diff --git a/docs/settings.rst b/docs/settings.rst
index 2a1cfe75..a3ac6606 100644
--- a/docs/settings.rst
+++ b/docs/settings.rst
@@ -82,9 +82,9 @@ Setting name (default value)                        What does it do?
                                                     generated HTML, using the `Typogrify
                                                     <http://static.mintchaos.com/projects/typogrify/>`_
                                                     library
-`LESS_GENERATOR` (``FALSE``)                        Set to True if you want to enable compiling less
-                                                    files. Requires installation of `less css`_.
-`LESS_COMPILER` (``'/usr/bin/lessc'``)              The path to less css compiler (`lessc`)
+`LESS_GENERATOR` (``FALSE``)                        Set to True or complete path to `lessc` (if not
+                                                    found in system PATH) to enable compiling less
+                                                    css files. Requires installation of `less css`_.
 ================================================    =====================================================
 
 .. [#] Default is the system locale.
diff --git a/pelican/__init__.py b/pelican/__init__.py
index 1161f7e2..6b3d12fb 100644
--- a/pelican/__init__.py
+++ b/pelican/__init__.py
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ class Pelican(object):
         generators = [ArticlesGenerator, PagesGenerator, StaticGenerator]
         if self.settings['PDF_GENERATOR']:
             generators.append(PdfGenerator)
-        if self.settings['LESS_GENERATOR']:
+        if self.settings['LESS_GENERATOR']: # can be True or PATH to lessc
             generators.append(LessCSSGenerator)
         return generators
 
diff --git a/pelican/generators.py b/pelican/generators.py
index 4eecd9dc..37413ddb 100644
--- a/pelican/generators.py
+++ b/pelican/generators.py
@@ -418,7 +418,7 @@ class PdfGenerator(Generator):
 
 
 class LessCSSGenerator(Generator):
-    """Compile less css files. This assumes we have `lessc` in our PATH."""
+    """Compile less css files."""
 
     def _compile(self, less_file, source_dir, dest_dir):
         base = os.path.relpath(less_file, source_dir)
@@ -433,13 +433,18 @@ class LessCSSGenerator(Generator):
                 logger.error("Couldn't create the pdf output folder in " +
                         target_dir)
 
-        cmd = ' '.join([self.settings['LESS_COMPILER'], less_file, target])
+        cmd = ' '.join([self._lessc, less_file, target])
         subprocess.call(cmd, shell=True)
         logger.info(u' [ok] compiled %s' % base)
 
     def generate_output(self, writer=None):
         logger.info(u' Compiling less css')
 
+        # store out compiler here, so it won't be evaulted on each run of
+        # _compile
+        lg = self.settings['LESS_GENERATOR']
+        self._lessc = lg if isinstance(lg, basestring) else 'lessc'
+
         # walk static paths
         for static_path in self.settings['STATIC_PATHS']:
             for f in self.get_files(
diff --git a/pelican/settings.py b/pelican/settings.py
index 8d8a7d75..771c72c6 100644
--- a/pelican/settings.py
+++ b/pelican/settings.py
@@ -68,7 +68,6 @@ _DEFAULT_CONFIG = {'PATH': '.',
                    'ARTICLE_PERMALINK_STRUCTURE': '',
                    'TYPOGRIFY': False,
                    'LESS_GENERATOR': False,
-                   'LESS_COMPILER': '/usr/bin/lessc',
                    }
 
 
diff --git a/tests/test_generators.py b/tests/test_generators.py
index ce1b9e7e..ecaacfcd 100644
--- a/tests/test_generators.py
+++ b/tests/test_generators.py
@@ -68,7 +68,6 @@ class TestLessCSSGenerator(unittest.TestCase):
         settings = _DEFAULT_CONFIG.copy()
         settings['STATIC_PATHS'] = ['static']
         settings['LESS_GENERATOR'] = True
-        settings['LESS_COMPILER'] = 'lessc'
 
         # we'll nest here for py < 2.7 compat
         with temporary_folder() as temp_content: