@@ -110,10 +113,14 @@ CONFIG(debug, debug|release) {
 }
 SIP_DIR = "$$TMPDIR"
 
-build_pass:CONFIG(debug, debug|release) {
+win32:build_pass:CONFIG(debug, debug|release) {
   # Put alongside Mantid libraries
   DESTDIR = "$$MANTIDLIBPATH"
 } else {
   # Put in local output directory
   DESTDIR = "$$TOPBUILDDIR/lib"
 }
+
+# This makes release the default build on running nmake. Must be here - after the config dependent parts above
+CONFIG += release
+
diff --git a/Code/qtiplot/QtPropertyBrowser/qtpropertybrowser.pro b/Code/qtiplot/QtPropertyBrowser/qtpropertybrowser.pro
index ce752d905707958e3f99cf6bd071da2d880d08b7..efeb9ff73dd33c2070e0d0d02b14b9ccf3d82dbf 100644
--- a/Code/qtiplot/QtPropertyBrowser/qtpropertybrowser.pro
+++ b/Code/qtiplot/QtPropertyBrowser/qtpropertybrowser.pro
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 TEMPLATE=lib
-CONFIG += shared debug_and_release
+CONFIG += shared
+CONFIG += release_and_debug
 
 INCLUDEPATH += src
 DEPENDPATH += src
@@ -24,19 +25,18 @@ HEADERS += src/qtpropertybrowser.h \
         src/FilenameEditorFactory.h 
 RESOURCES += src/qtpropertybrowser.qrc
 
-build_pass:win32 {
+win32 {
     DEFINES += QT_QTPROPERTYBROWSER_EXPORT
 }
 
-build_pass:CONFIG(debug, debug|release) {
+win32:build_pass:CONFIG(debug, debug|release) {
   # Put alongside Mantid libraries
-  DESTDIR = ../../Mantid/debug
-  win32:TARGET = QtPropertyBrowserd
-  unix:TARGET=QtPropertyBrowser
+  DESTDIR = ..\..\Mantid\debug
+  TARGET = QtPropertyBrowserd
 } else {
   # Put in local output directory
   DESTDIR = lib
   TARGET = QtPropertyBrowser
 }
 
-
+CONFIG += release
diff --git a/Code/qtiplot/qtiplot/qtiplot.pro b/Code/qtiplot/qtiplot/qtiplot.pro
index ac192f09e0619c3bcfb6d3b0215a4976f5c5f8e4..2091fbbc509eb2d1d02a244c8e438b79bf30e2d2 100644
--- a/Code/qtiplot/qtiplot/qtiplot.pro
+++ b/Code/qtiplot/qtiplot/qtiplot.pro
@@ -2,6 +2,20 @@
 ###################### USER-SERVICEABLE PART ################################
 #############################################################################
 
+win32 {
+ QMAKESPEC=win32-msvc2005  
+}
+unix {
+QMAKE_CXXFLAGS_RELEASE += -g
+QMAKE_LFLAGS_RELEASE += -g
+ macx{
+ QMAKESPEC=macx-g++
+ } else {
+# could also be linux-g++-64 so maybe best left to the system to determine
+# QMAKESPEC=linux-g++
+ }
+}
+
 # building without muParser doesn't work yet
 SCRIPTING_LANGS += muParser
 SCRIPTING_LANGS += Python
@@ -25,22 +39,20 @@ RESOURCES        = ../../../Images/images.qrc
 # the *.path variables defined bellow. 
 ######################################################################################
 #CONFIG          += CustomInstall
-
-CONFIG += debug_and_release
-
+
 win32:build_pass:CONFIG(debug, debug|release) {
   CONFIG += console
-}
-
+}
+
 build_pass:CONFIG(debug, debug|release) {
   # Put the debug version alongside the Mantid debug dlls to make sure it picks them up
-  DESTDIR = "../../Mantid/debug"
+  DESTDIR = ../../Mantid/debug
 } else {
-  DESTDIR = ./
-}
-
-mac:CXXFLAGS+=-headerpad_max_install_names
-
+  DESTDIR = ./
+}
+
+mac:CXXFLAGS+=-headerpad_max_install_names
+
 ##################### 3rd PARTY HEADER FILES SECTION ########################
 #!!! Warning: You must modify these paths according to your computer settings
 #############################################################################
@@ -87,7 +99,7 @@ unix:!macx {
 ##################### Linux (Mac OS X) ######################################
 
 # dynamically link against dependencies if they are installed system-wide
-unix {
+unix {
   LIBS         += -lqscintilla2
   LIBS         += -lmuparser
 
@@ -133,25 +145,21 @@ macx {
 
   LIBS         += -lgsl -lgslcblas
 
-
-build_pass:CONFIG(debug, debug|release) {				 
-  LIBS  += -L../../Mantid/debug
+  LIBS		+= -L../../Mantid/Bin/Shared -lMantidAPI
+  LIBS		+= -L../../Mantid/Bin/Shared -lMantidGeometry
+  LIBS		+= -L../../Mantid/Bin/Shared -lMantidKernel
+
+  LIBS          += -L../QtPropertyBrowser/lib -lQtPropertyBrowser
+
+  LIBS   += -L../MantidQt/lib -lMantidQtAPI
+
+CONFIG(debug, debug|release) {
   LIBS	+= -lPocoUtild
   LIBS	+= -lPocoFoundationd
 } else {
-  LIBS  += -L../../Mantid/Bin/Shared	
-  LIBS  += -L../MantidQt/lib
-  LIBS  += -L../QtPropertyBrowser/lib
-
   LIBS	+= -lPocoUtil
   LIBS	+= -lPocoFoundation
-
  }
- LIBS  += -lMantidAPI
- LIBS  += -lMantidGeometry
- LIBS  += -lMantidKernel
- LIBS  += -lQtPropertyBrowser 
- LIBS  += -lMantidQtAPI	
 }
 
 ##################### Windows ###############################################
@@ -204,6 +212,8 @@ win32 {
   LIBS += MantidKernel.lib
   LIBS += MantidQtAPI.lib
 
+  # This makes release the default build on running nmake. Must be here - after the config dependent parts above
+  CONFIG += release
 }
 #############################################################################
 ###################### END OF USER-SERVICEABLE PART #########################