diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 530f3dda3..64d27da42 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ set(OpenBLAS_MINOR_VERSION 2)
 set(OpenBLAS_PATCH_VERSION 13)
 set(OpenBLAS_VERSION "${OpenBLAS_MAJOR_VERSION}.${OpenBLAS_MINOR_VERSION}.${OpenBLAS_PATCH_VERSION}")
 
-enable_language(Fortran)
 enable_language(ASM)
 
 message(WARNING "CMake support is experimental. This will not produce the same Makefiles that OpenBLAS ships with. Only x86 support is currently available.")
diff --git a/cmake/f_check.cmake b/cmake/f_check.cmake
index 266cdbb2a..f7651db56 100644
--- a/cmake/f_check.cmake
+++ b/cmake/f_check.cmake
@@ -20,6 +20,13 @@
 # NEEDBUNDERSCORE
 # NEED2UNDERSCORES
 
+if (MSVC)
+  # had to do this for MSVC, else CMake automatically assumes I have ifort... -hpa
+  include(CMakeForceCompiler)
+  CMAKE_FORCE_Fortran_COMPILER(gfortran GNU)
+endif ()
+enable_language(Fortran)
+
 if (NOT ONLY_CBLAS)
   # N.B. f_check is not cross-platform, so instead try to use CMake variables
   # run f_check (appends to TARGET files)