diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index db0cc8da7..cdd237320 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -123,8 +123,6 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           set -eux
 
-          touch CMakePresets.json
-
           JA2Application=$(echo '${{ matrix.application }}' | tr '[:lower:]' '[:upper:]')
 
           echo "
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 6466f05cb..a4aee5531 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -6,6 +6,6 @@
 /.vs/
 /build/
 /out/
-/CMakePresets.json
+/CMakeUserPresets.json
 /CMakeSettings.json
 /lib/
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index ede067867..227b660e2 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -18,9 +18,6 @@ if(USE_SCCACHE)
   endif()
 endif()
 
-include(cmake/CopyUserPresetTemplate.cmake)
-CopyUserPresetTemplate()
-
 set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 17)
 set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED ON)
 set(CMAKE_CXX_EXTENSIONS OFF)
diff --git a/CMakePresets.json b/CMakePresets.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..068236716
--- /dev/null
+++ b/CMakePresets.json
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+{
+  "version": 3,
+  "cmakeMinimumRequired": {
+    "major": 3,
+    "minor": 20,
+    "patch": 0
+  },
+  "configurePresets": [
+    {
+      "name": "base",
+      "hidden": true,
+      "description": "Applications is JA2|JA2MAPEDITOR|JA2UB|JA2UBMAPEDITOR|empty(all 4); override CMAKE_RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY in CMakeUserPresets.json to debug another install.",
+      "generator": "Ninja",
+      "binaryDir": "${sourceDir}/build/${presetName}",
+      "architecture": {
+        "value": "x86",
+        "strategy": "external"
+      },
+      "cacheVariables": {
+        "CMAKE_RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY": "${sourceDir}/gamedir"
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "name": "msvc",
+      "hidden": true,
+      "inherits": "base",
+      "vendor": {
+        "microsoft.com/VisualStudioSettings/CMake/1.0": {
+          "hostOS": [ "Windows" ],
+          "intelliSenseMode": "windows-msvc-x86"
+        }
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "name": "msvc-relwithdebinfo",
+      "inherits": "msvc",
+      "cacheVariables": {
+        "CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE": "RelWithDebInfo"
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "name": "msvc-debug",
+      "inherits": "msvc",
+      "cacheVariables": {
+        "CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE": "Debug"
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "name": "msvc-release",
+      "inherits": "msvc",
+      "cacheVariables": {
+        "CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE": "Release"
+      }
+    }
+  ],
+  "buildPresets": [
+    { "name": "msvc-relwithdebinfo", "configurePreset": "msvc-relwithdebinfo" },
+    { "name": "msvc-debug", "configurePreset": "msvc-debug" },
+    { "name": "msvc-release", "configurePreset": "msvc-release" }
+  ]
+}
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d88fd63e0..5f5ec72d1 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -65,10 +65,9 @@ Visit the [releases page](https://github.com/1dot13/source/releases) to download
         * Double-click on `Folder View` in the `Solution Explorer`
     * Click `Open a local folder`
         * Use this option if you already cloned the repository yourself.
-3. Visual Studio will automatically detect the CMake configuration files and will run the CMake generation. There will bet a CMake error in the logs saying `No existing preset was found, copied a preset template to [some_path]`. This is normal and only happens once.
-4. Click on the dropdown that says `x64-Debug` and select `Manage configurations...`. This should trigger Visual Studio to load the `CMakeUserPresets.json` file it just copied. Now you can close the window for managing the configurations.
-5. The `x64-Debug` option should have been replaced by `1dot13 Debug`. Click it and select `Manage configurations...` again. Here is where you configure the language for the built executables as well as which ones to build, Most important, here is where you set `CMAKE_RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY` to the path to your JA2 1.13 installation. This will be used for debugging. Note that the path needs to have a working 1.13 installation, and that includes the 1.13 game data.
-6. You can use `Build -> Build All` to build the executables you selected in the configuration.
+3. Visual Studio detects `CMakePresets.json` and lists the `msvc-*` configurations. Executables are written to `gamedir/`.
+4. To build only some applications, or to debug against a different JA2 1.13 install, add/modify a `CMakeUserPresets.json` in the source root that inherits one of the shipped presets and sets the `Applications` and/or `CMAKE_RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY` `cacheVariables`. Language is chosen at runtime, not at configure time.
+5. Use `Build -> Build All` to build.
 
 
 ### Reports
diff --git a/cmake/CopyUserPresetTemplate.cmake b/cmake/CopyUserPresetTemplate.cmake
deleted file mode 100644
index 44fba52e0..000000000
--- a/cmake/CopyUserPresetTemplate.cmake
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,10 +0,0 @@
-function(CopyUserPresetTemplate)
-	if(
-		NOT DEFINED Applications AND
-		NOT EXISTS "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/CMakePresets.json" AND
-		NOT EXISTS "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/CMakeUserPresets.json"
-	)
-		file(COPY "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/presets/CMakePresets.json" DESTINATION "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}")
-		message(FATAL_ERROR "No existing preset was found, copied a preset template to ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/CMakePresets.json.")
-	endif()
-endfunction()
diff --git a/cmake/presets/CMakePresets.json b/cmake/presets/CMakePresets.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 86202416c..000000000
--- a/cmake/presets/CMakePresets.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,41 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "version": 3,
-  "configurePresets": [
-    {
-      "name": "__userBase",
-      "hidden": true,
-      "description": "Applications takes any of JA2, JA2MAPEDITOR, JA2UB, JA2UBMAPEDITOR, and builds all four when empty. Set CMAKE_RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY to a gamedir, e.g. C:/Games/JA2, to put the executables where they can be debugged.",
-      "generator": "Ninja",
-      "binaryDir": "${sourceDir}/build/${presetName}",
-      "cacheVariables": {
-        "Applications": "JA2",
-        "CMAKE_RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY": "."
-      },
-      "architecture": {
-        "value": "x86",
-        "strategy": "external"
-      }
-    },
-    {
-      "name": "1dot13 RelWithDebInfo",
-      "inherits": "__userBase",
-      "cacheVariables": {
-        "CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE": "RelWithDebInfo"
-      }
-    },
-    {
-      "name": "1dot13 Release",
-      "inherits": "__userBase",
-      "cacheVariables": {
-        "CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE": "Release"
-      }
-    },
-    {
-      "name": "1dot13 Debug",
-      "inherits": "__userBase",
-      "cacheVariables": {
-        "CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE": "Debug"
-      }
-    }
-  ]
-}