diff --git a/Source/cmGlobalGenerator.cxx b/Source/cmGlobalGenerator.cxx
index 766fcb7f6..ac75933c2 100644
--- a/Source/cmGlobalGenerator.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmGlobalGenerator.cxx
@@ -1078,11 +1078,30 @@ void cmGlobalGenerator::CreateGeneratorTargets()
     cmGeneratorTargetsType generatorTargets;
 
     cmMakefile *mf = this->LocalGenerators[i]->GetMakefile();
+    const char *noconfig_compile_definitions =
+                                      mf->GetProperty("COMPILE_DEFINITIONS");
+
+    std::vector<std::string> configs;
+    mf->GetConfigurations(configs);
+
     cmTargets& targets = mf->GetTargets();
     for(cmTargets::iterator ti = targets.begin();
         ti != targets.end(); ++ti)
       {
       cmTarget* t = &ti->second;
+
+      {
+      t->AppendProperty("COMPILE_DEFINITIONS", noconfig_compile_definitions);
+      for(std::vector<std::string>::const_iterator ci = configs.begin();
+          ci != configs.end(); ++ci)
+        {
+        std::string defPropName = "COMPILE_DEFINITIONS_";
+        defPropName += cmSystemTools::UpperCase(*ci);
+        t->AppendProperty(defPropName.c_str(),
+                          mf->GetProperty(defPropName.c_str()));
+        }
+      }
+
       cmGeneratorTarget* gt = new cmGeneratorTarget(t);
       this->GeneratorTargets[t] = gt;
       this->ComputeTargetObjects(gt);
diff --git a/Source/cmLocalVisualStudio6Generator.cxx b/Source/cmLocalVisualStudio6Generator.cxx
index d6af26bfe..adacd3bc6 100644
--- a/Source/cmLocalVisualStudio6Generator.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmLocalVisualStudio6Generator.cxx
@@ -1679,22 +1679,6 @@ void cmLocalVisualStudio6Generator
     std::set<std::string> minsizeDefinesSet;
     std::set<std::string> debugrelDefinesSet;
 
-    this->AppendDefines(
-      definesSet,
-      this->Makefile->GetProperty("COMPILE_DEFINITIONS"));
-    this->AppendDefines(
-      debugDefinesSet,
-      this->Makefile->GetProperty("COMPILE_DEFINITIONS_DEBUG"));
-    this->AppendDefines(
-      releaseDefinesSet,
-      this->Makefile->GetProperty("COMPILE_DEFINITIONS_RELEASE"));
-    this->AppendDefines(
-      minsizeDefinesSet,
-      this->Makefile->GetProperty("COMPILE_DEFINITIONS_MINSIZEREL"));
-    this->AppendDefines(
-      debugrelDefinesSet,
-      this->Makefile->GetProperty("COMPILE_DEFINITIONS_RELWITHDEBINFO"));
-
     this->AppendDefines(
       definesSet,
       target.GetProperty("COMPILE_DEFINITIONS"));
diff --git a/Source/cmMakefileTargetGenerator.cxx b/Source/cmMakefileTargetGenerator.cxx
index 063a09968..cde329993 100644
--- a/Source/cmMakefileTargetGenerator.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmMakefileTargetGenerator.cxx
@@ -301,15 +301,11 @@ std::string cmMakefileTargetGenerator::GetDefines(const std::string &l)
       }
 
     // Add preprocessor definitions for this target and configuration.
-    this->LocalGenerator->AppendDefines
-      (defines, this->Makefile->GetProperty("COMPILE_DEFINITIONS"));
     this->LocalGenerator->AppendDefines
       (defines, this->Target->GetProperty("COMPILE_DEFINITIONS"));
     std::string defPropName = "COMPILE_DEFINITIONS_";
     defPropName +=
       cmSystemTools::UpperCase(this->LocalGenerator->ConfigurationName);
-    this->LocalGenerator->AppendDefines
-      (defines, this->Makefile->GetProperty(defPropName.c_str()));
     this->LocalGenerator->AppendDefines
       (defines, this->Target->GetProperty(defPropName.c_str()));
 
diff --git a/Source/cmNinjaTargetGenerator.cxx b/Source/cmNinjaTargetGenerator.cxx
index a384cfb10..d4ab133b2 100644
--- a/Source/cmNinjaTargetGenerator.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmNinjaTargetGenerator.cxx
@@ -193,9 +193,6 @@ ComputeDefines(cmSourceFile *source, const std::string& language)
     }
 
   // Add preprocessor definitions for this target and configuration.
-  this->LocalGenerator->AppendDefines
-    (defines,
-     this->Makefile->GetProperty("COMPILE_DEFINITIONS"));
   this->LocalGenerator->AppendDefines
     (defines,
      this->Target->GetProperty("COMPILE_DEFINITIONS"));
@@ -205,9 +202,6 @@ ComputeDefines(cmSourceFile *source, const std::string& language)
   {
   std::string defPropName = "COMPILE_DEFINITIONS_";
   defPropName += cmSystemTools::UpperCase(this->GetConfigName());
-  this->LocalGenerator->AppendDefines
-    (defines,
-     this->Makefile->GetProperty(defPropName.c_str()));
   this->LocalGenerator->AppendDefines
     (defines,
      this->Target->GetProperty(defPropName.c_str()));