diff --git a/lib/inspec/control_eval_context.rb b/lib/inspec/control_eval_context.rb
index 5fe9b60ae..c0fd8fa50 100644
--- a/lib/inspec/control_eval_context.rb
+++ b/lib/inspec/control_eval_context.rb
@@ -107,7 +107,9 @@ module Inspec
         end
 
         define_method :register_control do |control, &block|
-          ::Inspec::Rule.set_skip_rule(control, true) if @skip_profile
+          if @skip_profile || !profile_context_owner.profile_supports_os?
+            ::Inspec::Rule.set_skip_rule(control, true)
+          end
 
           profile_context_owner.register_rule(control, &block) unless control.nil?
         end
diff --git a/lib/inspec/dependencies/requirement.rb b/lib/inspec/dependencies/requirement.rb
index 3cccb34af..379274cbb 100644
--- a/lib/inspec/dependencies/requirement.rb
+++ b/lib/inspec/dependencies/requirement.rb
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ module Inspec
       req
     end
 
-    attr_reader :name, :cwd, :opts, :required_version
+    attr_reader :cwd, :opts, :required_version
     def initialize(name, version_constraints, vendor_index, cwd, opts)
       @name = name
       @required_version = Gem::Requirement.new(Array(version_constraints))
@@ -39,6 +39,14 @@ module Inspec
       @cwd = cwd
     end
 
+    #
+    # A dependency can be renamed in inspec.yml/inspec.lock.  Prefer
+    # the name the user gave this dependency over the profile name.
+    #
+    def name
+      @name || profile.name
+    end
+
     def source_version
       profile.version
     end
diff --git a/lib/inspec/profile.rb b/lib/inspec/profile.rb
index 8902a1878..9114b2e93 100644
--- a/lib/inspec/profile.rb
+++ b/lib/inspec/profile.rb
@@ -51,8 +51,7 @@ module Inspec
       for_path(resolve_target(target, opts[:cache]), opts.merge(target: target))
     end
 
-    attr_reader :source_reader
-    attr_accessor :runner_context
+    attr_reader :source_reader, :backend, :runner_context
     def_delegator :@source_reader, :tests
     def_delegator :@source_reader, :libraries
     def_delegator :@source_reader, :metadata
@@ -81,6 +80,24 @@ module Inspec
       metadata.params[:version]
     end
 
+    #
+    # Is this profile is supported on the current platform of the
+    # backend machine and the current inspec version.
+    #
+    # @returns [TrueClass, FalseClass]
+    #
+    def supported?
+      supports_os? && supports_runtime?
+    end
+
+    def supports_os?
+      metadata.supports_transport?(@backend)
+    end
+
+    def supports_runtime?
+      metadata.supports_runtime?
+    end
+
     def params
       @params ||= load_params
     end
diff --git a/lib/inspec/profile_context.rb b/lib/inspec/profile_context.rb
index 6d2a62bb0..d711b11a1 100644
--- a/lib/inspec/profile_context.rb
+++ b/lib/inspec/profile_context.rb
@@ -59,6 +59,12 @@ module Inspec
       @control_eval_context = nil
     end
 
+    def profile_supports_os?
+      return true if @conf['profile'].nil?
+
+      @conf['profile'].supports_os?
+    end
+
     def all_rules
       ret = @rules.values
       ret += @subcontexts.map(&:all_rules).flatten
diff --git a/lib/inspec/runner.rb b/lib/inspec/runner.rb
index 6ce7e98ff..a08d18824 100644
--- a/lib/inspec/runner.rb
+++ b/lib/inspec/runner.rb
@@ -66,7 +66,6 @@ module Inspec
 
     def run(with = nil)
       Inspec::Log.debug "Starting run with targets: #{@target_profiles.map(&:to_s)}"
-      Inspec::Log.debug "Backend is #{@backend}"
       all_controls = []
 
       @target_profiles.each do |profile|
@@ -149,17 +148,16 @@ module Inspec
     end
 
     def supports_profile?(profile)
-      return true if profile.metadata.nil? || @ignore_supports
+      return true if @ignore_supports
 
-      if !profile.metadata.supports_runtime?
+      if !profile.supports_runtime?
         fail 'This profile requires InSpec version '\
              "#{profile.metadata.inspec_requirement}. You are running "\
              "InSpec v#{Inspec::VERSION}.\n"
       end
 
-      if !profile.metadata.supports_transport?(@backend)
-        os_info = @backend.os[:name].to_s
-        fail "This OS/platform (#{os_info}) is not supported by this profile."
+      if !profile.supports_os?
+        fail "This OS/platform (#{@backend.os[:name]}) is not supported by this profile."
       end
 
       true
diff --git a/test/functional/inspec_exec_test.rb b/test/functional/inspec_exec_test.rb
index ca3a56359..7d4ddb207 100644
--- a/test/functional/inspec_exec_test.rb
+++ b/test/functional/inspec_exec_test.rb
@@ -184,4 +184,11 @@ Summary: \e[32m2 successful\e[0m, \e[31m0 failures\e[0m, \e[37m0 skipped\e[0m
       out.stdout.force_encoding(Encoding::UTF_8).must_include "Summary: \e[32m2 successful\e[0m, \e[31m0 failures\e[0m, \e[37m0 skipped\e[0m\n"
     end
   end
+
+  describe 'when a dependency does not support our backend platform' do
+    it 'skips the controls from that profile' do
+      out = inspec("exec #{File.join(profile_path, 'profile-support-skip')}")
+      out.stdout.force_encoding(Encoding::UTF_8).must_include "Summary: \e[32m0 successful\e[0m, \e[31m0 failures\e[0m, \e[37m2 skipped\e[0m\n"
+    end
+  end
 end
diff --git a/test/unit/mock/profiles/profile-support-skip/controls/example.rb b/test/unit/mock/profiles/profile-support-skip/controls/example.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4aec8958a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/mock/profiles/profile-support-skip/controls/example.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+# encoding: utf-8
+# copyright: 2015, The Authors
+# license: All rights reserved
+
+include_controls 'windows-only'
diff --git a/test/unit/mock/profiles/profile-support-skip/inspec.yml b/test/unit/mock/profiles/profile-support-skip/inspec.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0a5c2e7b4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/mock/profiles/profile-support-skip/inspec.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+name: profile-support-skip
+title: InSpec Profile
+maintainer: The Authors
+copyright: The Authors
+copyright_email: you@example.com
+license: All Rights Reserved
+summary: An InSpec Compliance Profile
+version: 0.1.0
+depends:
+  - name: windows-only
+    path: '../windows-only'
diff --git a/test/unit/mock/profiles/windows-only/controls/example.rb b/test/unit/mock/profiles/windows-only/controls/example.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..18419cae8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/mock/profiles/windows-only/controls/example.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+# encoding: utf-8
+# copyright: 2015, The Authors
+# license: All rights reserved
+
+control 'dhcp-disabled' do
+  title 'DHCP is disabled'
+  describe windows_feature('dhcp') do
+    it { should be_installed }
+  end
+end
+
+control 'cdrive' do
+  title 'Has a C://'
+  describe file("C://") do
+    it { should be_directory }
+  end
+end
diff --git a/test/unit/mock/profiles/windows-only/inspec.yml b/test/unit/mock/profiles/windows-only/inspec.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6a260f212
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/mock/profiles/windows-only/inspec.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+name: windows-only
+title: InSpec Profile
+maintainer: The Authors
+copyright: The Authors
+copyright_email: you@example.com
+license: All Rights Reserved
+summary: An InSpec Compliance Profile
+version: 0.1.0
+supports:
+  - windows