diff --git a/Help/policy/CMP0039.rst b/Help/policy/CMP0039.rst
index 1d20f0cf2a..fb62eea2d0 100644
--- a/Help/policy/CMP0039.rst
+++ b/Help/policy/CMP0039.rst
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 CMP0039
 -------
 
-Utility targets may not have link dependencies
+Utility targets may not have link dependencies.
 
 CMake 2.8.12 and lower allowed using utility targets in the left hand side
 position of the :command:`target_link_libraries` command. This is an indicator
diff --git a/Source/cmPolicies.cxx b/Source/cmPolicies.cxx
index 3881c54f5c..7b80d14da2 100644
--- a/Source/cmPolicies.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmPolicies.cxx
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@ cmPolicies::cmPolicies()
 
   this->DefinePolicy(
     CMP0039, "CMP0039",
-    "Utility targets may not have link dependencies",
+    "Utility targets may not have link dependencies.",
     3,0,0,0, cmPolicies::WARN);
 }
 
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/CMP0039/CMP0039-NEW-stderr.txt b/Tests/RunCMake/CMP0039/CMP0039-NEW-stderr.txt
index 1496c05688..821c4f8b97 100644
--- a/Tests/RunCMake/CMP0039/CMP0039-NEW-stderr.txt
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/CMP0039/CMP0039-NEW-stderr.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 CMake Error at CMP0039-NEW.cmake:7 \(target_link_libraries\):
-  Policy CMP0039 is not set: Utility targets may not have link dependencies
+  Policy CMP0039 is not set: Utility targets may not have link dependencies.
   Run "cmake --help-policy CMP0039" for policy details.  Use the cmake_policy
   command to set the policy and suppress this warning.
 
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/CMP0039/CMP0039-WARN-stderr.txt b/Tests/RunCMake/CMP0039/CMP0039-WARN-stderr.txt
index 9387f8c8aa..a8e6c70aff 100644
--- a/Tests/RunCMake/CMP0039/CMP0039-WARN-stderr.txt
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/CMP0039/CMP0039-WARN-stderr.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 CMake Warning \(dev\) at CMP0039-WARN.cmake:5 \(target_link_libraries\):
-  Policy CMP0039 is not set: Utility targets may not have link dependencies
+  Policy CMP0039 is not set: Utility targets may not have link dependencies.
   Run "cmake --help-policy CMP0039" for policy details.  Use the cmake_policy
   command to set the policy and suppress this warning.