diff --git a/Source/cmLocalGenerator.cxx b/Source/cmLocalGenerator.cxx
index ba6fe0264..e20bfe105 100644
--- a/Source/cmLocalGenerator.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmLocalGenerator.cxx
@@ -2222,11 +2222,11 @@ cmLocalGenerator
     return in_remote;
     }
 
-  // If the entire path is in common then just return an empty string.
+  // If the entire path is in common then just return a ".".
   if(common == remote.size() &&
      common == local.size())
     {
-    return "";
+    return ".";
     }
 
   // If the entire path is in common except for a trailing slash then
diff --git a/Source/cmLocalUnixMakefileGenerator3.cxx b/Source/cmLocalUnixMakefileGenerator3.cxx
index 365ce56bf..419329387 100644
--- a/Source/cmLocalUnixMakefileGenerator3.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmLocalUnixMakefileGenerator3.cxx
@@ -68,6 +68,10 @@ void cmLocalUnixMakefileGenerator3::Configure()
   // directory from the top output directory.
   this->HomeRelativeOutputPath =
     this->Convert(this->Makefile->GetStartOutputDirectory(), HOME_OUTPUT);
+  if(this->HomeRelativeOutputPath == ".")
+    {
+    this->HomeRelativeOutputPath = "";
+    }
   if(!this->HomeRelativeOutputPath.empty())
     {
     this->HomeRelativeOutputPath += "/";
diff --git a/Source/cmLocalVisualStudio7Generator.cxx b/Source/cmLocalVisualStudio7Generator.cxx
index 167e98fa1..100d79159 100644
--- a/Source/cmLocalVisualStudio7Generator.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmLocalVisualStudio7Generator.cxx
@@ -963,10 +963,6 @@ cmLocalVisualStudio7Generator
     if(cmSystemTools::FileIsFullPath(dir.c_str()))
       {
       std::string rel = this->Convert(dir.c_str(), START_OUTPUT, UNCHANGED);
-      if(rel.empty())
-        {
-        rel = ".";
-        }
       if(rel.size() < dir.size())
         {
         dir = rel;