diff --git a/Source/cmTargetPropCommandBase.cxx b/Source/cmTargetPropCommandBase.cxx
index 69aaf1777..7f15dcb64 100644
--- a/Source/cmTargetPropCommandBase.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmTargetPropCommandBase.cxx
@@ -65,6 +65,14 @@ bool cmTargetPropCommandBase
   return true;
 }
 
+//----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+static bool isGeneratorExpression(const std::string &lib)
+{
+  const std::string::size_type openpos = lib.find("$<");
+  return (openpos != std::string::npos)
+      && (lib.find(">", openpos) != std::string::npos);
+}
+
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 bool cmTargetPropCommandBase
 ::ProcessContentArgs(std::vector<std::string> const& args,
@@ -105,6 +113,10 @@ bool cmTargetPropCommandBase
       content += sep + "$<TARGET_PROPERTY:" + args[i]
                       + ",INTERFACE_" + this->Property + ">";
       }
+    else if(isGeneratorExpression(args[i]))
+      {
+      content += sep + args[i];
+      }
     else if (!this->HandleNonTargetArg(content, sep, args[i], args[0]))
       {
       return false;
diff --git a/Tests/CMakeCommands/target_include_directories/CMakeLists.txt b/Tests/CMakeCommands/target_include_directories/CMakeLists.txt
index a0f2ee08c..8fa2eae75 100644
--- a/Tests/CMakeCommands/target_include_directories/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/Tests/CMakeCommands/target_include_directories/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -33,7 +33,12 @@ target_include_directories(target_include_directories
   PUBLIC "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/poison"
 )
 target_include_directories(target_include_directories
-  BEFORE PUBLIC "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/cure"
+  BEFORE PUBLIC "$<$<TARGET_DEFINED:target_include_directories>:${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/cure>"
+)
+
+# Has no effect because the target is not defined:
+target_include_directories(target_include_directories
+  BEFORE PUBLIC "$<$<TARGET_DEFINED:notdefined>:${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/poison>"
 )
 
 add_library(importedlib UNKNOWN IMPORTED)