diff --git a/Source/cmState.cxx b/Source/cmState.cxx
index 63909ab4c..ce9ff323b 100644
--- a/Source/cmState.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmState.cxx
@@ -1377,11 +1377,16 @@ cmBacktraceRange GetPropertyBacktraces(T const& content,
 
 template <typename T, typename U, typename V>
 void AppendEntry(T& content, U& backtraces, V& endContentPosition,
-    const std::string& vec, const cmListFileBacktrace& lfbt)
+    const std::string& value, const cmListFileBacktrace& lfbt)
 {
+  if (value.empty())
+    {
+    return;
+    }
+
   assert(endContentPosition == content.size());
 
-  content.push_back(vec);
+  content.push_back(value);
   backtraces.push_back(lfbt);
 
   endContentPosition = content.size();
diff --git a/Source/cmTarget.cxx b/Source/cmTarget.cxx
index 3425f34ad..2dfa19c17 100644
--- a/Source/cmTarget.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmTarget.cxx
@@ -1706,7 +1706,7 @@ void cmTarget::AppendProperty(const std::string& prop, const char* value,
     }
   else if(prop == "INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES")
     {
-    if (value)
+    if (value && *value)
       {
       this->Internal->IncludeDirectoriesEntries.push_back(value);
       cmListFileBacktrace lfbt = this->Makefile->GetBacktrace();
@@ -1715,7 +1715,7 @@ void cmTarget::AppendProperty(const std::string& prop, const char* value,
     }
   else if(prop == "COMPILE_OPTIONS")
     {
-    if (value)
+    if (value && *value)
       {
       this->Internal->CompileOptionsEntries.push_back(value);
       cmListFileBacktrace lfbt = this->Makefile->GetBacktrace();
@@ -1724,7 +1724,7 @@ void cmTarget::AppendProperty(const std::string& prop, const char* value,
     }
   else if(prop == "COMPILE_FEATURES")
     {
-    if (value)
+    if (value && *value)
       {
       this->Internal->CompileFeaturesEntries.push_back(value);
       cmListFileBacktrace lfbt = this->Makefile->GetBacktrace();
@@ -1733,7 +1733,7 @@ void cmTarget::AppendProperty(const std::string& prop, const char* value,
     }
   else if(prop == "COMPILE_DEFINITIONS")
     {
-    if (value)
+    if (value && *value)
       {
       this->Internal->CompileDefinitionsEntries.push_back(value);
       cmListFileBacktrace lfbt = this->Makefile->GetBacktrace();
@@ -1749,7 +1749,7 @@ void cmTarget::AppendProperty(const std::string& prop, const char* value,
     }
   else if (prop == "LINK_LIBRARIES")
     {
-    if (value)
+    if (value && *value)
       {
       cmListFileBacktrace lfbt = this->Makefile->GetBacktrace();
       cmValueWithOrigin entry(value, lfbt);
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/set_property/COMPILE_DEFINITIONS-stdout.txt b/Tests/RunCMake/set_property/COMPILE_DEFINITIONS-stdout.txt
index b85f41dbc..dd5bae1e7 100644
--- a/Tests/RunCMake/set_property/COMPILE_DEFINITIONS-stdout.txt
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/set_property/COMPILE_DEFINITIONS-stdout.txt
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
--- Target COMPILE_DEFINITIONS is 'a;;b;c;;d;;e'
+-- Target COMPILE_DEFINITIONS is 'a;b;c;d;;e'
+-- Directory COMPILE_DEFINITIONS is 'a;b;c;d;;e'
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/set_property/COMPILE_DEFINITIONS.cmake b/Tests/RunCMake/set_property/COMPILE_DEFINITIONS.cmake
index ec07ce907..f0c63bf0f 100644
--- a/Tests/RunCMake/set_property/COMPILE_DEFINITIONS.cmake
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/set_property/COMPILE_DEFINITIONS.cmake
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 include(Common.cmake)
 test_target_property(COMPILE_DEFINITIONS)
+test_directory_property(COMPILE_DEFINITIONS)
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/set_property/COMPILE_FEATURES-stdout.txt b/Tests/RunCMake/set_property/COMPILE_FEATURES-stdout.txt
index 81ef170b0..bd5a99246 100644
--- a/Tests/RunCMake/set_property/COMPILE_FEATURES-stdout.txt
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/set_property/COMPILE_FEATURES-stdout.txt
@@ -1 +1 @@
--- Target COMPILE_FEATURES is 'a;;b;c;;d;;e'
+-- Target COMPILE_FEATURES is 'a;b;c;d;;e'
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/set_property/COMPILE_OPTIONS-stdout.txt b/Tests/RunCMake/set_property/COMPILE_OPTIONS-stdout.txt
index f18451abf..1a2050134 100644
--- a/Tests/RunCMake/set_property/COMPILE_OPTIONS-stdout.txt
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/set_property/COMPILE_OPTIONS-stdout.txt
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
--- Target COMPILE_OPTIONS is 'a;;b;c;;d;;e'
+-- Target COMPILE_OPTIONS is 'a;b;c;d;;e'
+-- Directory COMPILE_OPTIONS is 'a;b;c;d;;e'
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/set_property/COMPILE_OPTIONS.cmake b/Tests/RunCMake/set_property/COMPILE_OPTIONS.cmake
index da20ec868..75f053541 100644
--- a/Tests/RunCMake/set_property/COMPILE_OPTIONS.cmake
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/set_property/COMPILE_OPTIONS.cmake
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 include(Common.cmake)
 test_target_property(COMPILE_OPTIONS)
+test_directory_property(COMPILE_OPTIONS)
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/set_property/Common.cmake b/Tests/RunCMake/set_property/Common.cmake
index b35948735..9d5e4f4e8 100644
--- a/Tests/RunCMake/set_property/Common.cmake
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/set_property/Common.cmake
@@ -12,3 +12,17 @@ macro(test_target_property PROP)
   message(STATUS "Target ${PROP} is '${val}'")
   set_property(TARGET CustomTarget PROPERTY ${PROP})
 endmacro()
+
+macro(test_directory_property PROP)
+  set_property(DIRECTORY PROPERTY ${PROP} x)
+  set_property(DIRECTORY PROPERTY ${PROP})
+  set_property(DIRECTORY APPEND PROPERTY ${PROP})
+  set_property(DIRECTORY PROPERTY ${PROP} a)
+  set_property(DIRECTORY APPEND PROPERTY ${PROP} "")
+  set_property(DIRECTORY APPEND PROPERTY ${PROP} b c)
+  set_property(DIRECTORY APPEND PROPERTY ${PROP})
+  set_property(DIRECTORY APPEND PROPERTY ${PROP} "d;;e")
+  get_property(val DIRECTORY PROPERTY ${PROP})
+  message(STATUS "Directory ${PROP} is '${val}'")
+  set_property(DIRECTORY PROPERTY ${PROP})
+endmacro()
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/set_property/INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES-stdout.txt b/Tests/RunCMake/set_property/INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES-stdout.txt
index f9970ce87..c957dd531 100644
--- a/Tests/RunCMake/set_property/INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES-stdout.txt
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/set_property/INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES-stdout.txt
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
--- Target INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES is 'a;;b;c;;d;;e'
+-- Target INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES is 'a;b;c;d;;e'
+-- Directory INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES is 'a;b;c;d;;e'
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/set_property/INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES.cmake b/Tests/RunCMake/set_property/INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES.cmake
index 8f44aee58..c9a91516a 100644
--- a/Tests/RunCMake/set_property/INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES.cmake
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/set_property/INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES.cmake
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 include(Common.cmake)
 test_target_property(INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES)
+test_directory_property(INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES)
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/set_property/LINK_LIBRARIES-stdout.txt b/Tests/RunCMake/set_property/LINK_LIBRARIES-stdout.txt
index 1f7663b7f..9a3988e25 100644
--- a/Tests/RunCMake/set_property/LINK_LIBRARIES-stdout.txt
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/set_property/LINK_LIBRARIES-stdout.txt
@@ -1 +1 @@
--- Target LINK_LIBRARIES is 'a;;b;c;;d;;e'
+-- Target LINK_LIBRARIES is 'a;b;c;d;;e'
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/set_property/USER_PROP-stdout.txt b/Tests/RunCMake/set_property/USER_PROP-stdout.txt
index eaf6e3762..107cc8742 100644
--- a/Tests/RunCMake/set_property/USER_PROP-stdout.txt
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/set_property/USER_PROP-stdout.txt
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 -- Target USER_PROP is 'a;b;c;d;;e'
+-- Directory USER_PROP is 'a;b;c;d;;e'
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/set_property/USER_PROP.cmake b/Tests/RunCMake/set_property/USER_PROP.cmake
index e1f88e168..aa0aa8370 100644
--- a/Tests/RunCMake/set_property/USER_PROP.cmake
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/set_property/USER_PROP.cmake
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 include(Common.cmake)
 test_target_property(USER_PROP)
+test_directory_property(USER_PROP)