diff --git a/aegisub/build/msbuild/ft2.props b/aegisub/build/msbuild/ft2.props
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..07ee577d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/aegisub/build/msbuild/ft2.props
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+<Project ToolsVersion="4.0" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
+  <!-- Include and link Freetype 2 based on some user properties -->
+  <PropertyGroup>
+    <IncludePath>$(Ft2IncludePath);$(IncludePath)</IncludePath>
+    <LibraryPath>$(Ft2LibraryPath);$(LibraryPath)</LibraryPath>
+  </PropertyGroup>
+  <ItemDefinitionGroup>
+    <Link>
+      <AdditionalDependencies>$(Ft2LibraryName);%(AdditionalDependencies)</AdditionalDependencies>
+    </Link>
+  </ItemDefinitionGroup>
+</Project>
diff --git a/aegisub/build/msbuild/paths.props b/aegisub/build/msbuild/paths.props
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f449e0ea8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/aegisub/build/msbuild/paths.props
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+<Project ToolsVersion="4.0" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
+	<PropertyGroup>
+		<!-- Base for Aegisub source code -->
+		<AegisubSourceBase Condition="'$(AegisubSourceBase)'==''">$(MSBuildThisFileDirectory)..\..\</AegisubSourceBase>
+		<!-- Base for contrib libraries source code -->
+		<AegisubContribBase Condition="'$(AegisubContribBase)'==''">$(AegisubSourceBase)..\contrib\</AegisubContribBase>
+		<!-- Base for built files -->
+		<AegisubOutputBase Condition="'$(AegisubOutputBase)'==''">$(SolutionDir)</AegisubOutputBase>
+		<!-- Directory for built executables -->
+		<AegisubBinaryDir Condition="'$(AegisubBinaryDir)'==''">$(AegisubOutputBase)bin\</AegisubBinaryDir>
+		<!-- Directory for built static libraries and link libraries -->
+		<AegisubLibraryDir Condition="'$(AegisubLibraryDir)'==''">$(AegisubOutputBase)lib\$(Platform)\$(Configuration)\</AegisubLibraryDir>
+		<!-- Directory for built object files, intentionally using flat structure -->
+		<AegisubObjectDir Condition="'$(AegisubObjectDir)'==''">$(AegisubOutputBase)obj\$(ProjectName)-$(Platform)-$(Configuration)\</AegisubObjectDir>
+		<!-- Platform/configuration suffix for binaries -->
+		<AegisubPlatformSuffix Condition="'$(Configuration)'=='Debug'">$(PlatformArchitecture)d</AegisubPlatformSuffix>
+		<AegisubPlatformSuffix Condition="'$(Configuration)'=='Release'">$(PlatformArchitecture)</AegisubPlatformSuffix>
+		<AegisubPlatformSuffix Condition="'$(AegisubPlatformSuffix)'==''">(unk)</AegisubPlatformSuffix> <!-- fallback -->
+	</PropertyGroup>
+</Project>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/aegisub/build/msbuild/standard-outdirs.props b/aegisub/build/msbuild/standard-outdirs.props
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..af11d98cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/aegisub/build/msbuild/standard-outdirs.props
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+<Project ToolsVersion="4.0" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
+  <PropertyGroup>
+    <OutDir Condition="'$(ConfigurationType)'=='DynamicLibrary'">$(AegisubBinaryDir)</OutDir>
+    <OutDir Condition="'$(ConfigurationType)'=='Application'">$(AegisubBinaryDir)</OutDir>
+    <OutDir Condition="'$(ConfigurationType)'=='StaticLibrary'">$(AegisubLibraryDir)</OutDir>
+    <IntDir>$(AegisubObjectDir)</IntDir>
+    <TargetName>$(ProjectName)_$(AegisubPlatformSuffix)</TargetName>
+  </PropertyGroup>
+  <ItemDefinitionGroup>
+    <ClCompile>
+      <ObjectFileName>$(IntDir)</ObjectFileName>
+    </ClCompile>
+    <Link>
+      <OutputFile>$(OutDir)$(TargetName)$(TargetExt)</OutputFile>
+      <ProgramDatabaseFile>$(OutDir)$(TargetName).pdb</ProgramDatabaseFile>
+      <ImportLibrary>$(AegisubLibraryDir)$(ProjectName).lib</ImportLibrary>
+    </Link>
+  </ItemDefinitionGroup>
+</Project>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/aegisub/build/msbuild/standard-settings.props b/aegisub/build/msbuild/standard-settings.props
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7a0b68c04
--- /dev/null
+++ b/aegisub/build/msbuild/standard-settings.props
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+<Project ToolsVersion="4.0" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
+  <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)'=='Debug'">
+    <LinkIncremental>true</LinkIncremental>
+  </PropertyGroup>
+  <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)'=='Release'">
+    <LinkIncremental>false</LinkIncremental>
+  </PropertyGroup>
+
+  <ItemDefinitionGroup>
+    <ClCompile>
+      <MultiProcessorCompilation>true</MultiProcessorCompilation>
+      <MinimalRebuild>false</MinimalRebuild>
+      <WarningLevel>Level3</WarningLevel>
+      <PreprocessorDefinitions>WIN32;_WINDOWS;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
+    </ClCompile>
+    <Link>
+      <SubSystem>Windows</SubSystem>
+      <GenerateDebugInformation>true</GenerateDebugInformation>
+      <LargeAddressAware>true</LargeAddressAware>
+      <TerminalServerAware Condition="'$(ConfigurationType'=='Application'">true</TerminalServerAware>
+    </Link>
+  </ItemDefinitionGroup>
+
+  <ItemDefinitionGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)'=='Debug'">
+    <ClCompile>
+      <RuntimeLibrary>MultiThreadedDebugDLL</RuntimeLibrary>
+      <Optimization>Disabled</Optimization>
+      <PreprocessorDefinitions>_DEBUG;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
+    </ClCompile>
+  </ItemDefinitionGroup>
+
+  <ItemDefinitionGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)'=='Release'">
+    <ClCompile>
+      <RuntimeLibrary>MultiThreadedDLL</RuntimeLibrary>
+      <Optimization>MaxSpeed</Optimization>
+      <FunctionLevelLinking>true</FunctionLevelLinking>
+      <IntrinsicFunctions>true</IntrinsicFunctions>
+      <PreprocessorDefinitions>NDEBUG;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
+    </ClCompile>
+    <Link>
+      <EnableCOMDATFolding>true</EnableCOMDATFolding>
+      <OptimizeReferences>true</OptimizeReferences>
+    </Link>
+  </ItemDefinitionGroup>
+  
+</Project>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/aegisub/build/msbuild/userconfig/readme.txt b/aegisub/build/msbuild/userconfig/readme.txt
index d345c98ce..e9a7a80ac 100644
--- a/aegisub/build/msbuild/userconfig/readme.txt
+++ b/aegisub/build/msbuild/userconfig/readme.txt
@@ -27,3 +27,18 @@ file that specifies a wxWidgets location:
 You should not check files placed in this folder into source control.
 
 Files must be named *.props to be used.
+
+
+Other properties of interest:
+
+Ft2IncludePath	- Path to Freetype2 include files
+Ft2LibraryPath	- Path to Freetype2 lib files
+Ft2LibraryName	- Name of Freetype2 library to link
+
+
+These may be useful to override in some cases, but the defaults should be fine for most:
+
+AegisubOutputBase	- Base directory for output files from compilation, defaults to solution file location
+AegisubBinaryDir	- Where executables are placed, derived from AegisubOutputBase by default
+AegisubLibraryDir	- Where lib files are placed, derived from AegisubOutputBase by default
+AegisubObjectDir	- Where intermediary files are placed, derived from AegisubOutputBase by default