diff --git a/etc/cshrc b/etc/cshrc
index 96963952fa..7b959e8c43 100644
--- a/etc/cshrc
+++ b/etc/cshrc
@@ -74,7 +74,9 @@ alias _foamSource 'if ($?FOAM_VERBOSE && $?prompt) echo "Sourcing: \!*"; source
 
 # Add in preset user or site preferences:
 set foamPrefs=`$WM_PROJECT_DIR/bin/foamEtcFile prefs.csh`
-if ( $status == 0 ) _foamSource $foamPrefs
+if ( $status == 0 ) then
+    _foamSource $foamPrefs
+endif
 unset foamPrefs
 
 
diff --git a/etc/settings.csh b/etc/settings.csh
index 5670e449a6..7a0d1f40c8 100644
--- a/etc/settings.csh
+++ b/etc/settings.csh
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ _foamAddLib  $FOAM_USER_LIBBIN
 # Select compiler installation
 # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 # compilerInstall = OpenFOAM | system
-set compilerInstall=OpenFOAM
+if ( ! $?compilerInstall ) set compilerInstall=OpenFOAM
 
 switch ("$compilerInstall")
 case OpenFOAM:
diff --git a/etc/settings.sh b/etc/settings.sh
index 6c787386d1..ca3ab25c2c 100644
--- a/etc/settings.sh
+++ b/etc/settings.sh
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ unset compilerBin compilerLib compilerMan
 # Select compiler installation
 # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 # compilerInstall = OpenFOAM | system
-compilerInstall=OpenFOAM
+: ${compilerInstall:=OpenFOAM}
 
 case "${compilerInstall:-OpenFOAM}" in
 OpenFOAM)