diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 0d5ae5f11a3..98bc45a5cd6 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@ web_root = ryan@nodejs.org:~/web/nodejs.org/
 export NODE_MAKE := $(MAKE)
 
 all: program
-	@-[ -f build/default/node ] && ls -lh build/default/node
-	@-[ -f build/debug/node_g ] && ls -lh build/debug/node_g
+	@-[ -f build/Release/node ] && ls -lh build/Release/node
+	@-[ -f build/Debug/node_g ] && ls -lh build/Debug/node_g
 
 all-progress:
 	@$(WAF) -p build
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ test-uv-debug: all
 	NODE_USE_UV=1 python tools/test.py --mode=debug $(UVTEST)
 
 
-build/default/node: all
+build/Release/node: all
 
 apidoc_sources = $(wildcard doc/api/*.markdown)
 apidocs = $(addprefix build/,$(apidoc_sources:.markdown=.html))
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ website_files = \
   build/doc/favicon.ico   \
 	build/doc/pipe.css
 
-doc: build/default/node $(apidoc_dirs) $(website_files) $(apiassets) $(apidocs)
+doc: build/Release/node $(apidoc_dirs) $(website_files) $(apiassets) $(apidocs)
 
 $(apidoc_dirs):
 	mkdir -p $@
@@ -297,8 +297,8 @@ build/doc/api/assets/%: doc/api_assets/% build/doc/api/assets/
 build/doc/%: doc/%
 	cp $< $@
 
-build/doc/api/%.html: doc/api/%.markdown build/default/node $(apidoc_dirs) $(apiassets) tools/doctool/doctool.js
-	build/default/node tools/doctool/doctool.js doc/template.html $< > $@
+build/doc/api/%.html: doc/api/%.markdown build/Release/node $(apidoc_dirs) $(apiassets) tools/doctool/doctool.js
+	build/Release/node tools/doctool/doctool.js doc/template.html $< > $@
 
 build/doc/%:
 
diff --git a/test/simple/test-executable-path.js b/test/simple/test-executable-path.js
index aa07d1321d7..5d358da93d6 100644
--- a/test/simple/test-executable-path.js
+++ b/test/simple/test-executable-path.js
@@ -26,9 +26,9 @@ var path = require('path');
 var isDebug = (process.version.indexOf('debug') >= 0);
 
 var debugPath = path.normalize(path.join(__dirname, '..', '..',
-                                         'build', 'debug', 'node'));
+                                         'build', 'Debug', 'node'));
 var defaultPath = path.normalize(path.join(__dirname, '..', '..',
-                                           'build', 'default', 'node'));
+                                           'build', 'Release', 'node'));
 
 console.error('debugPath: ' + debugPath);
 console.error('defaultPath: ' + defaultPath);
diff --git a/tools/test.py b/tools/test.py
index 1373ea24f17..5eac408a9c0 100755
--- a/tools/test.py
+++ b/tools/test.py
@@ -663,9 +663,9 @@ class Context(object):
 
   def GetVm(self, mode):
     if mode == 'debug':
-      name = 'build/debug/node'
+      name = 'build/Debug/node'
     else:
-      name = 'build/default/node'
+      name = 'build/Release/node'
 
     if utils.IsWindows() and not name.endswith('.exe'):
       name = os.path.abspath(name + '.exe')
diff --git a/tools/wafadmin/Build.py b/tools/wafadmin/Build.py
index 735235ec92b..10700ec20e4 100644
--- a/tools/wafadmin/Build.py
+++ b/tools/wafadmin/Build.py
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ class BuildContext(Utils.Context):
 		self.id_nodes = 0
 		self.idx = {}
 
-		# map names to environments, the 'default' must be defined
+		# map names to environments, the 'Release' must be defined
 		self.all_envs = {}
 
 		# ======================================= #
@@ -454,7 +454,7 @@ class BuildContext(Utils.Context):
 		* remove the signatures for the build files that have disappeared
 		* cache the results of os.listdir
 		* create the build folder equivalent (mkdir) for each variant
-		src/bar -> build/default/src/bar, build/release/src/bar
+		src/bar -> build/Release/src/bar, build/Debug/src/bar
 
 		when a folder in the source directory is removed, we do not check recursively
 		to remove the unused nodes. To do that, call 'waf clean' and build again.
@@ -564,7 +564,7 @@ class BuildContext(Utils.Context):
 				cache.__delitem__(nid)
 
 	def get_env(self):
-		return self.env_of_name('default')
+		return self.env_of_name('Release')
 	def set_env(self, name, val):
 		self.all_envs[name] = val
 
diff --git a/tools/wafadmin/Constants.py b/tools/wafadmin/Constants.py
index 51e1ca6ce79..2b531c2ed18 100644
--- a/tools/wafadmin/Constants.py
+++ b/tools/wafadmin/Constants.py
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ WAF_CONFIG_H       = 'config.h'
 SIG_NIL = 'iluvcuteoverload'
 
 VARIANT = '_VARIANT_'
-DEFAULT = 'default'
+DEFAULT = 'Release'
 
 SRCDIR  = 'srcdir'
 BLDDIR  = 'blddir'
diff --git a/tools/wafadmin/Tools/config_c.py b/tools/wafadmin/Tools/config_c.py
index f0302d87d38..21729d42ef4 100644
--- a/tools/wafadmin/Tools/config_c.py
+++ b/tools/wafadmin/Tools/config_c.py
@@ -506,7 +506,7 @@ def run_c_code(self, *k, **kw):
 	bld = Build.BuildContext()
 	bld.log = self.log
 	bld.all_envs.update(self.all_envs)
-	bld.all_envs['default'] = env
+	bld.all_envs['Release'] = env
 	bld.lst_variants = bld.all_envs.keys()
 	bld.load_dirs(dir, bdir)
 
diff --git a/wscript b/wscript
index b96c3fe0b13..87b94719683 100644
--- a/wscript
+++ b/wscript
@@ -65,31 +65,31 @@ def set_options(opt):
 		, action='store'
 		, type='string'
 		, default=False
-		, help='Install into this libdir [Default: ${PREFIX}/lib]'
+		, help='Install into this libdir [Release: ${PREFIX}/lib]'
 		)
   opt.add_option( '--debug'
                 , action='store_true'
                 , default=False
-                , help='Build debug variant [Default: False]'
+                , help='Build debug variant [Release: False]'
                 , dest='debug'
                 )
   opt.add_option( '--profile'
                 , action='store_true'
                 , default=False
-                , help='Enable profiling [Default: False]'
+                , help='Enable profiling [Release: False]'
                 , dest='profile'
                 )
   opt.add_option( '--efence'
                 , action='store_true'
                 , default=False
-                , help='Build with -lefence for debugging [Default: False]'
+                , help='Build with -lefence for debugging [Release: False]'
                 , dest='efence'
                 )
 
   opt.add_option( '--without-snapshot'
                 , action='store_true'
                 , default=False
-                , help='Build without snapshotting V8 libraries. You might want to set this for cross-compiling. [Default: False]'
+                , help='Build without snapshotting V8 libraries. You might want to set this for cross-compiling. [Release: False]'
                 , dest='without_snapshot'
                 )
 
@@ -499,7 +499,7 @@ def configure(conf):
 
   # Split off debug variant before adding variant specific defines
   debug_env = conf.env.copy()
-  conf.set_env_name('debug', debug_env)
+  conf.set_env_name('Debug', debug_env)
 
   if (sys.platform.startswith("win32")):
     # Static pthread
@@ -508,8 +508,8 @@ def configure(conf):
     conf.env.append_value('CPPFLAGS', "-DPTW32_STATIC_LIB")
 
   # Configure debug variant
-  conf.setenv('debug')
-  debug_env.set_variant('debug')
+  conf.setenv('Debug')
+  debug_env.set_variant('Debug')
   debug_env.append_value('CPPFLAGS', '-DDEBUG')
   debug_compile_flags = ['-g', '-O0', '-Wall', '-Wextra']
   debug_env.append_value('CCFLAGS', debug_compile_flags)
@@ -517,7 +517,7 @@ def configure(conf):
   conf.write_config_header("config.h")
 
   # Configure default variant
-  conf.setenv('default')
+  conf.setenv('Release')
   default_compile_flags = ['-g', '-O3']
   conf.env.append_value('CCFLAGS', default_compile_flags)
   conf.env.append_value('CXXFLAGS', default_compile_flags)
@@ -542,7 +542,7 @@ def v8_cmd(bld, variant):
 
   toolchain = "gcc"
 
-  if variant == "default":
+  if variant == "Release":
     mode = "release"
   else:
     mode = "debug"
@@ -581,7 +581,7 @@ def build_v8(bld):
                     + bld.path.ant_glob('v8/include/*')
                     + bld.path.ant_glob('v8/src/*'),
     target        = bld.env["staticlib_PATTERN"] % "v8",
-    rule          = v8_cmd(bld, "default"),
+    rule          = v8_cmd(bld, "Release"),
     before        = "cxx",
     install_path  = None)
 
@@ -591,18 +591,18 @@ def build_v8(bld):
 
   v8.uselib = "EXECINFO"
   bld.env["CPPPATH_V8"] = "deps/v8/include"
-  t = join(bld.srcnode.abspath(bld.env_of_name("default")), v8.target)
-  bld.env_of_name('default').append_value("LINKFLAGS_V8", t)
+  t = join(bld.srcnode.abspath(bld.env_of_name("Release")), v8.target)
+  bld.env_of_name('Release').append_value("LINKFLAGS_V8", t)
 
   ### v8 debug
   if bld.env["USE_DEBUG"]:
-    v8_debug = v8.clone("debug")
-    v8_debug.rule   = v8_cmd(bld, "debug")
+    v8_debug = v8.clone("Debug")
+    v8_debug.rule   = v8_cmd(bld, "Debug")
     v8_debug.target = bld.env["staticlib_PATTERN"] % "v8_g"
     v8_debug.uselib = "EXECINFO"
     bld.env["CPPPATH_V8_G"] = "deps/v8/include"
-    t = join(bld.srcnode.abspath(bld.env_of_name("debug")), v8_debug.target)
-    bld.env_of_name('debug').append_value("LINKFLAGS_V8_G", t)
+    t = join(bld.srcnode.abspath(bld.env_of_name("Debug")), v8_debug.target)
+    bld.env_of_name('Debug').append_value("LINKFLAGS_V8_G", t)
 
   bld.install_files('${PREFIX}/include/node/', 'deps/v8/include/*.h')
 
@@ -635,7 +635,7 @@ def build_uv(bld):
     source = 'deps/uv/include/uv.h',
     target = 'deps/uv/uv.a',
     before = "cxx",
-    rule = uv_cmd(bld, 'default')
+    rule = uv_cmd(bld, 'Release')
   )
 
   uv.env.env = dict(os.environ)
@@ -643,17 +643,17 @@ def build_uv(bld):
   uv.env.env['CXX'] = sh_escape(bld.env['CXX'][0])
   uv.env.env['CPPFLAGS'] = "-DPTW32_STATIC_LIB"
 
-  t = join(bld.srcnode.abspath(bld.env_of_name("default")), uv.target)
-  bld.env_of_name('default').append_value("LINKFLAGS_UV", t)
+  t = join(bld.srcnode.abspath(bld.env_of_name("Release")), uv.target)
+  bld.env_of_name('Release').append_value("LINKFLAGS_UV", t)
 
   if bld.env["USE_DEBUG"]:
-    uv_debug = uv.clone("debug")
-    uv_debug.rule = uv_cmd(bld, 'debug')
+    uv_debug = uv.clone("Debug")
+    uv_debug.rule = uv_cmd(bld, 'Debug')
     uv_debug.env.env = dict(os.environ)
     uv_debug.env.env['CPPFLAGS'] = "-DPTW32_STATIC_LIB"
 
-    t = join(bld.srcnode.abspath(bld.env_of_name("debug")), uv_debug.target)
-    bld.env_of_name('debug').append_value("LINKFLAGS_UV", t)
+    t = join(bld.srcnode.abspath(bld.env_of_name("Debug")), uv_debug.target)
+    bld.env_of_name('Debug').append_value("LINKFLAGS_UV", t)
 
   bld.install_files('${PREFIX}/include/node/', 'deps/uv/include/*.h')
 
@@ -695,7 +695,7 @@ def build(bld):
   http_parser.target = "http_parser"
   http_parser.install_path = None
   if bld.env["USE_DEBUG"]:
-    http_parser.clone("debug")
+    http_parser.clone("Debug")
   if product_type_is_lib:
     http_parser.ccflags = '-fPIC'
 
@@ -706,12 +706,12 @@ def build(bld):
     f.close
 
   macros_loc_debug   = join(
-     bld.srcnode.abspath(bld.env_of_name("debug")),
+     bld.srcnode.abspath(bld.env_of_name("Debug")),
      "macros.py"
   )
 
   macros_loc_default = join(
-    bld.srcnode.abspath(bld.env_of_name("default")),
+    bld.srcnode.abspath(bld.env_of_name("Release")),
     "macros.py"
   )
 
@@ -768,7 +768,7 @@ def build(bld):
   # error that was had into the git commit meessage. git-blame to find out
   # where.)
   if bld.env["USE_DEBUG"]:
-    native_cc_debug = native_cc.clone("debug")
+    native_cc_debug = native_cc.clone("Debug")
     native_cc_debug.rule = javascript_in_c_debug
 
   native_cc.rule = javascript_in_c_debug
@@ -783,7 +783,7 @@ def build(bld):
     )
 
     if bld.env["USE_DEBUG"]:
-      dtrace_g = dtrace.clone("debug")
+      dtrace_g = dtrace.clone("Debug")
 
     bld.install_files('${LIBDIR}/dtrace', 'src/node.d')
 
@@ -820,8 +820,8 @@ def build(bld):
         rule = dtrace_postprocess
       )
 
-      t = join(bld.srcnode.abspath(bld.env_of_name("default")), dtracepost.target)
-      bld.env_of_name('default').append_value('LINKFLAGS', t)
+      t = join(bld.srcnode.abspath(bld.env_of_name("Release")), dtracepost.target)
+      bld.env_of_name('Release').append_value('LINKFLAGS', t)
 
       #
       # Note that for the same (mysterious) issue outlined above with respect
@@ -832,10 +832,10 @@ def build(bld):
       # LINKFLAGS_V8_G.
       #
       if bld.env["USE_DEBUG"]:
-        dtracepost_g = dtracepost.clone("debug")
+        dtracepost_g = dtracepost.clone("Debug")
         dtracepost_g.rule = dtrace_postprocess
-        t = join(bld.srcnode.abspath(bld.env_of_name("debug")), dtracepost.target)
-        bld.env_of_name("debug").append_value('LINKFLAGS_V8_G', t)
+        t = join(bld.srcnode.abspath(bld.env_of_name("Debug")), dtracepost.target)
+        bld.env_of_name("Debug").append_value('LINKFLAGS_V8_G', t)
 
 
   ### node lib
@@ -904,7 +904,7 @@ def build(bld):
     bld.env.append_value('LINKFLAGS', '-Wl,--export-all-symbols')
     bld.env.append_value('LINKFLAGS', '-Wl,--out-implib,default/libnode.dll.a')
     bld.env.append_value('LINKFLAGS', '-Wl,--output-def,default/libnode.def')
-    bld.install_files('${LIBDIR}', "build/default/libnode.*")
+    bld.install_files('${LIBDIR}', "build/Release/libnode.*")
 
   if (sys.platform.startswith("win32")):
     # Static libgcc
@@ -929,11 +929,11 @@ def build(bld):
   node_conf.install_path = '${PREFIX}/include/node'
 
   if bld.env["USE_DEBUG"]:
-    node_g = node.clone("debug")
+    node_g = node.clone("Debug")
     node_g.target = "node_g"
     node_g.uselib += ' V8_G UV '
 
-    node_conf_g = node_conf.clone("debug")
+    node_conf_g = node_conf.clone("Debug")
     node_conf_g.dict = subflags(node_g)
     node_conf_g.install_path = None
 
@@ -971,15 +971,15 @@ def shutdown():
 
   elif not Options.commands['clean']:
     if sys.platform.startswith("win32"):
-      if os.path.exists('build/default/node.exe'):
-        os.system('cp build/default/node.exe .')
-      if os.path.exists('build/debug/node_g.exe'):
-        os.system('cp build/debug/node_g.exe .')
+      if os.path.exists('build/Release/node.exe'):
+        os.system('cp build/Release/node.exe .')
+      if os.path.exists('build/Debug/node_g.exe'):
+        os.system('cp build/Debug/node_g.exe .')
     else:
-      if os.path.exists('build/default/node') and not os.path.exists('node'):
-        os.symlink('build/default/node', 'node')
-      if os.path.exists('build/debug/node_g') and not os.path.exists('node_g'):
-        os.symlink('build/debug/node_g', 'node_g')
+      if os.path.exists('build/Release/node') and not os.path.exists('node'):
+        os.symlink('build/Release/node', 'node')
+      if os.path.exists('build/Debug/node_g') and not os.path.exists('node_g'):
+        os.symlink('build/Debug/node_g', 'node_g')
   else:
     if sys.platform.startswith("win32"):
       if os.path.exists('node.exe'): os.unlink('node.exe')