diff --git a/Source/cmGeneratorExpressionEvaluator.cxx b/Source/cmGeneratorExpressionEvaluator.cxx
index c60900034..102927edb 100644
--- a/Source/cmGeneratorExpressionEvaluator.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmGeneratorExpressionEvaluator.cxx
@@ -66,6 +66,8 @@ static const struct ZeroNode : public cmGeneratorExpressionNode
 
   virtual bool GeneratesContent() const { return false; }
 
+  virtual bool AcceptsSingleArbitraryContentParameter() const { return true; }
+
   std::string Evaluate(const std::vector<std::string> &,
                        cmGeneratorExpressionContext *,
                        const GeneratorExpressionContent *,
@@ -642,6 +644,20 @@ std::string GeneratorExpressionContent::Evaluate(
 
   if (!node->GeneratesContent())
     {
+    if (node->AcceptsSingleArbitraryContentParameter())
+      {
+      if (this->ParamChildren.empty())
+        {
+        reportError(context, this->GetOriginalExpression(),
+                  "$<" + identifier + "> expression requires a parameter.");
+        }
+      }
+    else
+      {
+      std::vector<std::string> parameters;
+      this->EvaluateParameters(node, identifier, context, dagChecker,
+                               parameters);
+      }
     return std::string();
     }
 
@@ -677,6 +693,23 @@ std::string GeneratorExpressionContent::Evaluate(
     }
 
   std::vector<std::string> parameters;
+  this->EvaluateParameters(node, identifier, context, dagChecker, parameters);
+  if (context->HadError)
+    {
+    return std::string();
+    }
+
+  return node->Evaluate(parameters, context, this, dagChecker);
+}
+
+//----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+std::string GeneratorExpressionContent::EvaluateParameters(
+                                const cmGeneratorExpressionNode *node,
+                                const std::string &identifier,
+                                cmGeneratorExpressionContext *context,
+                                cmGeneratorExpressionDAGChecker *dagChecker,
+                                std::vector<std::string> &parameters) const
+{
   {
   std::vector<std::vector<cmGeneratorExpressionEvaluator*> >::const_iterator
                                         pit = this->ParamChildren.begin();
@@ -732,10 +765,8 @@ std::string GeneratorExpressionContent::Evaluate(
     {
     reportError(context, this->GetOriginalExpression(), "$<" + identifier
                       + "> expression requires at least one parameter.");
-    return std::string();
     }
-
-  return node->Evaluate(parameters, context, this, dagChecker);
+  return std::string();
 }
 
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/Source/cmGeneratorExpressionEvaluator.h b/Source/cmGeneratorExpressionEvaluator.h
index d37337ef5..d904b027f 100644
--- a/Source/cmGeneratorExpressionEvaluator.h
+++ b/Source/cmGeneratorExpressionEvaluator.h
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ struct cmGeneratorExpressionContext
 };
 
 struct cmGeneratorExpressionDAGChecker;
+struct cmGeneratorExpressionNode;
 
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 struct cmGeneratorExpressionEvaluator
@@ -116,6 +117,13 @@ struct GeneratorExpressionContent : public cmGeneratorExpressionEvaluator
 
   ~GeneratorExpressionContent();
 
+private:
+  std::string EvaluateParameters(const cmGeneratorExpressionNode *node,
+                                 const std::string &identifier,
+                                 cmGeneratorExpressionContext *context,
+                                 cmGeneratorExpressionDAGChecker *dagChecker,
+                                 std::vector<std::string> &parameters) const;
+
 private:
   std::vector<cmGeneratorExpressionEvaluator*> IdentifierChildren;
   std::vector<std::vector<cmGeneratorExpressionEvaluator*> > ParamChildren;
diff --git a/Source/cmGeneratorExpressionParser.cxx b/Source/cmGeneratorExpressionParser.cxx
index 7a8fc510d..a619cecd0 100644
--- a/Source/cmGeneratorExpressionParser.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmGeneratorExpressionParser.cxx
@@ -88,7 +88,15 @@ void cmGeneratorExpressionParser::ParseGeneratorExpression(
   while(this->it->TokenType != cmGeneratorExpressionToken::EndExpression
       && this->it->TokenType != cmGeneratorExpressionToken::ColonSeparator)
     {
-    this->ParseContent(identifier);
+    if (this->it->TokenType == cmGeneratorExpressionToken::CommaSeparator)
+      {
+      extendText(identifier, this->it);
+      ++this->it;
+      }
+    else
+      {
+      this->ParseContent(identifier);
+      }
     if (this->it == this->Tokens.end())
       {
       break;
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/GeneratorExpression/BadZero-result.txt b/Tests/RunCMake/GeneratorExpression/BadZero-result.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d00491fd7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/GeneratorExpression/BadZero-result.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+1
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/GeneratorExpression/BadZero-stderr.txt b/Tests/RunCMake/GeneratorExpression/BadZero-stderr.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..40db4ae88
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/GeneratorExpression/BadZero-stderr.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+CMake Error at BadZero.cmake:2 \(add_custom_target\):
+  Error evaluating generator expression:
+
+    \$<0>
+
+  \$<0> expression requires a parameter.
+Call Stack \(most recent call first\):
+  CMakeLists.txt:3 \(include\)
++
+CMake Error at BadZero.cmake:2 \(add_custom_target\):
+  Error evaluating generator expression:
+
+    \$<0,>
+
+  Expression did not evaluate to a known generator expression
+Call Stack \(most recent call first\):
+  CMakeLists.txt:3 \(include\)
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/GeneratorExpression/BadZero.cmake b/Tests/RunCMake/GeneratorExpression/BadZero.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..559a9fa3d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/GeneratorExpression/BadZero.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+
+add_custom_target(check ALL COMMAND check
+  $<0>
+  $<0,>
+  VERBATIM)
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/GeneratorExpression/RunCMakeTest.cmake b/Tests/RunCMake/GeneratorExpression/RunCMakeTest.cmake
index 18a47ae00..992ba792f 100644
--- a/Tests/RunCMake/GeneratorExpression/RunCMakeTest.cmake
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/GeneratorExpression/RunCMakeTest.cmake
@@ -5,3 +5,4 @@ run_cmake(BadOR)
 run_cmake(BadAND)
 run_cmake(BadNOT)
 run_cmake(BadStrEqual)
+run_cmake(BadZero)