diff --git a/app/src/processing/app/debug/Compiler.java b/app/src/processing/app/debug/Compiler.java
index a3f8940a7..92f25a1c5 100644
--- a/app/src/processing/app/debug/Compiler.java
+++ b/app/src/processing/app/debug/Compiler.java
@@ -197,8 +197,14 @@ public class Compiler implements MessageConsumer {
     targetArch = targetPlatform.getId();
     p.put("build.arch", targetArch.toUpperCase());
     
-    if (!p.containsKey("compiler.path"))
+    // Platform.txt should define its own compiler.path. For
+    // compatibility with earlier 1.5 versions, we define a (ugly,
+    // avr-specific) default for it, but this should be removed at some
+    // point.
+    if (!p.containsKey("compiler.path")) {
+      System.err.println(_("Third-party platform.txt does not define compiler.path. Please report this to the third-party hardware maintainer."));
       p.put("compiler.path", Base.getAvrBasePath());
+    }
 
     // Core folder
     TargetPlatform tp = corePlatform;
diff --git a/hardware/arduino/avr/platform.txt b/hardware/arduino/avr/platform.txt
index d1b5fd3ef..58af56b07 100644
--- a/hardware/arduino/avr/platform.txt
+++ b/hardware/arduino/avr/platform.txt
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ version=1.5.6
 # --------------------- 
 
 # Default "compiler.path" is correct, change only if you want to overidde the initial value
-#compiler.path={ide.path}/tools/avr/bin/..
+compiler.path={runtime.ide.path}/hardware/tools/avr/bin/
 compiler.c.cmd=avr-gcc
 compiler.c.flags=-c -g -Os -w -ffunction-sections -fdata-sections -MMD
 compiler.c.elf.flags=-Os -Wl,--gc-sections