diff --git a/Source/cmDefinitions.cxx b/Source/cmDefinitions.cxx
index 61328be60..94d27c29c 100644
--- a/Source/cmDefinitions.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmDefinitions.cxx
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@
 ============================================================================*/
 #include "cmDefinitions.h"
 
+#include <assert.h>
+
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 cmDefinitions::Def cmDefinitions::NoDef;
 
@@ -21,28 +23,33 @@ cmDefinitions::cmDefinitions(cmDefinitions* parent)
 }
 
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-cmDefinitions::Def const&
-cmDefinitions::GetInternal(const std::string& key)
+cmDefinitions::Def const& cmDefinitions::GetInternal(
+  const std::string& key,
+  std::list<cmDefinitions>::reverse_iterator rbegin,
+  std::list<cmDefinitions>::reverse_iterator rend)
 {
+  assert(&*rbegin == this);
   MapType::const_iterator i = this->Map.find(key);
   if(i != this->Map.end())
     {
     return i->second;
     }
-  cmDefinitions* up = this->Up;
-  if(!up)
+  ++rbegin;
+  if(rbegin == rend)
     {
     return this->NoDef;
     }
   // Query the parent scope and store the result locally.
-  Def def = up->GetInternal(key);
+  Def def = rbegin->GetInternal(key, rbegin, rend);
   return this->Map.insert(MapType::value_type(key, def)).first->second;
 }
 
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-const char* cmDefinitions::Get(const std::string& key)
+const char* cmDefinitions::Get(const std::string& key,
+    std::list<cmDefinitions>::reverse_iterator rbegin,
+    std::list<cmDefinitions>::reverse_iterator rend)
 {
-  Def const& def = this->GetInternal(key);
+  Def const& def = this->GetInternal(key, rbegin, rend);
   return def.Exists? def.c_str() : 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/Source/cmDefinitions.h b/Source/cmDefinitions.h
index 4c7f11f60..2bcfcb0b2 100644
--- a/Source/cmDefinitions.h
+++ b/Source/cmDefinitions.h
@@ -37,7 +37,9 @@ public:
 
   /** Get the value associated with a key; null if none.
       Store the result locally if it came from a parent.  */
-  const char* Get(const std::string& key);
+  const char* Get(const std::string& key,
+                  std::list<cmDefinitions>::reverse_iterator rbegin,
+                  std::list<cmDefinitions>::reverse_iterator rend);
 
   /** Set (or unset if null) a value associated with a key.  */
   void Set(const std::string& key, const char* value);
@@ -81,7 +83,9 @@ private:
   MapType Map;
 
   // Internal query and update methods.
-  Def const& GetInternal(const std::string& key);
+  Def const& GetInternal(const std::string& key,
+                         std::list<cmDefinitions>::reverse_iterator rbegin,
+                         std::list<cmDefinitions>::reverse_iterator rend);
 
   void MakeClosure(std::set<std::string>& undefined,
                    std::list<cmDefinitions>::const_reverse_iterator rbegin,
diff --git a/Source/cmMakefile.cxx b/Source/cmMakefile.cxx
index 5686b1b0d..ae7e56454 100644
--- a/Source/cmMakefile.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmMakefile.cxx
@@ -70,7 +70,8 @@ public:
 
   const char* GetDefinition(std::string const& name)
   {
-    return this->VarStack.back().Get(name);
+    return this->VarStack.back().Get(name, this->VarStack.rbegin(),
+                                     this->VarStack.rend());
   }
 
   void SetDefinition(std::string const& name, std::string const& value)