diff --git a/bin/h5cc.in b/bin/h5cc.in
index bb290df7aa4..9938c31f098 100644
--- a/bin/h5cc.in
+++ b/bin/h5cc.in
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ host_os="@host_os@"
 
 prog_name="`basename $0`"
 
-misc_args=""
+qargs=""
 compile_args=""
 libraries=""
 link_args=""
@@ -71,8 +71,7 @@ clibpath=""
 
 do_link="yes"
 do_compile="no"
-dash_o="no"
-dash_c="no"
+dash_c=""
 get_output_file="no"
 
 SHOW="eval"
@@ -209,12 +208,10 @@ for arg in $@ ; do
       fi
 
       do_link="no"
-      dash_c="yes"
+      dash_c="-c"
       ;;
     -o)
-      dash_o="yes"
-
-      if test "x$dash_c" = "xyes"; then
+      if test "x$dash_c" = "x-c"; then
         compile_args="$compile_args $arg"
       else
         link_args="$link_args $arg"
@@ -224,7 +221,7 @@ for arg in $@ ; do
       ;;
     -E|-M|-MT)
       compile_args="$compile_args $arg"
-      dash_c="yes"
+      dash_c="-c"
       do_link="no"
       ;;
     -l*)
@@ -260,15 +257,13 @@ for arg in $@ ; do
       ;;
     *\"*)
       qarg="'"$arg"'"
-      misc_args="$misc_args $qarg"
+      qargs="$qargs $qarg"
       ;;
     *\'*)
       qarg='"'"$arg"'"'
-      misc_args="$misc_args $qarg"
+      qargs="$qargs $qarg"
       ;;
     *)
-      misc_args="$misc_args $qarg"
-
       if test -s "$arg"; then
         ext=`expr "$arg" : '.*\(\..*\)'`
 
@@ -278,7 +273,7 @@ for arg in $@ ; do
           fname=`basename $arg .c`
           link_objs="$link_objs $fname.o"
         elif test "x$ext" = "x.o"; then
-          if test "x$dash_c" = "xyes"; then
+          if test "x$dash_c" = "x-c"; then
             compile_args="$compile_args $arg"
           else
             do_link="yes"
@@ -298,18 +293,17 @@ for arg in $@ ; do
       ;;
   esac
 done
-
-if test "$dash_c" = "yes" -a "$do_compile" = no -a "$do_link" = no ; then
+link_args="$link_args $qargs"
+if test "$dash_c" = "-c" -a "$do_compile" = no -a "$do_link" = no ; then
     # -c was specified.  Force do_compile on.
     do_compile=yes
 fi
 
 if test "x$do_compile" = "xyes"; then
-  if test "x$dash_c" != "xyes"; then
-    compile_args="-c $compile_args"
+  if test "x$dash_c" = "x"; then
+    dash_c="-c"
   fi
-
-  $SHOW $CC -I$includedir $H5BLD_CPPFLAGS $CPPFLAGS $H5BLD_CFLAGS $CFLAGS $misc_args $compile_args
+  $SHOW $CC -I$includedir $H5BLD_CPPFLAGS $CPPFLAGS $H5BLD_CFLAGS $CFLAGS $dash_c $qargs $compile_args
   status=$?
 
   if test "$status" != "0"; then
diff --git a/c++/src/h5c++.in b/c++/src/h5c++.in
index a5c584c8465..8830f3cd9a2 100644
--- a/c++/src/h5c++.in
+++ b/c++/src/h5c++.in
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ host_os="@host_os@"
 
 prog_name="`basename $0`"
 
-misc_args=""
+qargs=""
 compile_args=""
 libraries=""
 link_args=""
@@ -69,8 +69,7 @@ clibpath=""
 
 do_link="yes"
 do_compile="no"
-dash_o="no"
-dash_c="no"
+dash_c=""
 get_output_file="no"
 
 SHOW="eval"
@@ -205,12 +204,10 @@ for arg in $@ ; do
       fi
 
       do_link="no"
-      dash_c="yes"
+      dash_c="-c"
       ;;
     -o)
-      dash_o="yes"
-
-      if test "x$dash_c" = "xyes"; then
+      if test "x$dash_c" = "x-c"; then
         compile_args="$compile_args $arg"
       else
         link_args="$link_args $arg"
@@ -220,7 +217,7 @@ for arg in $@ ; do
       ;;
     -E|-M|-MT)
       compile_args="$compile_args $arg"
-      dash_c="yes"
+      dash_c="-c"
       do_link="no"
       ;;
     -l*)
@@ -250,53 +247,48 @@ for arg in $@ ; do
       ;;
     *\"*)
       qarg="'"$arg"'"
-      misc_args="$misc_args $qarg"
+      qargs="$qargs $qarg"
       ;;
     *\'*)
       qarg='"'"$arg"'"'
-      misc_args="$misc_args $qarg"
+      qargs="$qargs $qarg"
       ;;
-
     *)
-      misc_args="$misc_args $qarg"
-
-	if [ -s "$arg" ] ; then
-	    ext=`expr "$arg" : '.*\(\..*\)'`
-	    if [ "$ext" = ".C" -o "$ext" = ".cxx" -o "$ext" = ".cpp" -o \
-		 "$ext" = ".cc" -o "$ext" = ".c" -o "$ext" = ".CC" ] ; then
-
-	        do_compile="yes"
-	        compile_args="$compile_args $arg"
-	        fname=`basename $arg $ext`
-	        link_objs="$link_objs $fname.o"
-	    elif [ "$ext" = ".o" ] ; then
-		if test "x$dash_c" = "xyes"  ; then
-	            compile_args="$compile_args $arg"
-                else
-	            do_link="yes"
-	            link_objs="$link_objs $arg"
-                fi
-            elif test "x$ext" = "x.a"; then
-              # This is an archive that we're linking in
-              libraries=" $libraries $arg "
-            else
-              compile_args="$compile_args $arg"
-              link_args="$link_args $arg"
-            fi
-	    else
-	        compile_args="$compile_args $arg"
-	        link_args="$link_args $arg"
-	    fi
-	;;
+      if [ -s "$arg" ] ; then
+	ext=`expr "$arg" : '.*\(\..*\)'`
+	if [ "$ext" = ".C" -o "$ext" = ".cxx" -o "$ext" = ".cpp" -o \
+             "$ext" = ".cc" -o "$ext" = ".c" -o "$ext" = ".CC" ] ; then
+	  do_compile="yes"
+	  compile_args="$compile_args $arg"
+	  fname=`basename $arg $ext`
+	  link_objs="$link_objs $fname.o"
+        elif [ "$ext" = ".o" ] ; then
+          if test "x$dash_c" = "x-c"  ; then
+	    compile_args="$compile_args $arg"
+          else
+	    do_link="yes"
+	    link_objs="$link_objs $arg"
+          fi
+        elif test "x$ext" = "x.a"; then
+          # This is an archive that we're linking in
+          libraries=" $libraries $arg "
+        else
+          compile_args="$compile_args $arg"
+          link_args="$link_args $arg"
+        fi
+      else
+	compile_args="$compile_args $arg"
+	link_args="$link_args $arg"
+      fi
+      ;;
   esac
 done
-
+link_args="$link_args $qargs"
 if test "x$do_compile" = "xyes"; then
-  if test "x$dash_c" != "xyes"; then
-    compile_args="-c $compile_args"
+  if test "x$dash_c" = "x"; then
+    dash_c="-c"
   fi
-
-  $SHOW $CXX -I$includedir $H5BLD_CPPFLAGS $CPPFLAGS $H5BLD_CXXFLAGS $CXXFLAGS $misc_args $compile_args
+  $SHOW $CXX -I$includedir $H5BLD_CPPFLAGS $CPPFLAGS $H5BLD_CXXFLAGS $CXXFLAGS $dash_c $qargs $compile_args
   status=$?
 
   if test "$status" != "0"; then
diff --git a/fortran/src/h5fc.in b/fortran/src/h5fc.in
index f92c523aaff..3c044257a49 100644
--- a/fortran/src/h5fc.in
+++ b/fortran/src/h5fc.in
@@ -60,15 +60,14 @@ host_os="@host_os@"
 
 prog_name="`basename $0`"
 
-misc_args=""
+qargs=""
 compile_args=""
 link_args=""
 link_objs=""
 
 do_link="yes"
 do_compile="no"
-dash_o="no"
-dash_c="no"
+dash_c=""
 get_output_file="no"
 
 SHOW="eval"
@@ -183,12 +182,10 @@ for arg in $@ ; do
       fi
 
       do_link="no"
-      dash_c="yes"
+      dash_c="-c"
       ;;
     -o)
-      dash_o="yes"
-
-      if test "x$dash_c" = "xyes"; then
+      if test "x$dash_c" = "x-c"; then
         compile_args="$compile_args $arg"
       else
         link_args="$link_args $arg"
@@ -198,7 +195,7 @@ for arg in $@ ; do
       ;;
     -E|-M|-MT)
       compile_args="$compile_args $arg"
-      dash_c="yes"
+      dash_c="-c"
       do_link="no"
       ;;
     -l*)
@@ -234,49 +231,48 @@ for arg in $@ ; do
       ;;
     *\"*)
       qarg="'"$arg"'"
-      misc_args="$misc_args $qarg"
+      qargs="$qargs $qarg"
       ;;
     *\'*)
       qarg='"'"$arg"'"'
-      misc_args="$misc_args $qarg"
+      qargs="$qargs $qarg"
+      ;;
+    *)
+      if [ -s "$arg" ] ; then
+        ext=`expr "$arg" : '.*\(\..*\)'`
+        if [ "$ext" = ".f" -o "$ext" = ".F" -o \
+             "$ext" = ".for" -o "$ext" = ".FOR" -o \
+             "$ext" = ".ftn" -o "$ext" = ".FTN" -o \
+             "$ext" = ".f90" -o "$ext" = ".F90" -o \
+             "$ext" = ".f95" -o "$ext" = ".F95" -o \
+             "$ext" = ".f03" -o "$ext" = ".F03" -o \
+             "$ext" = ".f08" -o "$ext" = ".F08" ] ; then
+	  do_compile="yes"
+	  compile_args="$compile_args $arg"
+	  fname=`basename $arg $ext`
+	  link_objs="$link_objs $fname.o"
+	elif [ "$ext" = ".o" ] ; then
+          if test "x$dash_c" = "x-c"  ; then
+	    compile_args="$compile_args $arg"
+          else
+	    do_link="yes"
+	    link_objs="$link_objs $arg"
+          fi
+        elif test "x$ext" = "x.a"; then
+          # This is an archive that we're linking in
+          libraries=" $libraries $arg "
+        else
+          compile_args="$compile_args $arg"
+          link_args="$link_args $arg"
+        fi
+      else
+        compile_args="$compile_args $arg"
+	link_args="$link_args $arg"
+      fi
       ;;
-
-        *) misc_args="$misc_args $arg"
-	if [ -s "$arg" ] ; then
-	    ext=`expr "$arg" : '.*\(\..*\)'`
-	    if [ "$ext" = ".f" -o "$ext" = ".F" -o \
-                 "$ext" = ".for" -o "$ext" = ".FOR" -o \
-                 "$ext" = ".ftn" -o "$ext" = ".FTN" -o \
-                 "$ext" = ".f90" -o "$ext" = ".F90" -o \
-                 "$ext" = ".f95" -o "$ext" = ".F95" -o \
-                 "$ext" = ".f03" -o "$ext" = ".F03" -o \
-                 "$ext" = ".f08" -o "$ext" = ".F08" ] ; then
-	        do_compile="yes"
-	        compile_args="$compile_args $arg"
-	        fname=`basename $arg $ext`
-	        link_objs="$link_objs $fname.o"
-	    elif [ "$ext" = ".o" ] ; then
-		if test "x$dash_c" = "xyes"  ; then
-	            compile_args="$compile_args $arg"
-                else
-	            do_link="yes"
-	            link_objs="$link_objs $arg"
-                fi
-            elif test "x$ext" = "x.a"; then
-              # This is an archive that we're linking in
-              libraries=" $libraries $arg "
-            else
-              compile_args="$compile_args $arg"
-              link_args="$link_args $arg"
-            fi
-	    else
-	        compile_args="$compile_args $arg"
-	        link_args="$link_args $arg"
-	    fi
-	;;
   esac
 done
-
+link_args="$link_args $qargs"
 # It's possible that there isn't a modules flag...
   fmodules=""
   if test -n "$F9XMODFLAG"; then
@@ -284,12 +280,10 @@ done
   fi
 
 if test "x$do_compile" = "xyes"; then
-  if test "x$dash_c" != "xyes"; then
-    compile_args="-c $compile_args"
+  if test "x$dash_c" = "x"; then
+    dash_c="-c"
   fi
-
-
-  $SHOW $FC $H5BLD_FCFLAGS $FCFLAGS ${F9XSUFFIXFLAG} ${fmodules} $misc_args $compile_args
+  $SHOW $FC $H5BLD_FCFLAGS $FCFLAGS ${F9XSUFFIXFLAG} ${fmodules} $dash_c $qargs $compile_args
   status=$?
 
   if test "$status" != "0"; then