diff --git a/environment.py b/environment.py
index 6f89b4736..255784ee5 100755
--- a/environment.py
+++ b/environment.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 import subprocess, os.path, platform
 import coredata
 from glob import glob
+import tempfile
 
 build_filename = 'meson.build'
 
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@ class CCompiler():
         else:
             raise TypeError('Unknown argument to CCompiler')
         self.language = 'c'
+        self.default_suffix = 'c'
 
     def get_dependency_gen_flags(self, outtarget, outfile):
         return ['-MMD', '-MT', outtarget, '-MF', outfile]
@@ -44,10 +46,10 @@ class CCompiler():
         return self.language
 
     def get_exelist(self):
-        return self.exelist
+        return self.exelist[:]
     
     def get_linker_exelist(self):
-        return self.exelist
+        return self.exelist[:]
 
     def get_compile_only_flags(self):
         return ['-c']
@@ -102,6 +104,28 @@ class CCompiler():
         pe.wait()
         if pe.returncode != 0:
             raise EnvironmentException('Executables created by C compiler %s are not runnable.' % self.name_string())
+    
+    def compiles(self, code):
+        suflen = len(self.default_suffix)
+        (fd, srcname) = tempfile.mkstemp(suffix='.'+self.default_suffix)
+        open(srcname, 'w').write(code)
+        commands = self.get_exelist()
+        commands += self.get_compile_only_flags()
+        commands.append(srcname)
+        p = subprocess.Popen(commands, cwd=os.path.split(srcname)[0], stdout=subprocess.DEVNULL, stderr=subprocess.DEVNULL)
+        p.communicate()
+        os.close(fd)
+        os.remove(srcname)
+        try:
+            trial = srcname[:-suflen] + 'o'
+            os.remove(trial)
+        except FileNotFoundError:
+            pass
+        try:
+            os.remove(srcname[:-suflen] + 'obj')
+        except FileNotFoundError:
+            pass
+        return p.returncode == 0
 
 cxx_suffixes = ['cc', 'cpp', 'cxx', 'hh', 'hpp', 'hxx']
 
@@ -109,6 +133,7 @@ class CXXCompiler(CCompiler):
     def __init__(self, exelist):
         CCompiler.__init__(self, exelist)
         self.language = 'cxx'
+        self.default_suffix = 'cpp'
 
     def can_compile(self, filename):
         suffix = filename.split('.')[-1]
@@ -135,7 +160,8 @@ class ObjCCompiler(CCompiler):
     def __init__(self, exelist):
         CCompiler.__init__(self, exelist)
         self.language = 'objc'
-
+        self.default_suffix = 'm'
+        
     def can_compile(self, filename):
         suffix = filename.split('.')[-1]
         if suffix == 'm' or suffix == 'h':
@@ -146,6 +172,7 @@ class ObjCXXCompiler(CXXCompiler):
     def __init__(self, exelist):
         CXXCompiler.__init__(self, exelist)
         self.language = 'objcxx'
+        self.default_suffix = 'mm'
 
     def can_compile(self, filename):
         suffix = filename.split('.')[-1]
@@ -228,6 +255,8 @@ class VisualStudioCCompiler(CCompiler):
 class VisualStudioCXXCompiler(VisualStudioCCompiler):
     def __init__(self, exelist):
         VisualStudioCCompiler.__init__(self, exelist)
+        self.language = 'cxx'
+        self.default_suffix = 'cpp'
 
     def can_compile(self, filename):
         suffix = filename.split('.')[-1]
diff --git a/interpreter.py b/interpreter.py
index 22dee9d31..e788c98f3 100755
--- a/interpreter.py
+++ b/interpreter.py
@@ -496,6 +496,38 @@ class Test(InterpreterObject):
     def get_name(self):
         return self.name
 
+class CompilerHolder(InterpreterObject):
+    def __init__(self, compiler):
+        InterpreterObject.__init__(self)
+        self.compiler = compiler
+        self.methods.update({'compiles': self.compiles_method})
+
+    def compiles_method(self, args, kwargs):
+        if len(args) != 1:
+            raise InterpreterException('compiles method takes exactly one argument.')
+        string = args[0]
+        if isinstance(string, nodes.StringStatement):
+            string = string.value
+        if not isinstance(string, str):
+            raise InterpreterException('Argument to compiles() must be a string')
+        return self.compiler.compiles(string)
+
+class MesonMain(InterpreterObject):
+    def __init__(self, build):
+        InterpreterObject.__init__(self)
+        self.build = build
+        self.methods.update({'get_compiler': self.get_compiler_method})
+        
+    def get_compiler_method(self, args, kwargs):
+        if len(args) != 1:
+            raise InterpreterException('get_compiler_method must have one and only one argument.')
+        cname = args[0]
+        for c in self.build.compilers:
+            if c.get_language() == cname:
+                return CompilerHolder(c)
+        raise InterpreterException('Tried to access compiler for unspecified language "%s".' % cname)
+        
+
 class Interpreter():
 
     def __init__(self, build):
@@ -510,12 +542,13 @@ class Interpreter():
         self.variables = {}
         self.builtin = {}
         self.builtin['host'] = Host()
+        self.builtin['meson'] = MesonMain(build)
         self.environment = build.environment
         self.build_func_dict()
         self.build_def_files = [environment.build_filename]
+        self.coredata = self.environment.get_coredata()
         self.subdir = ''
         self.generators = []
-        self.coredata = self.environment.get_coredata()
         self.visited_subdirs = {}
 
     def build_func_dict(self):
diff --git a/test cases/common/33 try compile/meson.build b/test cases/common/33 try compile/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..da3978439
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test cases/common/33 try compile/meson.build	
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+project('try compile', 'c')
+
+code = '''#include<stdio.h>
+void func() { printf("Something.\n"); }
+'''
+
+breakcode = '''#include<nonexisting.h>
+void func() { printf("This won't work.\n"); }
+'''
+
+compiler = meson.get_compiler('c')
+if compiler.compiles(code) == false
+  error('Compiler is fail.')
+endif
+
+if compiler.compiles(breakcode)
+  error('Compiler returned true on broken code.')
+endif