diff --git a/Source/cmNinjaNormalTargetGenerator.cxx b/Source/cmNinjaNormalTargetGenerator.cxx
index 59db29564..9dc860ee9 100644
--- a/Source/cmNinjaNormalTargetGenerator.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmNinjaNormalTargetGenerator.cxx
@@ -468,16 +468,7 @@ void cmNinjaNormalTargetGenerator::WriteLinkStatement()
   }
 
   cmMakefile* mf = this->GetMakefile();
-  if (mf->GetDefinition("MSVC_C_ARCHITECTURE_ID") ||
-      mf->GetDefinition("MSVC_CXX_ARCHITECTURE_ID"))
-    {
-    const std::string pdbPath = this->GetTargetPDB();
-    vars["TARGET_PDB"] = this->GetLocalGenerator()->ConvertToOutputFormat(
-                          ConvertToNinjaPath(pdbPath.c_str()).c_str(),
-                          cmLocalGenerator::SHELL);
-    EnsureParentDirectoryExists(pdbPath);
-    }
-  else
+  if (!this->SetMsvcTargetPdbVariable(vars))
     {
     // It is common to place debug symbols at a specific place,
     // so we need a plain target name in the rule available.
diff --git a/Source/cmNinjaTargetGenerator.cxx b/Source/cmNinjaTargetGenerator.cxx
index 328ca2d73..b89602e2f 100644
--- a/Source/cmNinjaTargetGenerator.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmNinjaTargetGenerator.cxx
@@ -311,6 +311,21 @@ std::string cmNinjaTargetGenerator::GetTargetPDB() const
   return targetFullPathPDB.c_str();
 }
 
+bool cmNinjaTargetGenerator::SetMsvcTargetPdbVariable(cmNinjaVars& vars) const
+{
+  cmMakefile* mf = this->GetMakefile();
+  if (mf->GetDefinition("MSVC_C_ARCHITECTURE_ID") ||
+      mf->GetDefinition("MSVC_CXX_ARCHITECTURE_ID"))
+    {
+    const std::string pdbPath = this->GetTargetPDB();
+    vars["TARGET_PDB"] = this->GetLocalGenerator()->ConvertToOutputFormat(
+                          ConvertToNinjaPath(pdbPath.c_str()).c_str(),
+                          cmLocalGenerator::SHELL);
+    EnsureParentDirectoryExists(pdbPath);
+    return true;
+    }
+  return false;
+}
 
 void
 cmNinjaTargetGenerator
@@ -537,17 +552,7 @@ cmNinjaTargetGenerator
   vars["DEP_FILE"] = objectFileName + ".d";;
   EnsureParentDirectoryExists(objectFileName);
 
-  // TODO move to GetTargetPDB
-  cmMakefile* mf = this->GetMakefile();
-  if (mf->GetDefinition("MSVC_C_ARCHITECTURE_ID") ||
-      mf->GetDefinition("MSVC_CXX_ARCHITECTURE_ID"))
-    {
-    const std::string pdbPath = this->GetTargetPDB();
-    vars["TARGET_PDB"] = this->GetLocalGenerator()->ConvertToOutputFormat(
-                          ConvertToNinjaPath(pdbPath.c_str()).c_str(),
-                          cmLocalGenerator::SHELL);
-    EnsureParentDirectoryExists(pdbPath);
-    }
+  this->SetMsvcTargetPdbVariable(vars);
 
   if(this->Makefile->IsOn("CMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS"))
     {
@@ -643,14 +648,14 @@ cmNinjaTargetGenerator
 
 void
 cmNinjaTargetGenerator
-::EnsureDirectoryExists(const std::string& dir)
+::EnsureDirectoryExists(const std::string& dir) const
 {
   cmSystemTools::MakeDirectory(dir.c_str());
 }
 
 void
 cmNinjaTargetGenerator
-::EnsureParentDirectoryExists(const std::string& path)
+::EnsureParentDirectoryExists(const std::string& path) const
 {
   EnsureDirectoryExists(cmSystemTools::GetParentDirectory(path.c_str()));
 }
diff --git a/Source/cmNinjaTargetGenerator.h b/Source/cmNinjaTargetGenerator.h
index 84573cec2..0c52fc409 100644
--- a/Source/cmNinjaTargetGenerator.h
+++ b/Source/cmNinjaTargetGenerator.h
@@ -44,6 +44,9 @@ public:
   std::string GetTargetName() const;
 
 protected:
+
+  bool SetMsvcTargetPdbVariable(cmNinjaVars&) const;
+
   cmGeneratedFileStream& GetBuildFileStream() const;
   cmGeneratedFileStream& GetRulesFileStream() const;
 
@@ -112,8 +115,8 @@ protected:
   // Helper to add flag for windows .def file.
   void AddModuleDefinitionFlag(std::string& flags);
 
-  void EnsureDirectoryExists(const std::string& dir);
-  void EnsureParentDirectoryExists(const std::string& path);
+  void EnsureDirectoryExists(const std::string& dir) const;
+  void EnsureParentDirectoryExists(const std::string& path) const;
 
   // write rules for Mac OS X Application Bundle content.
   struct MacOSXContentGeneratorType :