diff -r ec3077e23b7d -r 218ef482e1e4 Lib/distutils/msvc9compiler.py
--- a/Lib/distutils/msvc9compiler.py	Sun Oct 05 21:20:51 2014 -0400
+++ b/Lib/distutils/msvc9compiler.py	Sun Oct 05 12:55:17 2014 +0200
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@
 
 # A map keyed by get_platform() return values to values accepted by
 # 'vcvarsall.bat'.  Note a cross-compile may combine these (eg, 'x86_amd64' is
-# the param to cross-compile on x86 targetting amd64.)
+# the param to cross-compile on x86 targeting amd64.)
 PLAT_TO_VCVARS = {
     'win32' : 'x86',
     'win-amd64' : 'amd64',
@@ -248,25 +248,35 @@
     log.debug("Unable to find vcvarsall.bat")
     return None
 
-def query_vcvarsall(version, arch="x86"):
-    """Launch vcvarsall.bat and read the settings from its environment
+def run_vcvarsall(vcvarsall, version, arch):
+    """Launch vcvarsall.bat and collect its environment as output
     """
-    vcvarsall = find_vcvarsall(version)
-    interesting = set(("include", "lib", "libpath", "path"))
-    result = {}
-
-    if vcvarsall is None:
-        raise DistutilsPlatformError("Unable to find vcvarsall.bat")
     log.debug("Calling 'vcvarsall.bat %s' (version=%s)", arch, version)
     popen = subprocess.Popen('"%s" %s & set' % (vcvarsall, arch),
                              stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
                              stderr=subprocess.PIPE)
     try:
         stdout, stderr = popen.communicate()
-        if popen.wait() != 0:
-            raise DistutilsPlatformError(stderr.decode("mbcs"))
+    finally:
+        popen.stdout.close()
+        popen.stderr.close()
+    if popen.returncode != 0:
+        stderr = stderr.decode("mbcs")
+        log.debug("'vcvarsall.bat %s' (version=%s) call failed - %s", arch,
+            version, stderr)
+        raise DistutilsPlatformError(stderr)
+    return stdout.decode("mbcs")
 
-        stdout = stdout.decode("mbcs")
+def query_vcvarsall(version, archs=["x86"]):
+    """Launch vcvarsall.bat and read the settings from its environment
+    """
+    vcvarsall = find_vcvarsall(version)
+    if vcvarsall is None:
+        raise DistutilsPlatformError("Unable to find vcvarsall.bat")
+    interesting = set(("include", "lib", "libpath", "path"))
+    for arch in archs:
+        stdout = run_vcvarsall(vcvarsall, version, arch)
+        result = {}
         for line in stdout.split("\n"):
             line = Reg.convert_mbcs(line)
             if '=' not in line:
@@ -278,15 +288,11 @@
                 if value.endswith(os.pathsep):
                     value = value[:-1]
                 result[key] = removeDuplicates(value)
-
-    finally:
-        popen.stdout.close()
-        popen.stderr.close()
-
-    if len(result) != len(interesting):
-        raise ValueError(str(list(result.keys())))
-
-    return result
+        if len(result) == len(interesting):
+            return result
+        log.debug("'vcvarsall.bat %s' (version=%s) call collected unexpected "
+            "environment: %s", arch, version, list(result.keys()))
+    raise DistutilsPlatformError("vcvarsall.bat environment setup failure")
 
 # More globals
 VERSION = get_build_version()
@@ -355,18 +361,26 @@
             self.rc = "rc.exe"
             self.mc = "mc.exe"
         else:
-            # On x86, 'vcvars32.bat amd64' creates an env that doesn't work;
-            # to cross compile, you use 'x86_amd64'.
-            # On AMD64, 'vcvars32.bat amd64' is a native build env; to cross
-            # compile use 'x86' (ie, it runs the x86 compiler directly)
+            # On x86, 'vcvarsall.bat amd64' creates an env that doesn't work;
+            # to cross-compile, you use 'x86_amd64'.
+            # On AMD64, 'vcvarsall.bat amd64' is a native build env; to
+            # cross-compile use 'x86' (ie, it runs the x86 compiler directly)
             # No idea how itanium handles this, if at all.
-            if plat_name == get_platform() or plat_name == 'win32':
-                # native build or cross-compile to win32
-                plat_spec = PLAT_TO_VCVARS[plat_name]
+            if plat_name == 'win32':
+                # native win32 build or cross-compile to win32
+                plat_spec = [PLAT_TO_VCVARS[plat_name]]
             else:
-                # cross compile from win32 -> some 64bit
-                plat_spec = PLAT_TO_VCVARS[get_platform()] + '_' + \
-                            PLAT_TO_VCVARS[plat_name]
+                cross_plat_spec = PLAT_TO_VCVARS['win32'] + '_' + \
+                                  PLAT_TO_VCVARS[plat_name]
+                if plat_name == get_platform():
+                    # native 64-bit build
+                    # In case a native 64-bit compiler is not available, as is
+                    # the case with Visual Studio Express edition, try to use a
+                    # 32-bit --> 64-bit cross-compiler instead.
+                    plat_spec = [PLAT_TO_VCVARS[plat_name], cross_plat_spec]
+                else:
+                    # cross-compile to some 64-bit
+                    plat_spec = [cross_plat_spec]
 
             vc_env = query_vcvarsall(VERSION, plat_spec)