diff --git a/Source/CTest/cmCTestBuildAndTestHandler.cxx b/Source/CTest/cmCTestBuildAndTestHandler.cxx
index b4818be2d..627832ce6 100644
--- a/Source/CTest/cmCTestBuildAndTestHandler.cxx
+++ b/Source/CTest/cmCTestBuildAndTestHandler.cxx
@@ -301,7 +301,7 @@ int cmCTestBuildAndTestHandler::RunCMakeAndTest(std::string* outstring)
     int retVal = cm.GetGlobalGenerator()->Build(
       this->SourceDir, this->BinaryDir,
       this->BuildProject, *tarIt,
-      &output, this->BuildMakeProgram,
+      output, this->BuildMakeProgram,
       config,
       !this->BuildNoClean,
       false, remainingTime);
diff --git a/Source/cmCoreTryCompile.cxx b/Source/cmCoreTryCompile.cxx
index a3f327775..ed19851ac 100644
--- a/Source/cmCoreTryCompile.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmCoreTryCompile.cxx
@@ -489,7 +489,7 @@ int cmCoreTryCompile::TryCompileCode(std::vector<std::string> const& argv)
                                        targetName,
                                        this->SrcFileSignature,
                                        &cmakeFlags,
-                                       &output);
+                                       output);
   if ( erroroc )
     {
     cmSystemTools::SetErrorOccured();
diff --git a/Source/cmGlobalGenerator.cxx b/Source/cmGlobalGenerator.cxx
index 249373cf2..38ba5d13e 100644
--- a/Source/cmGlobalGenerator.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmGlobalGenerator.cxx
@@ -1616,7 +1616,7 @@ int cmGlobalGenerator::TryCompile(const std::string& srcdir,
                                   const std::string& bindir,
                                   const std::string& projectName,
                                   const std::string& target, bool fast,
-                                  std::string *output, cmMakefile *mf)
+                                  std::string& output, cmMakefile *mf)
 {
   // if this is not set, then this is a first time configure
   // and there is a good chance that the try compile stuff will
@@ -1675,7 +1675,7 @@ void cmGlobalGenerator::GenerateBuildCommand(
 int cmGlobalGenerator::Build(
   const std::string&, const std::string& bindir,
   const std::string& projectName, const std::string& target,
-  std::string *output,
+  std::string& output,
   const std::string& makeCommandCSTR,
   const std::string& config,
   bool clean, bool fast,
@@ -1688,22 +1688,15 @@ int cmGlobalGenerator::Build(
    */
   std::string cwd = cmSystemTools::GetCurrentWorkingDirectory();
   cmSystemTools::ChangeDirectory(bindir.c_str());
-  if(output)
-    {
-    *output += "Change Dir: ";
-    *output += bindir;
-    *output += "\n";
-    }
+  output += "Change Dir: ";
+  output += bindir;
+  output += "\n";
 
   int retVal;
   bool hideconsole = cmSystemTools::GetRunCommandHideConsole();
   cmSystemTools::SetRunCommandHideConsole(true);
   std::string outputBuffer;
-  std::string* outputPtr = 0;
-  if(output)
-    {
-    outputPtr = &outputBuffer;
-    }
+  std::string* outputPtr = &outputBuffer;
 
   // should we do a clean first?
   if (clean)
@@ -1711,32 +1704,23 @@ int cmGlobalGenerator::Build(
     std::vector<std::string> cleanCommand;
     this->GenerateBuildCommand(cleanCommand, makeCommandCSTR, projectName,
                                bindir, "clean", config, fast);
-    if(output)
-      {
-      *output += "\nRun Clean Command:";
-      *output += cmSystemTools::PrintSingleCommand(cleanCommand);
-      *output += "\n";
-      }
+    output += "\nRun Clean Command:";
+    output += cmSystemTools::PrintSingleCommand(cleanCommand);
+    output += "\n";
 
     if (!cmSystemTools::RunSingleCommand(cleanCommand, outputPtr,
                                          &retVal, 0, outputflag, timeout))
       {
       cmSystemTools::SetRunCommandHideConsole(hideconsole);
       cmSystemTools::Error("Generator: execution of make clean failed.");
-      if (output)
-        {
-        *output += *outputPtr;
-        *output += "\nGenerator: execution of make clean failed.\n";
-        }
+      output += *outputPtr;
+      output += "\nGenerator: execution of make clean failed.\n";
 
       // return to the original directory
       cmSystemTools::ChangeDirectory(cwd.c_str());
       return 1;
       }
-    if (output)
-      {
-      *output += *outputPtr;
-      }
+    output += *outputPtr;
     }
 
   // now build
@@ -1744,12 +1728,9 @@ int cmGlobalGenerator::Build(
   this->GenerateBuildCommand(makeCommand, makeCommandCSTR, projectName,
                              bindir, target, config, fast, nativeOptions);
   std::string makeCommandStr = cmSystemTools::PrintSingleCommand(makeCommand);
-  if(output)
-    {
-    *output += "\nRun Build Command:";
-    *output += makeCommandStr;
-    *output += "\n";
-    }
+  output += "\nRun Build Command:";
+  output += makeCommandStr;
+  output += "\n";
 
   if (!cmSystemTools::RunSingleCommand(makeCommand, outputPtr,
                                        &retVal, 0, outputflag, timeout))
@@ -1758,27 +1739,21 @@ int cmGlobalGenerator::Build(
     cmSystemTools::Error
       ("Generator: execution of make failed. Make command was: ",
        makeCommandStr.c_str());
-    if (output)
-      {
-      *output += *outputPtr;
-      *output += "\nGenerator: execution of make failed. Make command was: "
+    output += *outputPtr;
+    output += "\nGenerator: execution of make failed. Make command was: "
         + makeCommandStr + "\n";
-      }
 
     // return to the original directory
     cmSystemTools::ChangeDirectory(cwd.c_str());
     return 1;
     }
-  if (output)
-    {
-    *output += *outputPtr;
-    }
+  output += *outputPtr;
   cmSystemTools::SetRunCommandHideConsole(hideconsole);
 
   // The SGI MipsPro 7.3 compiler does not return an error code when
   // the source has a #error in it!  This is a work-around for such
   // compilers.
-  if((retVal == 0) && (output->find("#error") != std::string::npos))
+  if((retVal == 0) && (output.find("#error") != std::string::npos))
     {
     retVal = 1;
     }
diff --git a/Source/cmGlobalGenerator.h b/Source/cmGlobalGenerator.h
index 6b608bb80..f80c3c7bd 100644
--- a/Source/cmGlobalGenerator.h
+++ b/Source/cmGlobalGenerator.h
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ public:
   virtual int TryCompile(const std::string& srcdir, const std::string& bindir,
                          const std::string& projectName,
                          const std::string& targetName,
-                         bool fast, std::string *output, cmMakefile* mf);
+                         bool fast, std::string& output, cmMakefile* mf);
 
 
   /**
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ public:
    */
   int Build(const std::string& srcdir, const std::string& bindir,
             const std::string& projectName, const std::string& targetName,
-            std::string *output,
+            std::string& output,
             const std::string& makeProgram, const std::string& config,
             bool clean, bool fast,
             double timeout,
diff --git a/Source/cmMakefile.cxx b/Source/cmMakefile.cxx
index d3ca34acb..04b2d2786 100644
--- a/Source/cmMakefile.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmMakefile.cxx
@@ -3510,7 +3510,7 @@ int cmMakefile::TryCompile(const std::string& srcdir,
                            const std::string& targetName,
                            bool fast,
                            const std::vector<std::string> *cmakeArgs,
-                           std::string *output)
+                           std::string& output)
 {
   this->Internal->IsSourceFileTryCompile = fast;
   // does the binary directory exist ? If not create it...
diff --git a/Source/cmMakefile.h b/Source/cmMakefile.h
index 3a40c1c0f..d728a62a2 100644
--- a/Source/cmMakefile.h
+++ b/Source/cmMakefile.h
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ public:
                  const std::string& projectName, const std::string& targetName,
                  bool fast,
                  const std::vector<std::string> *cmakeArgs,
-                 std::string *output);
+                 std::string& output);
 
   bool GetIsSourceFileTryCompile() const;
 
diff --git a/Source/cmake.cxx b/Source/cmake.cxx
index 5aa1ab0d1..6cc3b8152 100644
--- a/Source/cmake.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmake.cxx
@@ -2757,7 +2757,7 @@ int cmake::Build(const std::string& dir,
   projName = it.GetValue();
   return gen->Build("", dir,
                     projName, target,
-                    &output,
+                    output,
                     "",
                     config, clean, false, 0,
                     cmSystemTools::OUTPUT_PASSTHROUGH,