diff --git a/Source/cmDefinitions.cxx b/Source/cmDefinitions.cxx
index fe32dd5d8..abb46b333 100644
--- a/Source/cmDefinitions.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmDefinitions.cxx
@@ -20,13 +20,6 @@ cmDefinitions::cmDefinitions(cmDefinitions* parent)
 {
 }
 
-//----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-void cmDefinitions::Reset(cmDefinitions* parent)
-{
-  this->Up = parent;
-  this->Map.clear();
-}
-
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 cmDefinitions::Def const&
 cmDefinitions::GetInternal(const std::string& key)
@@ -45,23 +38,6 @@ cmDefinitions::GetInternal(const std::string& key)
   return this->NoDef;
 }
 
-//----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-cmDefinitions::Def const&
-cmDefinitions::SetInternal(const std::string& key, Def const& def)
-{
-  if(this->Up || def.Exists)
-    {
-    // In lower scopes we store keys, defined or not.
-    return (this->Map[key] = def);
-    }
-  else
-    {
-    // In the top-most scope we need not store undefined keys.
-    this->Map.erase(key);
-    return this->NoDef;
-    }
-}
-
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 const char* cmDefinitions::Get(const std::string& key)
 {
@@ -70,10 +46,19 @@ const char* cmDefinitions::Get(const std::string& key)
 }
 
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-const char* cmDefinitions::Set(const std::string& key, const char* value)
+void cmDefinitions::Set(const std::string& key, const char* value)
 {
-  Def const& def = this->SetInternal(key, Def(value));
-  return def.Exists? def.c_str() : 0;
+  Def def(value);
+  if(this->Up || def.Exists)
+    {
+    // In lower scopes we store keys, defined or not.
+    this->Map[key] = def;
+    }
+  else
+    {
+    // In the top-most scope we need not store undefined keys.
+    this->Map.erase(key);
+    }
 }
 
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/Source/cmDefinitions.h b/Source/cmDefinitions.h
index a2f053fda..83cd0d9ce 100644
--- a/Source/cmDefinitions.h
+++ b/Source/cmDefinitions.h
@@ -30,9 +30,6 @@ public:
   /** Construct with the given parent scope.  */
   cmDefinitions(cmDefinitions* parent = 0);
 
-  /** Reset object as if newly constructed.  */
-  void Reset(cmDefinitions* parent = 0);
-
   /** Returns the parent scope, if any.  */
   cmDefinitions* GetParent() const { return this->Up; }
 
@@ -41,7 +38,7 @@ public:
   const char* Get(const std::string& key);
 
   /** Set (or unset if null) a value associated with a key.  */
-  const char* Set(const std::string& key, const char* value);
+  void Set(const std::string& key, const char* value);
 
   /** Get the set of all local keys.  */
   std::set<std::string> LocalKeys() const;
@@ -81,7 +78,6 @@ private:
 
   // Internal query and update methods.
   Def const& GetInternal(const std::string& key);
-  Def const& SetInternal(const std::string& key, Def const& def);
 
   // Implementation of Closure() method.
   struct ClosureTag {};