diff --git a/Docs/src/compiler.but b/Docs/src/compiler.but
index 5c1aebe6..ba9490f6 100644
--- a/Docs/src/compiler.but
+++ b/Docs/src/compiler.but
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ This command will issue an error to the script compiler and will stop execution
 
 \S1{execute} !execute
 
-\c command
+\c command [compare comparevalue | symbol]
 
 This command will execute 'command' using a call to CreateProcess(). Unlike \R{system}{!system}, it does not use the command line processor, so input/output redirection and commands like 'cd', 'dir' and 'type' can not be used. Currently, the only known advantage of \R{execute}{!execute} over \R{system}{!system} is that it does not give trouble when the current working directory is specified using UNC.
 
@@ -115,9 +115,9 @@ This option will execute 'command' using a call to system() after the output EXE
 
 \S1{system} !system
 
-\c command [compare comparevalue]
+\c command [compare comparevalue | symbol]
 
-This command will execute 'command' using a call to system(), and if the return value compared (using 'compare') to 'comparevalue' is false, execution will halt. 'compare' can be '<' or '>' or '<>' or '='.
+This command will execute 'command' using a call to system(). You can store the return value in a define ('symbol') or halt execution if the return value compared (using 'compare') to 'comparevalue' is false. 'compare' can be '<' or '>' or '<>' or '='. 
 
 \c !system '"%WINDIR%\notepad.exe" "${NSISDIR}\license.txt"'
 \c !system 'echo !define something > newinclude.nsh'
diff --git a/Docs/src/history.but b/Docs/src/history.but
index 1f6b14da..237f7b4d 100644
--- a/Docs/src/history.but
+++ b/Docs/src/history.but
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ Released on ?, 2014
 
 \b !system will decode child output as OEMCP if GetConsoleOutputCP() == GetOEMCP()
 
+\b !system and !execute can store the exit code in a define
+
 \b !execute supports comparing the exit code with the same syntax as !system
 
 \H{v3.0a2} 3.0 Alpha 2
diff --git a/Source/build.cpp b/Source/build.cpp
index 43547e16..844d74a2 100644
--- a/Source/build.cpp
+++ b/Source/build.cpp
@@ -3689,19 +3689,17 @@ int CEXEBuild::set_target_architecture_data()
 {
   build_strlist.setunicode(build_unicode), ubuild_strlist.setunicode(build_unicode);
 
-  definedlist.del(_T("NSIS_UNICODE"));
-  definedlist.del(_T("NSIS_CHAR_SIZE"));
-  definedlist.del(_T("NSIS_PTR_SIZE"));
   if (build_unicode)
   {
-    definedlist.add(_T("NSIS_UNICODE"));
-    definedlist.add(_T("NSIS_CHAR_SIZE"), _T("2"));
+    definedlist.set(_T("NSIS_UNICODE"));
+    definedlist.set(_T("NSIS_CHAR_SIZE"), _T("2"));
   }
   else
   {
-    definedlist.add(_T("NSIS_CHAR_SIZE"), _T("1"));
+    definedlist.del(_T("NSIS_UNICODE"));
+    definedlist.set(_T("NSIS_CHAR_SIZE"), _T("1"));
   }
-  definedlist.add(_T("NSIS_PTR_SIZE"), is_target_64bit() ? _T("8") : _T("4"));
+  definedlist.set(_T("NSIS_PTR_SIZE"), is_target_64bit() ? _T("8") : _T("4"));
 
   return PS_OK;
 }
diff --git a/Source/script.cpp b/Source/script.cpp
index ef661522..54263c33 100644
--- a/Source/script.cpp
+++ b/Source/script.cpp
@@ -1280,8 +1280,7 @@ int CEXEBuild::doCommand(int which_token, LineParser &line)
         wsprintf(str,_T("macro:%") NPRIs,macroname);
         const TCHAR* oldmacroname=m_currentmacroname;
         m_currentmacroname=macroname;
-        definedlist.del(_T("__MACRO__"));
-        definedlist.add(_T("__MACRO__"),m_currentmacroname);
+        definedlist.set(_T("__MACRO__"),m_currentmacroname);
         while (*t)
         {
           lp++;
@@ -3189,14 +3188,17 @@ int CEXEBuild::doCommand(int which_token, LineParser &line)
     case TOK_P_EXECUTE:
       {
         const TCHAR *cmdname=get_commandtoken_name(which_token);
-        TCHAR *exec=line.gettoken_str(1);
+        TCHAR *exec=line.gettoken_str(1), *define;
         int comp=line.gettoken_enum(2,_T("<\0>\0<>\0=\0ignore\0"));
-        if (line.getnumtokens() == 2) comp = 4;
-        if (comp == -1 && line.getnumtokens() == 3) comp=4;
-        if (comp == -1) PRINTHELP()
-        int success=0, ret;
-        int cmpv=line.gettoken_int(3,&success);
-        if (!success && comp != 4) PRINTHELP()
+        int validparams=true, ret=-1, cmpv;
+        switch(line.getnumtokens()-1)
+        {
+        case 1: comp=4; break;
+        case 2: comp=5, validparams=!!*(define=line.gettoken_str(2)); break;
+        case 3: cmpv=line.gettoken_int(3,&validparams); break;
+        default: comp=-1;
+        }
+        if (!validparams || comp == -1) PRINTHELP()
         SCRIPT_MSG(_T("%") NPRIs _T(": \"%") NPRIs _T("\"\n"),cmdname,exec);
 #ifdef _WIN32
         if (TOK_P_EXECUTE == which_token)
@@ -3204,13 +3206,12 @@ int CEXEBuild::doCommand(int which_token, LineParser &line)
 #ifdef _UNICODE
           ret=RunChildProcessRedirected(0,exec);
 #else
-          ret=-1;
           PROCESS_INFORMATION pi;
           STARTUPINFO si={sizeof(STARTUPINFO),};
           if (CreateProcess(NULL,exec,NULL,NULL,FALSE,0,NULL,NULL,&si,&pi))
           {
             WaitForSingleObject(pi.hProcess,INFINITE);
-            if (GetExitCodeProcess(pi.hProcess, &si.cb)) ret=(int)si.cb;
+            if (GetExitCodeProcess(pi.hProcess,&si.cb)) ret=(int)si.cb;
             CloseHandle(pi.hThread), CloseHandle(pi.hProcess);
           }
 #endif
@@ -3223,6 +3224,12 @@ int CEXEBuild::doCommand(int which_token, LineParser &line)
         else if (comp == 2 && ret != cmpv);
         else if (comp == 3 && ret == cmpv);
         else if (comp == 4);
+        else if (comp == 5)
+        {
+          TCHAR buf[50];
+          _stprintf(buf,_T("%d"),ret);
+          definedlist.set(define,buf);
+        }
         else
         {
           ERROR_MSG(_T("%") NPRIs _T(": returned %d, aborting\n"),cmdname,ret);
diff --git a/Source/strlist.cpp b/Source/strlist.cpp
index 6a850ebc..359c20ef 100644
--- a/Source/strlist.cpp
+++ b/Source/strlist.cpp
@@ -332,6 +332,12 @@ int DefineList::add(const TCHAR *name, const TCHAR *value/*=_T("")*/)
   return 0;
 }
 
+void DefineList::set(const TCHAR *name, const TCHAR *value/*=_T("")*/)
+{
+  del(name);
+  add(name, value);
+}
+
 TCHAR *DefineList::find(const TCHAR *name)
 {
   int v=SortedStringList<struct define>::find(name);
diff --git a/Source/strlist.h b/Source/strlist.h
index 44571223..8e1b36ec 100644
--- a/Source/strlist.h
+++ b/Source/strlist.h
@@ -476,6 +476,7 @@ class DefineList : public SortedStringList<struct define>
      * general program exit with error logging.
      */
     int add(const TCHAR *name, const TCHAR *value=_T(""));
+    void set(const TCHAR *name, const TCHAR *value=_T(""));
 
 	 /**
 	  * This function returns the pointer to the .value TCHAR* that corresponds
diff --git a/Source/tokens.cpp b/Source/tokens.cpp
index c117dd0c..b2ed8b12 100644
--- a/Source/tokens.cpp
+++ b/Source/tokens.cpp
@@ -244,8 +244,8 @@ static tokenType tokenlist[TOK__LAST] =
 {TOK_MANIFEST_SUPPORTEDOS,_T("ManifestSupportedOS"),1,-1,_T("none|all|WinVista|Win7|Win8|Win8.1|{GUID} [...]"),TP_GLOBAL},
 {TOK_P_PACKEXEHEADER,_T("!packhdr"),2,0,_T("temp_file_name command_line_to_compress_that_temp_file"),TP_ALL},
 {TOK_P_FINALIZE,_T("!finalize"),1,0,_T("command_with_%1"),TP_ALL},
-{TOK_P_SYSTEMEXEC,_T("!system"),1,2,_T("command [<|>|<>|= retval]"),TP_ALL},
-{TOK_P_EXECUTE,  _T("!execute"),1,2,_T("command [<|>|<>|= retval]"),TP_ALL},
+{TOK_P_SYSTEMEXEC,_T("!system"),1,2,_T("command [<OP retval> | <retvalsymbol>]\n    OP=(< > <> =)"),TP_ALL},
+{TOK_P_EXECUTE,  _T("!execute"),1,2,_T("command [<OP retval> | <retvalsymbol>]\n    OP=(< > <> =)"),TP_ALL},
 {TOK_P_ADDINCLUDEDIR,_T("!AddIncludeDir"),1,0,_T("dir"),TP_ALL},
 {TOK_P_INCLUDE,_T("!include"),1,2,_T("[/NONFATAL] [/CHARSET=<") TSTR_INPUTCHARSET _T(">] filename.nsh"),TP_ALL},
 {TOK_P_CD,_T("!cd"),1,0,_T("absolute_or_relative_new_directory"),TP_ALL},