diff --git a/Source/cmGeneratorTarget.cxx b/Source/cmGeneratorTarget.cxx
index 044d8eeb9..db88834b9 100644
--- a/Source/cmGeneratorTarget.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmGeneratorTarget.cxx
@@ -379,3 +379,17 @@ std::vector<std::string> cmGeneratorTarget::GetIncludeDirectories()
 
   return orderedAndUniqueIncludes;
 }
+
+//----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+const char *cmGeneratorTarget::GetCompileDefinitions(const char *config)
+{
+  if (!config)
+    {
+    return this->Target->GetProperty("COMPILE_DEFINITIONS");
+    }
+  std::string defPropName = "COMPILE_DEFINITIONS_";
+  defPropName +=
+    cmSystemTools::UpperCase(config);
+
+  return this->Target->GetProperty(defPropName.c_str());
+}
diff --git a/Source/cmGeneratorTarget.h b/Source/cmGeneratorTarget.h
index 6a0fe0f76..060e25a8b 100644
--- a/Source/cmGeneratorTarget.h
+++ b/Source/cmGeneratorTarget.h
@@ -77,6 +77,8 @@ public:
   /** Get the include directories for this target.  */
   std::vector<std::string> GetIncludeDirectories();
 
+  const char *GetCompileDefinitions(const char *config = 0);
+
 private:
   void ClassifySources();
   void LookupObjectLibraries();
diff --git a/Source/cmLocalVisualStudio6Generator.cxx b/Source/cmLocalVisualStudio6Generator.cxx
index adacd3bc6..72b56e71c 100644
--- a/Source/cmLocalVisualStudio6Generator.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmLocalVisualStudio6Generator.cxx
@@ -1679,21 +1679,25 @@ void cmLocalVisualStudio6Generator
     std::set<std::string> minsizeDefinesSet;
     std::set<std::string> debugrelDefinesSet;
 
+
+    cmGeneratorTarget* gt =
+      this->GlobalGenerator->GetGeneratorTarget(&target);
+
     this->AppendDefines(
       definesSet,
-      target.GetProperty("COMPILE_DEFINITIONS"));
+      gt->GetCompileDefinitions());
     this->AppendDefines(
       debugDefinesSet,
-      target.GetProperty("COMPILE_DEFINITIONS_DEBUG"));
+      gt->GetCompileDefinitions("DEBUG"));
     this->AppendDefines(
       releaseDefinesSet,
-      target.GetProperty("COMPILE_DEFINITIONS_RELEASE"));
+      gt->GetCompileDefinitions("RELEASE"));
     this->AppendDefines(
       minsizeDefinesSet,
-      target.GetProperty("COMPILE_DEFINITIONS_MINSIZEREL"));
+      gt->GetCompileDefinitions("MINSIZEREL"));
     this->AppendDefines(
       debugrelDefinesSet,
-      target.GetProperty("COMPILE_DEFINITIONS_RELWITHDEBINFO"));
+      gt->GetCompileDefinitions("RELWITHDEBINFO"));
 
     std::string defines = " ";
     std::string debugDefines = " ";
diff --git a/Source/cmMakefileTargetGenerator.cxx b/Source/cmMakefileTargetGenerator.cxx
index cde329993..9560c1062 100644
--- a/Source/cmMakefileTargetGenerator.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmMakefileTargetGenerator.cxx
@@ -302,12 +302,11 @@ std::string cmMakefileTargetGenerator::GetDefines(const std::string &l)
 
     // Add preprocessor definitions for this target and configuration.
     this->LocalGenerator->AppendDefines
-      (defines, this->Target->GetProperty("COMPILE_DEFINITIONS"));
-    std::string defPropName = "COMPILE_DEFINITIONS_";
-    defPropName +=
-      cmSystemTools::UpperCase(this->LocalGenerator->ConfigurationName);
+      (defines, this->GeneratorTarget->GetCompileDefinitions());
+
     this->LocalGenerator->AppendDefines
-      (defines, this->Target->GetProperty(defPropName.c_str()));
+      (defines, this->GeneratorTarget->GetCompileDefinitions(
+                            this->LocalGenerator->ConfigurationName.c_str()));
 
     std::string definesString;
     this->LocalGenerator->JoinDefines(defines, definesString, lang);
diff --git a/Source/cmNinjaTargetGenerator.cxx b/Source/cmNinjaTargetGenerator.cxx
index d4ab133b2..1d11acab9 100644
--- a/Source/cmNinjaTargetGenerator.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmNinjaTargetGenerator.cxx
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ ComputeDefines(cmSourceFile *source, const std::string& language)
   // Add preprocessor definitions for this target and configuration.
   this->LocalGenerator->AppendDefines
     (defines,
-     this->Target->GetProperty("COMPILE_DEFINITIONS"));
+     this->GeneratorTarget->GetCompileDefinitions());
   this->LocalGenerator->AppendDefines
     (defines,
      source->GetProperty("COMPILE_DEFINITIONS"));
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ ComputeDefines(cmSourceFile *source, const std::string& language)
   defPropName += cmSystemTools::UpperCase(this->GetConfigName());
   this->LocalGenerator->AppendDefines
     (defines,
-     this->Target->GetProperty(defPropName.c_str()));
+     this->GeneratorTarget->GetCompileDefinitions(this->GetConfigName()));
   this->LocalGenerator->AppendDefines
     (defines,
      source->GetProperty(defPropName.c_str()));