diff --git a/Source/cmGeneratorTarget.cxx b/Source/cmGeneratorTarget.cxx
index ec83b7ac5a..f8c274a7db 100644
--- a/Source/cmGeneratorTarget.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmGeneratorTarget.cxx
@@ -314,7 +314,7 @@ std::vector<std::string> cmGeneratorTarget::GetIncludeDirectories()
 }
 
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-const char *cmGeneratorTarget::GetCompileDefinitions(const char *config)
+std::string cmGeneratorTarget::GetCompileDefinitions(const char *config)
 {
   if (!config)
     {
diff --git a/Source/cmGeneratorTarget.h b/Source/cmGeneratorTarget.h
index 4487c11363..8ea17d7e8c 100644
--- a/Source/cmGeneratorTarget.h
+++ b/Source/cmGeneratorTarget.h
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ public:
   /** Get the include directories for this target.  */
   std::vector<std::string> GetIncludeDirectories();
 
-  const char *GetCompileDefinitions(const char *config = 0);
+  std::string GetCompileDefinitions(const char *config = 0);
 
 private:
   void ClassifySources();
diff --git a/Source/cmGlobalXCodeGenerator.cxx b/Source/cmGlobalXCodeGenerator.cxx
index a270cc9a86..2f4311f93c 100644
--- a/Source/cmGlobalXCodeGenerator.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmGlobalXCodeGenerator.cxx
@@ -1648,10 +1648,11 @@ void cmGlobalXCodeGenerator::CreateBuildSettings(cmTarget& target,
     this->AppendDefines(ppDefs, exportMacro);
     }
   cmGeneratorTarget *gtgt = this->GetGeneratorTarget(&target);
-  this->AppendDefines(ppDefs, gtgt->GetCompileDefinitions());
+  this->AppendDefines(ppDefs, gtgt->GetCompileDefinitions().c_str());
   if(configName)
     {
-    this->AppendDefines(ppDefs, gtgt->GetCompileDefinitions(configName));
+    this->AppendDefines(ppDefs,
+                        gtgt->GetCompileDefinitions(configName).c_str());
     }
   buildSettings->AddAttribute
     ("GCC_PREPROCESSOR_DEFINITIONS", ppDefs.CreateList());
diff --git a/Source/cmLocalVisualStudio7Generator.cxx b/Source/cmLocalVisualStudio7Generator.cxx
index 71c1647bd9..11d9d9cb25 100644
--- a/Source/cmLocalVisualStudio7Generator.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmLocalVisualStudio7Generator.cxx
@@ -742,8 +742,8 @@ void cmLocalVisualStudio7Generator::WriteConfiguration(std::ostream& fout,
   targetOptions.ParseFinish();
   cmGeneratorTarget* gt =
     this->GlobalGenerator->GetGeneratorTarget(&target);
-  targetOptions.AddDefines(gt->GetCompileDefinitions());
-  targetOptions.AddDefines(gt->GetCompileDefinitions(configName));
+  targetOptions.AddDefines(gt->GetCompileDefinitions().c_str());
+  targetOptions.AddDefines(gt->GetCompileDefinitions(configName).c_str());
   targetOptions.SetVerboseMakefile(
     this->Makefile->IsOn("CMAKE_VERBOSE_MAKEFILE"));
 
diff --git a/Source/cmVisualStudio10TargetGenerator.cxx b/Source/cmVisualStudio10TargetGenerator.cxx
index 87312aeece..90718ab1da 100644
--- a/Source/cmVisualStudio10TargetGenerator.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmVisualStudio10TargetGenerator.cxx
@@ -1231,9 +1231,10 @@ bool cmVisualStudio10TargetGenerator::ComputeClOptions(
   clOptions.AddFlag("PrecompiledHeader", "NotUsing");
   clOptions.Parse(flags.c_str());
   clOptions.Parse(defineFlags.c_str());
-  clOptions.AddDefines(this->GeneratorTarget->GetCompileDefinitions());
+  clOptions.AddDefines(
+                     this->GeneratorTarget->GetCompileDefinitions().c_str());
   clOptions.AddDefines(this->GeneratorTarget->GetCompileDefinitions(
-                                                        configName.c_str()));
+                                                configName.c_str()).c_str());
   clOptions.SetVerboseMakefile(
     this->Makefile->IsOn("CMAKE_VERBOSE_MAKEFILE"));