diff --git a/Source/cmMakefileExecutableTargetGenerator.cxx b/Source/cmMakefileExecutableTargetGenerator.cxx
index 91038d567..502683448 100644
--- a/Source/cmMakefileExecutableTargetGenerator.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmMakefileExecutableTargetGenerator.cxx
@@ -293,9 +293,14 @@ void cmMakefileExecutableTargetGenerator::WriteExecutableRule(bool relink)
                                           cmLocalGenerator::START_OUTPUT,
                                           cmLocalGenerator::UNCHANGED));
     }
-  exeCleanFiles.push_back(this->Convert(cleanFullPDBName.c_str(),
-                                        cmLocalGenerator::START_OUTPUT,
-                                        cmLocalGenerator::UNCHANGED));
+
+  // List the PDB for cleaning only when the whole target is
+  // cleaned.  We do not want to delete the .pdb file just before
+  // linking the target.
+  this->CleanFiles.push_back
+    (this->Convert(cleanFullPDBName.c_str(),
+                   cmLocalGenerator::START_OUTPUT,
+                   cmLocalGenerator::UNCHANGED));
   }
 
   // Add a command to remove any existing files for this executable.
diff --git a/Source/cmMakefileLibraryTargetGenerator.cxx b/Source/cmMakefileLibraryTargetGenerator.cxx
index 39580ad48..6f6ab2e68 100644
--- a/Source/cmMakefileLibraryTargetGenerator.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmMakefileLibraryTargetGenerator.cxx
@@ -401,7 +401,11 @@ void cmMakefileLibraryTargetGenerator::WriteLibraryRules
           cmLocalGenerator::START_OUTPUT,
           cmLocalGenerator::UNCHANGED));
       }
-    libCleanFiles.push_back
+
+    // List the PDB for cleaning only when the whole target is
+    // cleaned.  We do not want to delete the .pdb file just before
+    // linking the target.
+    this->CleanFiles.push_back
       (this->Convert(cleanFullPDBName.c_str(),
                      cmLocalGenerator::START_OUTPUT,
                      cmLocalGenerator::UNCHANGED));