diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/compilers.rb b/Library/Homebrew/compilers.rb
index 7080f69e7a..b445213ecf 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/compilers.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/compilers.rb
@@ -99,8 +99,11 @@ class CompilerQueue
 end
 
 class CompilerSelector
-  def initialize(f, versions=MacOS)
-    @f = f
+  attr_reader :formula
+
+  def initialize(formula, versions=MacOS)
+    @formula = formula
+    @failures = formula.compiler_failures
     @versions = versions
     @compilers = CompilerQueue.new
     %w{clang llvm gcc gcc_4_0}.map(&:to_sym).each do |cc|
@@ -125,13 +128,17 @@ class CompilerSelector
   # if none can be found raises CompilerError instead
   def compiler
     while cc = @compilers.pop
-      return cc.name unless @f.fails_with?(cc)
+      return cc.name unless fails_with?(cc)
     end
-    raise CompilerSelectionError.new(@f)
+    raise CompilerSelectionError.new(formula)
   end
 
   private
 
+  def fails_with?(compiler)
+    @failures.any? { |failure| failure === compiler }
+  end
+
   def priority_for(cc)
     case cc
     when :clang   then @versions.clang_build_version >= 318 ? 3 : 0.5
diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/extend/ENV/shared.rb b/Library/Homebrew/extend/ENV/shared.rb
index 2660567514..066266434d 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/extend/ENV/shared.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/extend/ENV/shared.rb
@@ -131,17 +131,7 @@ module SharedEnvExtension
   # an alternate compiler, altering the value of environment variables.
   # If no valid compiler is found, raises an exception.
   def validate_cc!(formula)
-    # FIXME
-    # The compiler object we pass to fails_with? has no version information
-    # attached to it. This means that if we pass Compiler.new(:clang), the
-    # selector will be invoked if the formula fails with any version of clang.
-    # I think we can safely remove this conditional and always invoke the
-    # selector.
-    # The compiler priority logic in compilers.rb and default_compiler logic in
-    # os/mac.rb need to be unified somehow.
-    if formula.fails_with? Compiler.new(compiler)
-      send CompilerSelector.new(formula).compiler
-    end
+    send CompilerSelector.new(formula).compiler
   end
 
   # Snow Leopard defines an NCURSES value the opposite of most distros
diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/formula.rb b/Library/Homebrew/formula.rb
index 261d3c5a0d..96573b69fa 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/formula.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/formula.rb
@@ -110,8 +110,8 @@ class Formula
     active_spec.option_defined?(name)
   end
 
-  def fails_with?(compiler)
-    active_spec.fails_with?(compiler)
+  def compiler_failures
+    active_spec.compiler_failures
   end
 
   # if the dir is there, but it's empty we consider it not installed
diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/software_spec.rb b/Library/Homebrew/software_spec.rb
index b2071e119f..4ea2f56c4c 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/software_spec.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/software_spec.rb
@@ -116,10 +116,6 @@ class SoftwareSpec
     patches << Patch.create(strip, src, &block)
   end
 
-  def fails_with? compiler
-    compiler_failures.any? { |failure| failure === compiler }
-  end
-
   def fails_with compiler, &block
     compiler_failures << CompilerFailure.create(compiler, &block)
   end