diff --git a/Source/cmMakefile.cxx b/Source/cmMakefile.cxx
index 6c2b8b2075..23c2e48283 100644
--- a/Source/cmMakefile.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmMakefile.cxx
@@ -1543,6 +1543,11 @@ void cmMakefile::InitializeFromParent()
   // Initialize definitions with the closure of the parent scope.
   this->Internal->VarStack.top() = parent->Internal->VarStack.top().Closure();
 
+  this->AddDefinition("CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR",
+                      this->cmStartDirectory.c_str());
+  this->AddDefinition("CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR",
+                      this->StartOutputDirectory.c_str());
+
   const std::vector<cmValueWithOrigin>& parentIncludes =
                                         parent->GetIncludeDirectoriesEntries();
   this->IncludeDirectoriesEntries.insert(this->IncludeDirectoriesEntries.end(),
@@ -1611,7 +1616,6 @@ void cmMakefile::InitializeFromParent()
 void cmMakefile::ConfigureSubDirectory(cmLocalGenerator *lg2)
 {
   lg2->GetMakefile()->InitializeFromParent();
-  lg2->GetMakefile()->MakeStartDirectoriesCurrent();
   if (this->GetCMakeInstance()->GetDebugOutput())
     {
     std::string msg="   Entering             ";
diff --git a/Source/cmMakefile.h b/Source/cmMakefile.h
index 8da2ccdd31..356e4c2812 100644
--- a/Source/cmMakefile.h
+++ b/Source/cmMakefile.h
@@ -423,14 +423,6 @@ public:
   bool HasCMP0054AlreadyBeenReported(
     cmListFileContext context) const;
 
-  void MakeStartDirectoriesCurrent()
-    {
-      this->AddDefinition("CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR",
-                          this->cmStartDirectory.c_str());
-      this->AddDefinition("CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR",
-                          this->StartOutputDirectory.c_str());
-    }
-
   //@{
   /**
    * Set/Get the home directory (or output directory) in the project. The