diff --git a/cmake/platforms/emscripten.cmake b/cmake/platforms/emscripten.cmake
index c7e55fe..5673ebe 100644
--- a/cmake/platforms/emscripten.cmake
+++ b/cmake/platforms/emscripten.cmake
@@ -35,11 +35,15 @@ set(CMAKE_C_LINK_FLAGS "\
 -s EXTRA_EXPORTED_RUNTIME_METHODS='[cwrap,callMain]'")
 
 set(build_cli_programs FALSE)
+set(build_gui_programs FALSE)
 
 function(get_platform_puzzle_extra_source_files OUTVAR NAME)
   set(${OUTVAR} PARENT_SCOPE)
 endfunction()
 
+function(set_platform_gui_target_properties TARGET)
+endfunction()
+
 function(set_platform_puzzle_target_properties NAME TARGET)
   em_link_pre_js(${TARGET} ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/emccpre.js)
   em_link_js_library(${TARGET} ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/emcclib.js)
diff --git a/cmake/platforms/nestedvm.cmake b/cmake/platforms/nestedvm.cmake
index 6862896..3f768a4 100644
--- a/cmake/platforms/nestedvm.cmake
+++ b/cmake/platforms/nestedvm.cmake
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ function(get_platform_puzzle_extra_source_files OUTVAR NAME)
   set(${OUTVAR} PARENT_SCOPE)
 endfunction()
 
-function(set_platform_puzzle_target_properties NAME TARGET)
+function(set_platform_gui_target_properties TARGET)
   set(build_subdir ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/${TARGET}-tmp)
 
   add_custom_command(OUTPUT ${build_subdir}
@@ -56,5 +56,8 @@ function(set_platform_puzzle_target_properties NAME TARGET)
       ${build_subdir}/PuzzleEngine.class)
 endfunction()
 
+function(set_platform_puzzle_target_properties NAME TARGET)
+endfunction()
+
 function(build_platform_extras)
 endfunction()
diff --git a/cmake/platforms/osx.cmake b/cmake/platforms/osx.cmake
index 4577a73..2e95d4b 100644
--- a/cmake/platforms/osx.cmake
+++ b/cmake/platforms/osx.cmake
@@ -6,10 +6,15 @@ set(CPACK_DMG_VOLUME_NAME "Simon Tatham's Puzzle Collection")
 include(CPack)
 set(build_individual_puzzles FALSE)
 
+set(build_gui_programs FALSE) # they don't really fit in the OS X GUI model
+
 function(get_platform_puzzle_extra_source_files OUTVAR NAME)
   set(${OUTVAR} PARENT_SCOPE)
 endfunction()
 
+function(set_platform_gui_target_properties TARGET)
+endfunction()
+
 function(set_platform_puzzle_target_properties NAME TARGET)
 endfunction()
 
diff --git a/cmake/platforms/unix.cmake b/cmake/platforms/unix.cmake
index 26d2e97..09eed6a 100644
--- a/cmake/platforms/unix.cmake
+++ b/cmake/platforms/unix.cmake
@@ -75,6 +75,9 @@ function(get_platform_puzzle_extra_source_files OUTVAR NAME)
   set(${OUTVAR} ${c_icon_file} PARENT_SCOPE)
 endfunction()
 
+function(set_platform_gui_target_properties TARGET)
+endfunction()
+
 function(set_platform_puzzle_target_properties NAME TARGET)
   get_target_property(official ${TARGET} official)
   get_target_property(exename ${TARGET} exename)
diff --git a/cmake/platforms/windows.cmake b/cmake/platforms/windows.cmake
index 377b05d..d4b9092 100644
--- a/cmake/platforms/windows.cmake
+++ b/cmake/platforms/windows.cmake
@@ -37,11 +37,14 @@ function(get_platform_puzzle_extra_source_files OUTVAR NAME)
   set(${OUTVAR} ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/puzzles.rc PARENT_SCOPE)
 endfunction()
 
+function(set_platform_gui_target_properties TARGET)
+  set_target_properties(${TARGET} PROPERTIES WIN32_EXECUTABLE ON)
+endfunction()
+
 function(set_platform_puzzle_target_properties NAME TARGET)
   if(DEFINED ICO_DIR AND EXISTS ${ICO_DIR}/${NAME}.ico)
     target_compile_definitions(${TARGET} PRIVATE ICON_FILE=\"${ICO_DIR}/${NAME}.ico\")
   endif()
-  set_target_properties(${TARGET} PROPERTIES WIN32_EXECUTABLE ON)
 endfunction()
 
 function(build_platform_extras)
diff --git a/cmake/setup.cmake b/cmake/setup.cmake
index 0ccf345..26eb74d 100644
--- a/cmake/setup.cmake
+++ b/cmake/setup.cmake
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ to build as if official (separated by ';')")
 
 set(build_individual_puzzles TRUE)
 set(build_cli_programs TRUE)
+set(build_gui_programs TRUE)
 set(build_icons FALSE)
 set(need_c_icons FALSE)
 
@@ -90,6 +91,7 @@ function(puzzle NAME)
     set_property(TARGET ${EXENAME} PROPERTY objective ${OPT_OBJECTIVE})
     set_property(TARGET ${EXENAME} PROPERTY official ${official})
     set_platform_puzzle_target_properties(${NAME} ${EXENAME})
+    set_platform_gui_target_properties(${EXENAME})
   endif()
 endfunction()
 
@@ -109,6 +111,24 @@ function(cliprogram NAME)
   endif()
 endfunction()
 
+# Similar to cliprogram, but builds a GUI helper tool, linked against
+# the normal puzzle frontend.
+function(guiprogram NAME)
+  cmake_parse_arguments(OPT
+    "" "COMPILE_DEFINITIONS" "" ${ARGN})
+
+  if(build_gui_programs)
+    get_platform_puzzle_extra_source_files(extra_files nullgame)
+    add_executable(${NAME} ${OPT_UNPARSED_ARGUMENTS} ${extra_files})
+    target_link_libraries(${NAME}
+      common ${platform_gui_libs} ${platform_libs})
+    if(OPT_COMPILE_DEFINITIONS)
+      target_compile_definitions(${NAME} PRIVATE ${OPT_COMPILE_DEFINITIONS})
+    endif()
+    set_platform_gui_target_properties(${NAME})
+  endif()
+endfunction()
+
 # A small wrapper around cliprogram, taking advantage of the common
 # formula that puzzle 'foo' often comes with 'foosolver'.
 function(solver NAME)