diff --git a/Arduino.mk b/Arduino.mk
index 40c4b5e..54583dd 100644
--- a/Arduino.mk
+++ b/Arduino.mk
@@ -458,12 +458,6 @@ endif
 
 ARDUINO_LIB_PATH  = $(ARDUINO_DIR)/libraries
 $(call show_config_variable,ARDUINO_LIB_PATH,[COMPUTED],(from ARDUINO_DIR))
-ifndef ARDUINO_CORE_PATH
-    ARDUINO_CORE_PATH = $(ARDUINO_DIR)/hardware/$(VENDOR)/$(ARCHITECTURE)/cores/arduino
-    $(call show_config_variable,ARDUINO_CORE_PATH,[DEFAULT])
-else
-    $(call show_config_variable,ARDUINO_CORE_PATH,[USER])
-endif
 
 # 1.5.x platform dependent libs path
 ifndef ARDUINO_PLATFORM_LIB_PATH
@@ -565,6 +559,13 @@ endif
 # But the user might have to define MCU, F_CPU etc
 ifeq ($(strip $(NO_CORE)),)
 
+    # Select a core from the 'cores' directory. Two main values: 'arduino' or
+    # 'robot', but can also hold 'tiny', for example, if using
+    # https://code.google.com/p/arduino-tiny alternate core.
+    ifndef CORE
+        CORE = $(call PARSE_BOARD,$(BOARD_TAG),build.core)
+    endif
+
     # Which variant ? This affects the include path
     ifndef VARIANT
         VARIANT = $(call PARSE_BOARD,$(BOARD_TAG),build.variant)
@@ -697,6 +698,25 @@ else
     $(call show_config_variable,OBJDIR,[USER])
 endif
 
+# Now that we have ARDUINO_DIR, VENDOR, ARCHITECTURE and CORE,
+# we can set ARDUINO_CORE_PATH.
+ifndef ARDUINO_CORE_PATH
+    ifeq ($(strip $(CORE)),)
+        ARDUINO_CORE_PATH = $(ARDUINO_DIR)/hardware/$(VENDOR)/$(ARCHITECTURE)/cores/arduino
+        $(call show_config_variable,ARDUINO_CORE_PATH,[DEFAULT])
+    else
+        ARDUINO_CORE_PATH = $(ALTERNATE_CORE_PATH)/cores/$(CORE)
+        ifeq ($(wildcard $(ARDUINO_CORE_PATH)),)
+            ARDUINO_CORE_PATH = $(ARDUINO_DIR)/hardware/$(VENDOR)/$(ARCHITECTURE)/cores/$(CORE)
+            $(call show_config_variable,ARDUINO_CORE_PATH,[COMPUTED],(from ARDUINO_DIR, BOARD_TAG and boards.txt))
+        else
+            $(call show_config_variable,ARDUINO_CORE_PATH,[COMPUTED],(from ALTERNATE_CORE_PATH, BOARD_TAG and boards.txt))
+        endif
+    endif
+else
+    $(call show_config_variable,ARDUINO_CORE_PATH,[USER])
+endif
+
 ########################################################################
 # Reset