diff --git a/Source/cmListFileCache.cxx b/Source/cmListFileCache.cxx
index 9204d1480..39d9e9704 100644
--- a/Source/cmListFileCache.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmListFileCache.cxx
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 #include "cmListFileCache.h"
 
 #include "cmListFileLexer.h"
-#include "cmMakefile.h"
+#include "cmMessenger.h"
 #include "cmOutputConverter.h"
 #include "cmSystemTools.h"
 #include "cmVersion.h"
@@ -21,7 +21,8 @@
 
 struct cmListFileParser
 {
-  cmListFileParser(cmListFile* lf, cmMakefile* mf, const char* filename);
+  cmListFileParser(cmListFile* lf, cmListFileBacktrace lfbt,
+                   cmMessenger* messenger, const char* filename);
   ~cmListFileParser();
   void IssueFileOpenError(std::string const& text) const;
   void IssueError(std::string const& text) const;
@@ -30,8 +31,8 @@ struct cmListFileParser
   bool AddArgument(cmListFileLexer_Token* token,
                    cmListFileArgument::Delimiter delim);
   cmListFile* ListFile;
-  cmMakefile* Makefile;
   cmListFileBacktrace Backtrace;
+  cmMessenger* Messenger;
   const char* FileName;
   cmListFileLexer* Lexer;
   cmListFileFunction Function;
@@ -43,11 +44,12 @@ struct cmListFileParser
   } Separation;
 };
 
-cmListFileParser::cmListFileParser(cmListFile* lf, cmMakefile* mf,
+cmListFileParser::cmListFileParser(cmListFile* lf, cmListFileBacktrace lfbt,
+                                   cmMessenger* messenger,
                                    const char* filename)
   : ListFile(lf)
-  , Makefile(mf)
-  , Backtrace(mf->GetBacktrace())
+  , Backtrace(lfbt)
+  , Messenger(messenger)
   , FileName(filename)
   , Lexer(cmListFileLexer_New())
 {
@@ -60,7 +62,7 @@ cmListFileParser::~cmListFileParser()
 
 void cmListFileParser::IssueFileOpenError(const std::string& text) const
 {
-  this->Makefile->IssueMessage(cmake::FATAL_ERROR, text);
+  this->Messenger->IssueMessage(cmake::FATAL_ERROR, text, this->Backtrace);
 }
 
 void cmListFileParser::IssueError(const std::string& text) const
@@ -70,8 +72,7 @@ void cmListFileParser::IssueError(const std::string& text) const
   lfc.Line = cmListFileLexer_GetCurrentLine(this->Lexer);
   cmListFileBacktrace lfbt = this->Backtrace;
   lfbt = lfbt.Push(lfc);
-  this->Makefile->GetCMakeInstance()->IssueMessage(cmake::FATAL_ERROR, text,
-                                                   lfbt);
+  this->Messenger->IssueMessage(cmake::FATAL_ERROR, text, lfbt);
   cmSystemTools::SetFatalErrorOccured();
 }
 
@@ -129,7 +130,8 @@ bool cmListFileParser::ParseFile()
   return true;
 }
 
-bool cmListFile::ParseFile(const char* filename, cmMakefile* mf)
+bool cmListFile::ParseFile(const char* filename, cmMessenger* messenger,
+                           cmListFileBacktrace const& lfbt)
 {
   if (!cmSystemTools::FileExists(filename) ||
       cmSystemTools::FileIsDirectory(filename)) {
@@ -139,7 +141,7 @@ bool cmListFile::ParseFile(const char* filename, cmMakefile* mf)
   bool parseError = false;
 
   {
-    cmListFileParser parser(this, mf, filename);
+    cmListFileParser parser(this, lfbt, messenger, filename);
     parseError = !parser.ParseFile();
   }
 
@@ -242,8 +244,7 @@ bool cmListFileParser::ParseFunction(const char* name, long line)
   lfbt = lfbt.Push(lfc);
   error << "Parse error.  Function missing ending \")\".  "
         << "End of file reached.";
-  this->Makefile->GetCMakeInstance()->IssueMessage(cmake::FATAL_ERROR,
-                                                   error.str(), lfbt);
+  this->Messenger->IssueMessage(cmake::FATAL_ERROR, error.str(), lfbt);
   return false;
 }
 
@@ -269,10 +270,10 @@ bool cmListFileParser::AddArgument(cmListFileLexer_Token* token,
     << "Argument not separated from preceding token by whitespace.";
   /* clang-format on */
   if (isError) {
-    this->Makefile->GetCMakeInstance()->IssueMessage(cmake::FATAL_ERROR, m.str(), lfbt);
+    this->Messenger->IssueMessage(cmake::FATAL_ERROR, m.str(), lfbt);
     return false;
   }
-  this->Makefile->GetCMakeInstance()->IssueMessage(cmake::AUTHOR_WARNING, m.str(), lfbt);
+  this->Messenger->IssueMessage(cmake::AUTHOR_WARNING, m.str(), lfbt);
   return true;
 }
 
diff --git a/Source/cmListFileCache.h b/Source/cmListFileCache.h
index f3e6f7008..cd4453680 100644
--- a/Source/cmListFileCache.h
+++ b/Source/cmListFileCache.h
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
  * cmake list files.
  */
 
-class cmMakefile;
+class cmMessenger;
 
 struct cmCommandContext
 {
@@ -158,7 +158,8 @@ private:
 
 struct cmListFile
 {
-  bool ParseFile(const char* path, cmMakefile* mf);
+  bool ParseFile(const char* path, cmMessenger* messenger,
+                 cmListFileBacktrace const& lfbt);
 
   std::vector<cmListFileFunction> Functions;
 };
diff --git a/Source/cmMakefile.cxx b/Source/cmMakefile.cxx
index 6c83b0622..6e4779746 100644
--- a/Source/cmMakefile.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmMakefile.cxx
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #include "cmGlobalGenerator.h"
 #include "cmInstallGenerator.h"
 #include "cmListFileCache.h"
+#include "cmMessenger.h"
 #include "cmSourceFile.h"
 #include "cmSourceFileLocation.h"
 #include "cmState.h"
@@ -457,7 +458,8 @@ bool cmMakefile::ReadDependentFile(const char* filename, bool noPolicyScope)
   IncludeScope incScope(this, filenametoread, noPolicyScope);
 
   cmListFile listFile;
-  if (!listFile.ParseFile(filenametoread.c_str(), this)) {
+  if (!listFile.ParseFile(filenametoread.c_str(), this->GetMessenger(),
+                          this->Backtrace)) {
     return false;
   }
 
@@ -506,7 +508,8 @@ bool cmMakefile::ReadListFile(const char* filename)
   ListFileScope scope(this, filenametoread);
 
   cmListFile listFile;
-  if (!listFile.ParseFile(filenametoread.c_str(), this)) {
+  if (!listFile.ParseFile(filenametoread.c_str(), this->GetMessenger(),
+                          this->Backtrace)) {
     return false;
   }
 
@@ -1452,7 +1455,8 @@ void cmMakefile::Configure()
   this->AddDefinition("CMAKE_PARENT_LIST_FILE", currentStart.c_str());
 
   cmListFile listFile;
-  if (!listFile.ParseFile(currentStart.c_str(), this)) {
+  if (!listFile.ParseFile(currentStart.c_str(), this->GetMessenger(),
+                          this->Backtrace)) {
     return;
   }
   if (this->IsRootMakefile()) {
@@ -3274,6 +3278,11 @@ cmake* cmMakefile::GetCMakeInstance() const
   return this->GlobalGenerator->GetCMakeInstance();
 }
 
+cmMessenger* cmMakefile::GetMessenger() const
+{
+  return this->GetCMakeInstance()->GetMessenger();
+}
+
 cmGlobalGenerator* cmMakefile::GetGlobalGenerator() const
 {
   return this->GlobalGenerator;
diff --git a/Source/cmMakefile.h b/Source/cmMakefile.h
index d082964a1..b3587c5a7 100644
--- a/Source/cmMakefile.h
+++ b/Source/cmMakefile.h
@@ -607,6 +607,7 @@ public:
    * Get the instance
    */
   cmake* GetCMakeInstance() const;
+  cmMessenger* GetMessenger() const;
   cmGlobalGenerator* GetGlobalGenerator() const;
 
   /**