diff --git a/Help/variable/CMAKE_XCODE_ATTRIBUTE_an-attribute.rst b/Help/variable/CMAKE_XCODE_ATTRIBUTE_an-attribute.rst
index 122b9f6b0..be683d668 100644
--- a/Help/variable/CMAKE_XCODE_ATTRIBUTE_an-attribute.rst
+++ b/Help/variable/CMAKE_XCODE_ATTRIBUTE_an-attribute.rst
@@ -8,3 +8,9 @@ in the generated Xcode project.  Ignored on other generators.
 
 See the :prop_tgt:`XCODE_ATTRIBUTE_<an-attribute>` target property
 to set attributes on a specific target.
+
+Contents of ``CMAKE_XCODE_ATTRIBUTE_<an-attribute>`` may use
+"generator expressions" with the syntax ``$<...>``.  See the
+:manual:`cmake-generator-expressions(7)` manual for available
+expressions.  See the :manual:`cmake-buildsystem(7)` manual
+for more on defining buildsystem properties.
diff --git a/Source/cmGlobalXCodeGenerator.cxx b/Source/cmGlobalXCodeGenerator.cxx
index 3ac113782..fa9af121b 100644
--- a/Source/cmGlobalXCodeGenerator.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmGlobalXCodeGenerator.cxx
@@ -709,6 +709,15 @@ cmXCodeObject* cmGlobalXCodeGenerator
   return obj;
 }
 
+//----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+cmXCodeObject* cmGlobalXCodeGenerator
+::CreateFlatClone(cmXCodeObject* orig)
+{
+  cmXCodeObject* obj = this->CreateObject(orig->GetType());
+  obj->CopyAttributes(orig);
+  return obj;
+}
+
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 std::string
 GetGroupMapKeyFromPath(cmGeneratorTarget* target, const std::string& fullpath)
@@ -3531,25 +3540,33 @@ bool cmGlobalXCodeGenerator
   symroot += "/build";
   buildSettings->AddAttribute("SYMROOT", this->CreateString(symroot.c_str()));
 
-  // Put this last so it can override existing settings
-  // Convert "CMAKE_XCODE_ATTRIBUTE_*" variables directly.
-  {
-    std::vector<std::string> vars = this->CurrentMakefile->GetDefinitions();
-    for(std::vector<std::string>::const_iterator i = vars.begin();
-        i != vars.end(); ++i)
-    {
-      if(i->find("CMAKE_XCODE_ATTRIBUTE_") == 0)
-      {
-        buildSettings->AddAttribute(i->substr(22).c_str(),
-          this->CreateString(
-            this->CurrentMakefile->GetDefinition(i->c_str())));
-      }
-    }
-  }
-
   for(Configs::iterator i = configs.begin(); i != configs.end(); ++i)
     {
-    i->second->AddAttribute("buildSettings", buildSettings);
+    cmXCodeObject* buildSettingsForCfg = this->CreateFlatClone(buildSettings);
+
+    // Put this last so it can override existing settings
+    // Convert "CMAKE_XCODE_ATTRIBUTE_*" variables directly.
+    std::vector<std::string> vars = this->CurrentMakefile->GetDefinitions();
+    for(std::vector<std::string>::const_iterator d = vars.begin();
+        d != vars.end(); ++d)
+      {
+      if(d->find("CMAKE_XCODE_ATTRIBUTE_") == 0)
+        {
+        std::string attribute = d->substr(22);
+        this->FilterConfigurationAttribute(i->first, attribute);
+        if(!attribute.empty())
+          {
+          cmGeneratorExpression ge;
+          std::string processed =
+            ge.Parse(this->CurrentMakefile->GetDefinition(*d))
+              ->Evaluate(this->CurrentLocalGenerator, i->first);
+          buildSettingsForCfg->AddAttribute(attribute,
+            this->CreateString(processed));
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    // store per-config buildSettings into configuration object
+    i->second->AddAttribute("buildSettings", buildSettingsForCfg);
     }
 
   this->RootObject->AddAttribute("buildConfigurationList",
diff --git a/Source/cmGlobalXCodeGenerator.h b/Source/cmGlobalXCodeGenerator.h
index 4801064c2..965982235 100644
--- a/Source/cmGlobalXCodeGenerator.h
+++ b/Source/cmGlobalXCodeGenerator.h
@@ -131,6 +131,7 @@ private:
   cmXCodeObject* CreateObject(cmXCodeObject::Type type);
   cmXCodeObject* CreateString(const std::string& s);
   cmXCodeObject* CreateObjectReference(cmXCodeObject*);
+  cmXCodeObject* CreateFlatClone(cmXCodeObject*);
   cmXCodeObject* CreateXCodeTarget(cmGeneratorTarget *gtgt,
                                    cmXCodeObject* buildPhases);
   void ForceLinkerLanguages();
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/XcodeProject/XcodeAttributeGenex-check.cmake b/Tests/RunCMake/XcodeProject/XcodeAttributeGenex-check.cmake
index 637df0fd7..8a3950671 100644
--- a/Tests/RunCMake/XcodeProject/XcodeAttributeGenex-check.cmake
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/XcodeProject/XcodeAttributeGenex-check.cmake
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+# per target attribute with genex
+
 set(expect "TEST_HOST = \"[^;\"]*Tests/RunCMake/XcodeProject/XcodeAttributeGenex-build/[^;\"/]*/some\"")
 file(STRINGS ${RunCMake_TEST_BINARY_DIR}/XcodeAttributeGenex.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj actual
      REGEX "TEST_HOST = .*;" LIMIT_COUNT 1)
@@ -5,3 +7,49 @@ if(NOT "${actual}" MATCHES "${expect}")
   message(SEND_ERROR "The actual project contains the line:\n ${actual}\n"
     "which does not match expected regex:\n ${expect}\n")
 endif()
+
+# per target attribute with variant
+
+file(STRINGS ${RunCMake_TEST_BINARY_DIR}/XcodeAttributeGenex.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj actual
+     REGEX "CONFIG_SPECIFIC = .*;")
+list(REMOVE_DUPLICATES actual)
+
+set(expect "CONFIG_SPECIFIC = general")
+if(NOT "${actual}" MATCHES "${expect}")
+  message(SEND_ERROR "The actual project contains the line:\n ${actual}\n"
+    "which does not match expected regex:\n ${expect}\n")
+endif()
+
+set(expect "CONFIG_SPECIFIC = release")
+if(NOT "${actual}" MATCHES "${expect}")
+  message(SEND_ERROR "The actual project contains the line:\n ${actual}\n"
+    "which does not match expected regex:\n ${expect}\n")
+endif()
+
+# global attribute with genex
+
+set(expect "ANOTHER_GLOBAL = \"[^;\"]*Tests/RunCMake/XcodeProject/XcodeAttributeGenex-build/[^;\"/]*/another\"")
+file(STRINGS ${RunCMake_TEST_BINARY_DIR}/XcodeAttributeGenex.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj actual
+     REGEX "ANOTHER_GLOBAL = .*;" LIMIT_COUNT 1)
+if(NOT "${actual}" MATCHES "${expect}")
+  message(SEND_ERROR "The actual project contains the line:\n ${actual}\n"
+    "which does not match expected regex:\n ${expect}\n")
+endif()
+
+# global attribute with variant
+
+file(STRINGS ${RunCMake_TEST_BINARY_DIR}/XcodeAttributeGenex.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj actual
+     REGEX "ANOTHER_CONFIG = .*;" LIMIT_COUNT 4)
+list(REMOVE_DUPLICATES actual)
+
+set(expect "ANOTHER_CONFIG = general")
+if(NOT "${actual}" MATCHES "${expect}")
+  message(SEND_ERROR "The actual project contains the line:\n ${actual}\n"
+    "which does not match expected regex:\n ${expect}\n")
+endif()
+
+set(expect "ANOTHER_CONFIG = debug")
+if(NOT "${actual}" MATCHES "${expect}")
+  message(SEND_ERROR "The actual project contains the line:\n ${actual}\n"
+    "which does not match expected regex:\n ${expect}\n")
+endif()
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/XcodeProject/XcodeAttributeGenex.cmake b/Tests/RunCMake/XcodeProject/XcodeAttributeGenex.cmake
index 760b882c6..d8cb3bd23 100644
--- a/Tests/RunCMake/XcodeProject/XcodeAttributeGenex.cmake
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/XcodeProject/XcodeAttributeGenex.cmake
@@ -1,4 +1,16 @@
 enable_language(C)
 add_executable(some main.c)
 add_executable(another main.c)
-set_property(TARGET another PROPERTY XCODE_ATTRIBUTE_TEST_HOST "$<TARGET_FILE:some>")
+set_target_properties(another PROPERTIES
+  # per target attribute with genex
+  XCODE_ATTRIBUTE_TEST_HOST "$<TARGET_FILE:some>"
+  # per target attribute with variant
+  XCODE_ATTRIBUTE_CONFIG_SPECIFIC[variant=Release] "release"
+  XCODE_ATTRIBUTE_CONFIG_SPECIFIC "general")
+
+# global attribute with genex
+set(CMAKE_XCODE_ATTRIBUTE_ANOTHER_GLOBAL "$<TARGET_FILE:another>")
+
+# global attribute with variant
+set(CMAKE_XCODE_ATTRIBUTE_ANOTHER_CONFIG "general")
+set(CMAKE_XCODE_ATTRIBUTE_ANOTHER_CONFIG[variant=Debug] "debug")