diff --git a/CMakeSimpleRules.make b/CMakeSimpleRules.make
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cb95e29bbc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/CMakeSimpleRules.make
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+# this file contains the most basic rules.  This is used 
+# in the CMake/Source/Makefile.in to avoid infinite recursion
+# in the rule for all:
+
+# set up make suffixes
+
+.SUFFIXES: .cxx .java .class
+
+#------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# rules for building .o files from source files
+
+.c.o:
+	${CC} ${CC_FLAGS} -c $< -o $@
+.cxx.o:
+	${CXX} ${CXX_FLAGS} -c $< -o $@