diff --git a/Source/cmGeneratorTarget.cxx b/Source/cmGeneratorTarget.cxx
index 9093613db..d4b57f4a0 100644
--- a/Source/cmGeneratorTarget.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmGeneratorTarget.cxx
@@ -342,5 +342,20 @@ std::string cmGeneratorTarget::GetCompileDefinitions(const char *config)
 
   const char *prop = this->Target->GetProperty(defPropName.c_str());
 
-  return prop ? prop : "";
+  if (!prop)
+    {
+    return "";
+    }
+
+  cmListFileBacktrace lfbt;
+  cmGeneratorExpression ge(lfbt);
+
+  cmGeneratorExpressionDAGChecker dagChecker(lfbt,
+                                             this->GetName(),
+                                             defPropName, 0, 0);
+  return ge.Parse(prop).Evaluate(this->Makefile,
+                                 config,
+                                 false,
+                                 this,
+                                 &dagChecker);
 }
diff --git a/Tests/CompileDefinitions/compiletest.cpp b/Tests/CompileDefinitions/compiletest.cpp
index 6db6f3f96..4a68a0750 100644
--- a/Tests/CompileDefinitions/compiletest.cpp
+++ b/Tests/CompileDefinitions/compiletest.cpp
@@ -27,6 +27,15 @@ enum {
 #endif
 };
 
+#ifdef TEST_GENERATOR_EXPRESSIONS
+#ifndef CMAKE_IS_DECLARATIVE
+#error Expect declarative definition
+#endif
+#ifdef GE_NOT_DEFINED
+#error Expect not defined generator expression
+#endif
+#endif
+
 int main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
   return 0;
diff --git a/Tests/CompileDefinitions/target_prop/CMakeLists.txt b/Tests/CompileDefinitions/target_prop/CMakeLists.txt
index e2b6ba9b2..fcb22b019 100644
--- a/Tests/CompileDefinitions/target_prop/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/Tests/CompileDefinitions/target_prop/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -7,3 +7,9 @@ set_target_properties(target_prop_executable PROPERTIES COMPILE_DEFINITIONS CMAK
 
 set_property(TARGET target_prop_executable APPEND PROPERTY COMPILE_DEFINITIONS CMAKE_IS_REALLY="Very Fun" CMAKE_IS=Fun)
 set_property(TARGET target_prop_executable APPEND PROPERTY COMPILE_DEFINITIONS CMAKE_IS_FUN CMAKE_IS_="Fun")
+
+set_property(TARGET target_prop_executable APPEND PROPERTY COMPILE_DEFINITIONS
+  TEST_GENERATOR_EXPRESSIONS
+    "$<1:CMAKE_IS_DECLARATIVE>"
+    "$<0:GE_NOT_DEFINED>"
+)
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/TargetPropertyGeneratorExpressions/BadSelfReference5-result.txt b/Tests/RunCMake/TargetPropertyGeneratorExpressions/BadSelfReference5-result.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d00491fd7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/TargetPropertyGeneratorExpressions/BadSelfReference5-result.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+1
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/TargetPropertyGeneratorExpressions/BadSelfReference5-stderr.txt b/Tests/RunCMake/TargetPropertyGeneratorExpressions/BadSelfReference5-stderr.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2b22d0fc3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/TargetPropertyGeneratorExpressions/BadSelfReference5-stderr.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+CMake Error:
+  Error evaluating generator expression:
+
+    \$<TARGET_PROPERTY:COMPILE_DEFINITIONS>
+
+  Self reference on target "TargetPropertyGeneratorExpressions".$
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/TargetPropertyGeneratorExpressions/BadSelfReference5.cmake b/Tests/RunCMake/TargetPropertyGeneratorExpressions/BadSelfReference5.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..74fff674d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/TargetPropertyGeneratorExpressions/BadSelfReference5.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+
+file(WRITE "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/main.cpp"
+           "int main(int, char **) { return 0; }\n")
+
+add_executable(TargetPropertyGeneratorExpressions
+           "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/main.cpp")
+set_property(TARGET TargetPropertyGeneratorExpressions
+PROPERTY
+  COMPILE_DEFINITIONS "$<TARGET_PROPERTY:COMPILE_DEFINITIONS>"
+)
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/TargetPropertyGeneratorExpressions/BadSelfReference6-result.txt b/Tests/RunCMake/TargetPropertyGeneratorExpressions/BadSelfReference6-result.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d00491fd7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/TargetPropertyGeneratorExpressions/BadSelfReference6-result.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+1
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/TargetPropertyGeneratorExpressions/BadSelfReference6-stderr.txt b/Tests/RunCMake/TargetPropertyGeneratorExpressions/BadSelfReference6-stderr.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fe7caa3c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/TargetPropertyGeneratorExpressions/BadSelfReference6-stderr.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+CMake Error:
+  Error evaluating generator expression:
+
+    \$<TARGET_PROPERTY:TargetPropertyGeneratorExpressions,COMPILE_DEFINITIONS>
+
+  Self reference on target "TargetPropertyGeneratorExpressions".$
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/TargetPropertyGeneratorExpressions/BadSelfReference6.cmake b/Tests/RunCMake/TargetPropertyGeneratorExpressions/BadSelfReference6.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d6650d3a5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/TargetPropertyGeneratorExpressions/BadSelfReference6.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+
+file(WRITE "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/main.cpp"
+           "int main(int, char **) { return 0; }\n")
+
+add_executable(TargetPropertyGeneratorExpressions
+           "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/main.cpp")
+set_property(TARGET TargetPropertyGeneratorExpressions PROPERTY
+COMPILE_DEFINITIONS
+  "$<TARGET_PROPERTY:TargetPropertyGeneratorExpressions,COMPILE_DEFINITIONS>"
+)
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/TargetPropertyGeneratorExpressions/RunCMakeTest.cmake b/Tests/RunCMake/TargetPropertyGeneratorExpressions/RunCMakeTest.cmake
index 211e6e727..f2ff05b4b 100644
--- a/Tests/RunCMake/TargetPropertyGeneratorExpressions/RunCMakeTest.cmake
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/TargetPropertyGeneratorExpressions/RunCMakeTest.cmake
@@ -4,3 +4,5 @@ run_cmake(BadSelfReference1)
 run_cmake(BadSelfReference2)
 run_cmake(BadSelfReference3)
 run_cmake(BadSelfReference4)
+run_cmake(BadSelfReference5)
+run_cmake(BadSelfReference6)