diff --git a/mesonbuild/cmake/client.py b/mesonbuild/cmake/client.py
index 219acaeeb..b98bf463e 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/cmake/client.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/cmake/client.py
@@ -232,14 +232,14 @@ class CMakeClient:
         if not cmake_exe.found():
             raise CMakeException('Unable to find CMake')
 
-        mlog.log('Starting CMake server with CMake', mlog.bold(' '.join(cmake_exe.get_command())), 'version', mlog.cyan(cmake_vers))
+        mlog.debug('Starting CMake server with CMake', mlog.bold(' '.join(cmake_exe.get_command())), 'version', mlog.cyan(cmake_vers))
         self.proc = Popen(cmake_exe.get_command() + ['-E', 'server', '--experimental', '--debug'], stdin=PIPE, stdout=PIPE)
 
     def shutdown(self) -> None:
         if self.proc is None:
             return
 
-        mlog.log('Shutting down the CMake server')
+        mlog.debug('Shutting down the CMake server')
 
         # Close the pipes to exit
         self.proc.stdin.close()
diff --git a/mesonbuild/cmake/interpreter.py b/mesonbuild/cmake/interpreter.py
index 03fceca55..e12c15ac1 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/cmake/interpreter.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/cmake/interpreter.py
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ from .. import mlog
 from ..build import Build
 from ..environment import Environment
 from ..backend.backends import Backend
+from ..dependencies.base import CMakeDependency, ExternalProgram
+from subprocess import Popen, PIPE, STDOUT
 import os
 
 CMAKE_BACKEND_GENERATOR_MAP = {
@@ -31,6 +33,16 @@ CMAKE_BACKEND_GENERATOR_MAP = {
     'vs2017': 'Visual Studio 15 2017',
 }
 
+CMAKE_LANGUAGE_MAP = {
+    'c': 'C',
+    'cpp': 'CXX',
+    'cuda': 'CUDA',
+    'cs': 'CSharp',
+    'java': 'Java',
+    'fortran': 'Fortran',
+    'swift': 'Swift',
+}
+
 class CMakeInterpreter:
     def __init__(self, build: Build, src_dir: str, build_dir: str, env: Environment, backend: Backend):
         assert(hasattr(backend, 'name'))
@@ -42,7 +54,54 @@ class CMakeInterpreter:
         self.client = CMakeClient(self.env)
         os.makedirs(self.build_dir, exist_ok=True)
 
+    def configure(self) -> None:
+        # Find CMake
+        cmake_exe, cmake_vers, _ = CMakeDependency.find_cmake_binary(self.env)
+        if cmake_exe is None or cmake_exe is False:
+            raise CMakeException('Unable to find CMake')
+        assert(isinstance(cmake_exe, ExternalProgram))
+        if not cmake_exe.found():
+            raise CMakeException('Unable to find CMake')
+
+        generator = CMAKE_BACKEND_GENERATOR_MAP[self.backend_name]
+        cmake_args = cmake_exe.get_command()
+
+        # Map meson compiler to CMake variables
+        for lang, comp in self.build.compilers.items():
+            if lang not in CMAKE_LANGUAGE_MAP:
+                continue
+            cmake_lang = CMAKE_LANGUAGE_MAP[lang]
+            exelist = comp.get_exelist()
+            if len(exelist) == 1:
+                cmake_args += ['-DCMAKE_{}_COMPILER={}'.format(cmake_lang, exelist[0])]
+            elif len(exelist) == 2:
+                cmake_args += ['-DCMAKE_{}_COMPILER_LAUNCHER={}'.format(cmake_lang, exelist[0]),
+                               '-DCMAKE_{}_COMPILER={}'.format(cmake_lang, exelist[1])]
+        cmake_args += ['-G', generator]
+
+        # Run CMake
+        mlog.log('Configuring the build directory with', mlog.bold('CMake'), 'version', mlog.cyan(cmake_vers))
+        with mlog.nested():
+            mlog.log(mlog.bold('Running:'), ' '.join(cmake_args))
+            proc = Popen(cmake_args + [self.src_dir], stdout=PIPE, stderr=STDOUT, cwd=self.build_dir)
+
+            # Print CMake log in realtime
+            while True:
+                line = proc.stdout.readline()
+                if not line:
+                    break
+                mlog.log(line.decode('utf-8').strip('\n'))
+
+            # Wait for CMake to finish
+            proc.communicate()
+
+        h = mlog.green('SUCCEEDED') if proc.returncode == 0 else mlog.red('FAILED')
+        mlog.log('CMake configuration', h)
+        if proc.returncode != 0:
+            raise CMakeException('Failed to configure the CMake subproject')
+
     def run(self) -> None:
+        self.configure()
         with self.client.connect():
             generator = CMAKE_BACKEND_GENERATOR_MAP[self.backend_name]
             self.client.do_handshake(self.src_dir, self.build_dir, generator, 1)