diff --git a/src/Makefile.global.in b/src/Makefile.global.in
index 8bebc0244a..7af91e2d58 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.global.in
+++ b/src/Makefile.global.in
@@ -340,7 +340,7 @@ PROVE = @PROVE@
 # extra perl modules in their own directory.
 PG_PROVE_FLAGS = -I $(top_srcdir)/src/test/perl/ -I $(srcdir)
 # User-supplied prove flags such as --verbose can be provided in PROVE_FLAGS.
-
+PROVE_FLAGS =
 
 # prepend to path if already set, else just set it
 define add_to_path
diff --git a/src/tools/msvc/vcregress.pl b/src/tools/msvc/vcregress.pl
index 468a62d8aa..eeba30ec8b 100644
--- a/src/tools/msvc/vcregress.pl
+++ b/src/tools/msvc/vcregress.pl
@@ -178,12 +178,18 @@ sub tap_check
 	die "Tap tests not enabled in configuration"
 	  unless $config->{tap_tests};
 
+	my @flags;
+	foreach my $arg (0 .. scalar(@_))
+	{
+		next unless $_[$arg] =~ /^PROVE_FLAGS=(.*)/;
+		@flags = split(/\s+/, $1);
+		splice(@_,$arg,1);
+		last;
+	}
+
 	my $dir = shift;
 	chdir $dir;
 
-	my @flags;
-	@flags = split(/\s+/, $ENV{PROVE_FLAGS}) if exists $ENV{PROVE_FLAGS};
-
 	my @args = ("prove", @flags, "t/*.pl");
 
 	# adjust the environment for just this test