diff --git a/Source/cmCommonTargetGenerator.cxx b/Source/cmCommonTargetGenerator.cxx
index 34982b098..84a35a829 100644
--- a/Source/cmCommonTargetGenerator.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmCommonTargetGenerator.cxx
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 #include "cmGeneratorTarget.h"
 #include "cmGlobalCommonGenerator.h"
 #include "cmLocalCommonGenerator.h"
+#include "cmMakefile.h"
 #include "cmTarget.h"
 
 cmCommonTargetGenerator::cmCommonTargetGenerator(cmGeneratorTarget* gt)
@@ -24,6 +25,7 @@ cmCommonTargetGenerator::cmCommonTargetGenerator(cmGeneratorTarget* gt)
   , GlobalGenerator(static_cast<cmGlobalCommonGenerator*>(
                       gt->LocalGenerator->GetGlobalGenerator()))
   , ConfigName(LocalGenerator->GetConfigName())
+  , ModuleDefinitionFile(GeneratorTarget->GetModuleDefinitionFile(ConfigName))
 {
 }
 
@@ -61,3 +63,27 @@ void cmCommonTargetGenerator::AddFeatureFlags(
     this->LocalGenerator->AppendFeatureOptions(flags, lang, "IPO");
     }
 }
+
+//----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+void cmCommonTargetGenerator::AddModuleDefinitionFlag(std::string& flags)
+{
+  if(this->ModuleDefinitionFile.empty())
+    {
+    return;
+    }
+
+  // TODO: Create a per-language flag variable.
+  const char* defFileFlag =
+    this->Makefile->GetDefinition("CMAKE_LINK_DEF_FILE_FLAG");
+  if(!defFileFlag)
+    {
+    return;
+    }
+
+  // Append the flag and value.  Use ConvertToLinkReference to help
+  // vs6's "cl -link" pass it to the linker.
+  std::string flag = defFileFlag;
+  flag += (this->LocalGenerator->ConvertToLinkReference(
+             this->ModuleDefinitionFile));
+  this->LocalGenerator->AppendFlags(flags, flag);
+}
diff --git a/Source/cmCommonTargetGenerator.h b/Source/cmCommonTargetGenerator.h
index 25d19a0f0..deeb5ee99 100644
--- a/Source/cmCommonTargetGenerator.h
+++ b/Source/cmCommonTargetGenerator.h
@@ -40,12 +40,18 @@ protected:
   const char* GetFeature(const std::string& feature);
   bool GetFeatureAsBool(const std::string& feature);
 
+  // Helper to add flag for windows .def file.
+  void AddModuleDefinitionFlag(std::string& flags);
+
   cmGeneratorTarget* GeneratorTarget;
   cmTarget* Target;
   cmMakefile* Makefile;
   cmLocalCommonGenerator* LocalGenerator;
   cmGlobalCommonGenerator* GlobalGenerator;
   std::string ConfigName;
+
+  // The windows module definition source file (.def), if any.
+  std::string ModuleDefinitionFile;
 };
 
 #endif
diff --git a/Source/cmLocalCommonGenerator.h b/Source/cmLocalCommonGenerator.h
index c18ec167c..af94cda75 100644
--- a/Source/cmLocalCommonGenerator.h
+++ b/Source/cmLocalCommonGenerator.h
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@
 
 #include "cmLocalGenerator.h"
 
+class cmCommonTargetGenerator;
+
 /** \class cmLocalCommonGenerator
  * \brief Common infrastructure for Makefile and Ninja local generators.
  */
@@ -30,6 +32,8 @@ public:
 protected:
   void SetConfigName();
   std::string ConfigName;
+
+  friend class cmCommonTargetGenerator;
 };
 
 #endif
diff --git a/Source/cmMakefileTargetGenerator.cxx b/Source/cmMakefileTargetGenerator.cxx
index 42fb89c3b..fe6b4f69a 100644
--- a/Source/cmMakefileTargetGenerator.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmMakefileTargetGenerator.cxx
@@ -1668,11 +1668,9 @@ void cmMakefileTargetGenerator
   this->AppendTargetDepends(depends);
 
   // Add a dependency on the link definitions file, if any.
-  std::string def = this->GeneratorTarget->GetModuleDefinitionFile(
-                      this->Makefile->GetSafeDefinition("CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE"));
-  if(!def.empty())
+  if(!this->ModuleDefinitionFile.empty())
     {
-    depends.push_back(def);
+    depends.push_back(this->ModuleDefinitionFile);
     }
 
   // Add user-specified dependencies.
@@ -2074,28 +2072,3 @@ void cmMakefileTargetGenerator::AddFortranFlags(std::string& flags)
       }
     }
 }
-
-//----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-void cmMakefileTargetGenerator::AddModuleDefinitionFlag(std::string& flags)
-{
-  std::string def = this->GeneratorTarget->GetModuleDefinitionFile(
-                      this->Makefile->GetSafeDefinition("CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE"));
-  if(def.empty())
-    {
-    return;
-    }
-
-  // TODO: Create a per-language flag variable.
-  const char* defFileFlag =
-    this->Makefile->GetDefinition("CMAKE_LINK_DEF_FILE_FLAG");
-  if(!defFileFlag)
-    {
-    return;
-    }
-
-  // Append the flag and value.  Use ConvertToLinkReference to help
-  // vs6's "cl -link" pass it to the linker.
-  std::string flag = defFileFlag;
-  flag += (this->LocalGenerator->ConvertToLinkReference(def));
-  this->LocalGenerator->AppendFlags(flags, flag);
-}
diff --git a/Source/cmMakefileTargetGenerator.h b/Source/cmMakefileTargetGenerator.h
index 541542313..d2d1df964 100644
--- a/Source/cmMakefileTargetGenerator.h
+++ b/Source/cmMakefileTargetGenerator.h
@@ -255,9 +255,6 @@ protected:
   // Compute target-specific Fortran language flags.
   void AddFortranFlags(std::string& flags);
 
-  // Helper to add flag for windows .def file.
-  void AddModuleDefinitionFlag(std::string& flags);
-
   //==================================================================
   // Convenience routines that do nothing more than forward to
   // implementaitons
diff --git a/Source/cmNinjaTargetGenerator.cxx b/Source/cmNinjaTargetGenerator.cxx
index 8bc0ad0a9..948840aeb 100644
--- a/Source/cmNinjaTargetGenerator.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmNinjaTargetGenerator.cxx
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ cmNinjaDeps cmNinjaTargetGenerator::ComputeLinkDeps() const
   // Add a dependency on the link definitions file, if any.
   if(!this->ModuleDefinitionFile.empty())
     {
-    result.push_back(this->ModuleDefinitionFile);
+    result.push_back(this->ConvertToNinjaPath(this->ModuleDefinitionFile));
     }
 
   return result;
@@ -574,11 +574,6 @@ cmNinjaTargetGenerator
     {
     this->WriteObjectBuildStatement(*si, !orderOnlyDeps.empty());
     }
-  std::string def = this->GeneratorTarget->GetModuleDefinitionFile(config);
-  if(!def.empty())
-    {
-    this->ModuleDefinitionFile = this->ConvertToNinjaPath(def);
-    }
 
   this->GetBuildFileStream() << "\n";
 }
@@ -728,32 +723,6 @@ cmNinjaTargetGenerator
   }
 }
 
-//----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-void
-cmNinjaTargetGenerator
-::AddModuleDefinitionFlag(std::string& flags)
-{
-  if(this->ModuleDefinitionFile.empty())
-    {
-    return;
-    }
-
-  // TODO: Create a per-language flag variable.
-  const char* defFileFlag =
-    this->Makefile->GetDefinition("CMAKE_LINK_DEF_FILE_FLAG");
-  if(!defFileFlag)
-    {
-    return;
-    }
-
-  // Append the flag and value.  Use ConvertToLinkReference to help
-  // vs6's "cl -link" pass it to the linker.
-  std::string flag = defFileFlag;
-  flag += (this->LocalGenerator->ConvertToLinkReference(
-             this->ModuleDefinitionFile));
-  this->LocalGenerator->AppendFlags(flags, flag);
-}
-
 void
 cmNinjaTargetGenerator
 ::EnsureDirectoryExists(const std::string& path) const
diff --git a/Source/cmNinjaTargetGenerator.h b/Source/cmNinjaTargetGenerator.h
index 639654a75..ae668dde4 100644
--- a/Source/cmNinjaTargetGenerator.h
+++ b/Source/cmNinjaTargetGenerator.h
@@ -115,9 +115,6 @@ protected:
   cmNinjaDeps GetObjects() const
   { return this->Objects; }
 
-  // Helper to add flag for windows .def file.
-  void AddModuleDefinitionFlag(std::string& flags);
-
   void EnsureDirectoryExists(const std::string& dir) const;
   void EnsureParentDirectoryExists(const std::string& path) const;
 
@@ -153,9 +150,6 @@ private:
 
   typedef std::map<std::string, std::string> LanguageFlagMap;
   LanguageFlagMap LanguageFlags;
-
-  // The windows module definition source file (.def), if any.
-  std::string ModuleDefinitionFile;
 };
 
 #endif // ! cmNinjaTargetGenerator_h