diff --git a/app/src/processing/app/debug/BasicUploader.java b/app/src/processing/app/debug/BasicUploader.java
index 06e097373..6daa5b4e9 100644
--- a/app/src/processing/app/debug/BasicUploader.java
+++ b/app/src/processing/app/debug/BasicUploader.java
@@ -51,7 +51,13 @@ public class BasicUploader extends Uploader  {
     TargetPlatform targetPlatform = Base.getTargetPlatform();
     PreferencesMap prefs = Preferences.getMap();
     prefs.putAll(Base.getBoardPreferences());
-    prefs.putAll(targetPlatform.getTool(prefs.getOrExcept("upload.tool")));
+    String tool = prefs.getOrExcept("upload.tool");
+    if (tool.contains(":")) {
+      String[] split = tool.split(":", 2);
+      targetPlatform = Base.getCurrentTargetPlatformFromPackage(split[0]);
+      tool = split[1];
+    }
+    prefs.putAll(targetPlatform.getTool(tool));
 
     // if no protocol is specified for this board, assume it lacks a 
     // bootloader and upload using the selected programmer.
diff --git a/app/src/processing/app/debug/TargetPackage.java b/app/src/processing/app/debug/TargetPackage.java
index 020cf89e3..6bc199b31 100644
--- a/app/src/processing/app/debug/TargetPackage.java
+++ b/app/src/processing/app/debug/TargetPackage.java
@@ -47,8 +47,16 @@ public class TargetPackage {
       if (!subFolder.exists() || !subFolder.canRead())
         continue;
       String arch = subFolder.getName();
-      TargetPlatform platform = new TargetPlatform(arch, subFolder, this);
-      platforms.put(arch, platform);
+      try {
+        TargetPlatform platform = new TargetPlatform(arch, subFolder, this);
+        platforms.put(arch, platform);
+      } catch (TargetPlatformException e) {
+        continue;
+      }
+    }
+
+    if(platforms.size() == 0) {
+      throw new TargetPlatformException("No architecture directories with boards.txt files were found in hardware folder " + _folder.getName() + ". Is it pre-1.5?");
     }
   }