diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 9ad6d3c8a7..9615408048 100755
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -349,6 +349,11 @@ endif()
 
 include(CompilerFlags)
 
+###############################################################################
+# Include utility functions for setting debugging environments
+
+include(DebuggerEnvironment)
+
 ###############################################################################
 # External linking options
 
diff --git a/share/cmake/utils/DebuggerEnvironment.cmake b/share/cmake/utils/DebuggerEnvironment.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2b47980976
--- /dev/null
+++ b/share/cmake/utils/DebuggerEnvironment.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
+# Copyright Contributors to the OpenColorIO Project.
+
+
+###############################################################################
+# Define a function to set debugger environment so that the run time 
+# dependencies can be located by the debugger.
+
+function(set_debugger_env target_name)
+    cmake_parse_arguments(ARG "NEEDS_GL" "" "" ${ARGN})
+
+    if(NOT TARGET ${target_name})
+        message(FATAL_ERROR "set_debugger_env: '${target_name}' is not a CMake target")
+    endif()
+
+    # Set the Paths for Visual Studio IDE Debugger.
+    if(MSVC)
+        if(OCIO_GL_ENABLED AND ARG_NEEDS_GL)
+            # Add folders for glut and glew DLLs.
+            set(extra_dirs "${GLUT_INCLUDE_DIR}/../bin;${GLEW_INCLUDE_DIRS}/../bin")
+        endif()
+
+        set_property(TARGET ${target_name} PROPERTY
+            VS_DEBUGGER_ENVIRONMENT "PATH=$<JOIN:$<TARGET_RUNTIME_DLL_DIRS:${target_name}>,;>;${extra_dirs};%PATH%"
+        )
+    endif()
+endfunction()
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/apps/ocioarchive/CMakeLists.txt b/src/apps/ocioarchive/CMakeLists.txt
index 599d706f09..b8af2808fb 100644
--- a/src/apps/ocioarchive/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/apps/ocioarchive/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -30,3 +30,7 @@ ocio_strip_binary(ocioarchive)
 install(TARGETS ocioarchive
     RUNTIME DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_BINDIR}
 )
+
+# Set the debugger environment so that the executable can be launched
+# directly within IDE (e.g. Visual Studio).
+set_debugger_env(ocioarchive)
diff --git a/src/apps/ociobakelut/CMakeLists.txt b/src/apps/ociobakelut/CMakeLists.txt
index 3d6e586b96..09cd76b137 100755
--- a/src/apps/ociobakelut/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/apps/ociobakelut/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -39,3 +39,7 @@ ocio_strip_binary(ociobakelut)
 install(TARGETS ociobakelut
     RUNTIME DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_BINDIR}
 )
+
+# Set the debugger environment so that the executable can be launched
+# directly within IDE (e.g. Visual Studio).
+set_debugger_env(ociobakelut)
diff --git a/src/apps/ociocheck/CMakeLists.txt b/src/apps/ociocheck/CMakeLists.txt
index 024139546d..50955bc0d7 100755
--- a/src/apps/ociocheck/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/apps/ociocheck/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -28,3 +28,7 @@ ocio_strip_binary(ociocheck)
 install(TARGETS ociocheck
     RUNTIME DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_BINDIR}
 )
+
+# Set the debugger environment so that the executable can be launched
+# directly within IDE (e.g. Visual Studio).
+set_debugger_env(ociocheck)
diff --git a/src/apps/ociochecklut/CMakeLists.txt b/src/apps/ociochecklut/CMakeLists.txt
index 431b1b79fb..f4662f1b02 100644
--- a/src/apps/ociochecklut/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/apps/ociochecklut/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -36,3 +36,7 @@ ocio_strip_binary(ociochecklut)
 install(TARGETS ociochecklut
     RUNTIME DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_BINDIR}
 )
+
+# Set the debugger environment so that the executable can be launched
+# directly within IDE (e.g. Visual Studio).
+set_debugger_env(ociochecklut NEEDS_GL)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/apps/ocioconvert/CMakeLists.txt b/src/apps/ocioconvert/CMakeLists.txt
index 7b7abddcf2..fb9c295058 100755
--- a/src/apps/ocioconvert/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/apps/ocioconvert/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -40,3 +40,7 @@ ocio_strip_binary(ocioconvert)
 install(TARGETS ocioconvert
     RUNTIME DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_BINDIR}
 )
+
+# Set the debugger environment so that the executable can be launched
+# directly within IDE (e.g. Visual Studio).
+set_debugger_env(ocioconvert NEEDS_GL)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/apps/ociodisplay/CMakeLists.txt b/src/apps/ociodisplay/CMakeLists.txt
index 14b53cfda3..9261f1cab4 100755
--- a/src/apps/ociodisplay/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/apps/ociodisplay/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -53,3 +53,7 @@ ocio_strip_binary(ociodisplay)
 install(TARGETS ociodisplay
     RUNTIME DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_BINDIR}
 )
+
+# Set the debugger environment so that the executable can be launched
+# directly within IDE (e.g. Visual Studio).
+set_debugger_env(ociodisplay NEEDS_GL)
diff --git a/src/apps/ociolutimage/CMakeLists.txt b/src/apps/ociolutimage/CMakeLists.txt
index a470d2f6eb..07bdad9307 100755
--- a/src/apps/ociolutimage/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/apps/ociolutimage/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -33,3 +33,7 @@ ocio_strip_binary(ociolutimage)
 install(TARGETS ociolutimage
 	RUNTIME DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_BINDIR}
 )
+
+# Set the debugger environment so that the executable can be launched
+# directly within IDE (e.g. Visual Studio).
+set_debugger_env(ociolutimage)
diff --git a/src/apps/ociomakeclf/CMakeLists.txt b/src/apps/ociomakeclf/CMakeLists.txt
index fc3bd8e9f1..42028303ba 100644
--- a/src/apps/ociomakeclf/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/apps/ociomakeclf/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -29,3 +29,7 @@ ocio_strip_binary(ociomakeclf)
 install(TARGETS ociomakeclf
     RUNTIME DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_BINDIR}
 )
+
+# Set the debugger environment so that the executable can be launched
+# directly within IDE (e.g. Visual Studio).
+set_debugger_env(ociomakeclf)
diff --git a/src/apps/ociomergeconfigs/CMakeLists.txt b/src/apps/ociomergeconfigs/CMakeLists.txt
index 5a2a5bbe12..f89f2a34ea 100644
--- a/src/apps/ociomergeconfigs/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/apps/ociomergeconfigs/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -30,3 +30,7 @@ ocio_strip_binary(ociomergeconfigs)
 install(TARGETS ociomergeconfigs
     RUNTIME DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_BINDIR}
 )
+
+# Set the debugger environment so that the executable can be launched
+# directly within IDE (e.g. Visual Studio).
+set_debugger_env(ociomergeconfigs)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/apps/ocioperf/CMakeLists.txt b/src/apps/ocioperf/CMakeLists.txt
index c056080bc5..010374f148 100644
--- a/src/apps/ocioperf/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/apps/ocioperf/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -25,3 +25,7 @@ ocio_strip_binary(ocioperf)
 install(TARGETS ocioperf
     RUNTIME DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_BINDIR}
 )
+
+# Set the debugger environment so that the executable can be launched
+# directly within IDE (e.g. Visual Studio).
+set_debugger_env(ocioperf)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/apps/ociowrite/CMakeLists.txt b/src/apps/ociowrite/CMakeLists.txt
index bd77acfea6..54e48b103d 100644
--- a/src/apps/ociowrite/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/apps/ociowrite/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -24,3 +24,7 @@ ocio_strip_binary(ociowrite)
 install(TARGETS ociowrite
     RUNTIME DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_BINDIR}
 )
+
+# Set the debugger environment so that the executable can be launched
+# directly within IDE (e.g. Visual Studio).
+set_debugger_env(ociowrite)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/gpu/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/gpu/CMakeLists.txt
index 5f1c0379cf..55dbb3a881 100644
--- a/tests/gpu/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/gpu/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -48,16 +48,20 @@ endif()
 
 # Note: To avoid changing PATH from outside the cmake files.
 if(MSVC AND BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
+	# Build time list of runtime dll dirs for the exe target.
+	set(dll_dirs_expr "$<JOIN:$<TARGET_RUNTIME_DLL_DIRS:test_gpu_exec>,;>")
 
-    if (MSVC_IDE)
-        # Note: By default Microsoft Visual Studio editor happens the build type to the build directory.
-        set(BUILD_TYPE ${CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE})
-    endif()
+	# Add folders for glut and glew DLLs.
+	set(extra_dirs "${GLUT_INCLUDE_DIR}/../bin;${GLEW_INCLUDE_DIRS}/../bin")
 
-    set(NEW_PATH "${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/src/OpenColorIO/${BUILD_TYPE}")
-    set(NEW_PATH "${NEW_PATH}\\\;${GLUT_INCLUDE_DIR}/../bin")
-    set(NEW_PATH "${NEW_PATH}\\\;${GLEW_INCLUDE_DIRS}/../bin")
-
-    set_tests_properties(test_gpu PROPERTIES ENVIRONMENT PATH=${NEW_PATH})
+	# Tell CTest to use this PATH while launching test_gpu_exec
+	set_tests_properties(test_gpu PROPERTIES
+		ENVIRONMENT "PATH=${dll_dirs_expr};${extra_dirs};$ENV{PATH}"
+	)
 
+	# Also set the debugger environment so that you can launch 
+	# test_gpu_exec directly within Visual Studio.
+	set_property(TARGET test_gpu_exec PROPERTY
+		VS_DEBUGGER_ENVIRONMENT "PATH=${dll_dirs_expr};${extra_dirs};%PATH%"
+	)
 endif()