diff --git a/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio10Generator.cxx b/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio10Generator.cxx
index 063e9e118..e753c3c26 100644
--- a/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio10Generator.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio10Generator.cxx
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ bool cmGlobalVisualStudio10Generator::SetSystemName(std::string const& s,
     {
     return false;
     }
-  if(this->PlatformName == "Itanium" || this->PlatformName == "x64")
+  if(this->GetPlatformName() == "Itanium" || this->GetPlatformName() == "x64")
     {
     if(this->IsExpressEdition() && !this->Find64BitTools(mf))
       {
diff --git a/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio7Generator.cxx b/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio7Generator.cxx
index e312ff18c..cb82e54f8 100644
--- a/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio7Generator.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio7Generator.cxx
@@ -27,11 +27,11 @@ cmGlobalVisualStudio7Generator::cmGlobalVisualStudio7Generator(
 
   if (platformName.empty())
     {
-    this->PlatformName = "Win32";
+    this->DefaultPlatformName = "Win32";
     }
   else
     {
-    this->PlatformName = platformName;
+    this->DefaultPlatformName = platformName;
     }
 }
 
@@ -259,15 +259,21 @@ cmLocalGenerator *cmGlobalVisualStudio7Generator::CreateLocalGenerator()
   return lg;
 }
 
+//----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+std::string const& cmGlobalVisualStudio7Generator::GetPlatformName() const
+{
+  return this->DefaultPlatformName;
+}
+
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 bool cmGlobalVisualStudio7Generator::SetSystemName(std::string const& s,
                                                    cmMakefile* mf)
 {
-  if(this->PlatformName == "x64")
+  if(this->GetPlatformName() == "x64")
     {
     mf->AddDefinition("CMAKE_FORCE_WIN64", "TRUE");
     }
-  else if(this->PlatformName == "Itanium")
+  else if(this->GetPlatformName() == "Itanium")
     {
     mf->AddDefinition("CMAKE_FORCE_IA64", "TRUE");
     }
diff --git a/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio7Generator.h b/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio7Generator.h
index 7e3ed23c8..dc8b9157e 100644
--- a/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio7Generator.h
+++ b/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio7Generator.h
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ public:
   static std::string GetActualName() {return "Visual Studio 7";}
 
   ///! Get the name for the platform.
-  const std::string& GetPlatformName() const { return this->PlatformName; }
+  std::string const& GetPlatformName() const;
 
   ///! Create a local generator appropriate to this Global Generator
   virtual cmLocalGenerator *CreateLocalGenerator();
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ protected:
   // Set during OutputSLNFile with the name of the current project.
   // There is one SLN file per project.
   std::string CurrentProject;
-  std::string PlatformName;
+  std::string DefaultPlatformName;
   bool MasmEnabled;
 
 private: