diff --git a/hardware/arduino/avr/boards.txt b/hardware/arduino/avr/boards.txt
index 7d740bd2698..2f0b4c8d7cc 100644
--- a/hardware/arduino/avr/boards.txt
+++ b/hardware/arduino/avr/boards.txt
@@ -188,10 +188,11 @@ leonardo.build.mcu=atmega32u4
 leonardo.build.f_cpu=16000000L
 leonardo.build.vid=0x2341
 leonardo.build.pid=0x8036
+leonardo.build.usb_product='A','r','d','u','i','n','o',32,'L','e','o','n','a','r','d','o'
 leonardo.build.board=AVR_LEONARDO
 leonardo.build.core=arduino
 leonardo.build.variant=leonardo
-leonardo.build.extra_flags=-DUSB_VID={build.vid} -DUSB_PID={build.pid}
+leonardo.build.extra_flags={build.usb_flags}
 
 ##############################################################
 
@@ -217,10 +218,11 @@ micro.build.mcu=atmega32u4
 micro.build.f_cpu=16000000L
 micro.build.vid=0x2341
 micro.build.pid=0x8037
+micro.build.usb_product='A','r','d','u','i','n','o',32,'M','i','c','r','o'
 micro.build.board=AVR_MICRO
 micro.build.core=arduino
 micro.build.variant=micro
-micro.build.extra_flags=-DUSB_VID={build.vid} -DUSB_PID={build.pid}
+micro.build.extra_flags={build.usb_flags}
 
 ##############################################################
 
@@ -246,10 +248,11 @@ esplora.build.mcu=atmega32u4
 esplora.build.f_cpu=16000000L
 esplora.build.vid=0x2341
 esplora.build.pid=0x803c
+esplora.build.usb_product='A','r','d','u','i','n','o',32,'E','s','p','l','o','r','a'
 esplora.build.board=AVR_ESPLORA
 esplora.build.core=arduino
 esplora.build.variant=leonardo
-esplora.build.extra_flags=-DUSB_VID={build.vid} -DUSB_PID={build.pid}
+esplora.build.extra_flags={build.usb_flags}
 
 ##############################################################
 
@@ -407,15 +410,15 @@ LilyPadUSB.bootloader.extended_fuses=0xce
 LilyPadUSB.bootloader.file=caterina-LilyPadUSB/Caterina-LilyPadUSB.hex
 LilyPadUSB.bootloader.unlock_bits=0x3F
 LilyPadUSB.bootloader.lock_bits=0x2F
-
 LilyPadUSB.build.mcu=atmega32u4
 LilyPadUSB.build.f_cpu=8000000L
 LilyPadUSB.build.vid=0x1B4F
 LilyPadUSB.build.pid=0x9208
+LilyPadUSB.build.usb_product='L','i','l','y','P','a','d','U','S','B'
 LilyPadUSB.build.board=AVR_LILYPAD_USB
 LilyPadUSB.build.core=arduino
 LilyPadUSB.build.variant=leonardo
-LilyPadUSB.build.extra_flags=-DUSB_VID={build.vid} -DUSB_PID={build.pid}
+LilyPadUSB.build.extra_flags={build.usb_flags}
 
 ##############################################################
 
diff --git a/hardware/arduino/avr/cores/arduino/USBCore.cpp b/hardware/arduino/avr/cores/arduino/USBCore.cpp
index d3e01706567..c170ae82513 100644
--- a/hardware/arduino/avr/cores/arduino/USBCore.cpp
+++ b/hardware/arduino/avr/cores/arduino/USBCore.cpp
@@ -49,31 +49,39 @@ const u16 STRING_LANGUAGE[2] = {
 	0x0409	// English
 };
 
-const u16 STRING_IPRODUCT[17] = {
-	(3<<8) | (2+2*16),
-#if USB_PID == 0x8036	
-	'A','r','d','u','i','n','o',' ','L','e','o','n','a','r','d','o'
-#elif USB_PID == 0x8037
-	'A','r','d','u','i','n','o',' ','M','i','c','r','o',' ',' ',' '
-#elif USB_PID == 0x803C
-	'A','r','d','u','i','n','o',' ','E','s','p','l','o','r','a',' '
-#elif USB_PID == 0x9208
-	'L','i','l','y','P','a','d','U','S','B',' ',' ',' ',' ',' ',' '
-#else
-	'U','S','B',' ','I','O',' ','B','o','a','r','d',' ',' ',' ',' '
+/*
+ * Some gotchas when setting USB_MANUFACTURER & USB_PRODUCT from boards.txt:
+ *
+ * - Must be specified in the character format shown
+ * - Must not contain spaces, or spaces must be escaped as numeric 32
+ *
+ * See provided boards.txt for examples.
+ */
+
+#ifndef USB_PRODUCT
+#define USB_PRODUCT     'U','S','B',' ','I','O',' ','B','o','a','r','d'
 #endif
-};
 
-const u16 STRING_IMANUFACTURER[12] = {
-	(3<<8) | (2+2*11),
+static const u8 _IPRODUCT[] = { USB_PRODUCT };
+static const u8 _IPRODUCT_LEN = 2 + sizeof(_IPRODUCT)*2;
+// Product name descriptor payload
+const u16 STRING_IPRODUCT[_IPRODUCT_LEN] = { (3<<8) | _IPRODUCT_LEN, USB_PRODUCT };
+
 #if USB_VID == 0x2341
-	'A','r','d','u','i','n','o',' ','L','L','C'
+#define USB_MANUFACTURER	'A','r','d','u','i','n','o',' ','L','L','C'
 #elif USB_VID == 0x1b4f
-	'S','p','a','r','k','F','u','n',' ',' ',' '
+#define USB_IMANUFACTUTER	'S','p','a','r','k','F','u','n'
 #else
-	'U','n','k','n','o','w','n',' ',' ',' ',' '
+#ifndef USB_MANUFACTURER
+// Fall through to unknown if no manufacturer name was provided in a macro
+#define USB_MANUFACTURER	'U','n','k','n','o','w','n'
 #endif
-};
+#endif
+
+static const u8 _IMANUFACTURER[] = { USB_MANUFACTURER };
+static const u8 _IMANUFACTURER_LEN = 2 + sizeof(_IMANUFACTURER)*2;
+// Manufacturer name descriptor payload
+const u16 STRING_IMANUFACTURER[_IMANUFACTURER_LEN] = { (3<<8) | _IMANUFACTURER_LEN, USB_MANUFACTURER };
 
 #ifdef CDC_ENABLED
 #define DEVICE_CLASS 0x02
@@ -476,7 +484,6 @@ bool SendDescriptor(Setup& setup)
 		return HID_GetDescriptor(t);
 #endif
 
-	u8 desc_length = 0;
 	const u8* desc_addr = 0;
 	if (USB_DEVICE_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE == t)
 	{
@@ -498,8 +505,7 @@ bool SendDescriptor(Setup& setup)
 
 	if (desc_addr == 0)
 		return false;
-	if (desc_length == 0)
-		desc_length = pgm_read_byte(desc_addr);
+        u8 desc_length = pgm_read_byte(desc_addr);
 
 	USB_SendControl(TRANSFER_PGM,desc_addr,desc_length);
 	return true;
diff --git a/hardware/arduino/avr/platform.txt b/hardware/arduino/avr/platform.txt
index 6bbe078ab52..4957c7de516 100644
--- a/hardware/arduino/avr/platform.txt
+++ b/hardware/arduino/avr/platform.txt
@@ -83,3 +83,9 @@ tools.avrdude.bootloader.params.verbose=-v -v -v -v
 tools.avrdude.bootloader.params.quiet=-q -q
 tools.avrdude.bootloader.pattern="{cmd.path}" "-C{config.path}" {bootloader.verbose} -p{build.mcu} -c{protocol} {program.extra_params} "-Uflash:w:{runtime.ide.path}/hardware/arduino/avr/bootloaders/{bootloader.file}:i" -Ulock:w:{bootloader.lock_bits}:m
 
+
+# USB Default Flags
+# Default blank usb manufacturer will be filled it at compile time
+# - from numeric vendor ID, set to Unknown otherwise
+build.usb_manufacturer=
+build.usb_flags=-DUSB_VID={build.vid} -DUSB_PID={build.pid} -DUSB_MANUFACTURER={build.usb_manufacturer} -DUSB_PRODUCT={build.usb_product}