diff --git a/Source/cmTarget.cxx b/Source/cmTarget.cxx
index 1dbb2ee2f0..9d1b286232 100644
--- a/Source/cmTarget.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmTarget.cxx
@@ -3234,10 +3234,14 @@ bool cmTarget::GetMappedConfig(std::string const& desiredConfig, cmValue& loc,
   bool const newResult =
     this->GetMappedConfigNew(desiredConfig, newLoc, newImp, newSuffix);
 
+  auto configFromSuffix = [](cm::string_view s) -> cm::string_view {
+    return s.empty() ? "(none)"_s : s.substr(1);
+  };
+
   if (!this->GetMappedConfigOld(desiredConfig, loc, imp, suffix)) {
     if (newResult) {
       // NEW policy found a configuration, OLD did not.
-      auto newConfig = cm::string_view{ newSuffix }.substr(1);
+      cm::string_view newConfig = configFromSuffix(newSuffix);
       std::string const err = cmStrCat(
         cmPolicies::GetPolicyWarning(cmPolicies::CMP0200),
         "\nConfiguration selection for imported target \"", this->GetName(),
@@ -3249,7 +3253,7 @@ bool cmTarget::GetMappedConfig(std::string const& desiredConfig, cmValue& loc,
     return false;
   }
 
-  auto oldConfig = cm::string_view{ suffix }.substr(1);
+  cm::string_view oldConfig = configFromSuffix(suffix);
   if (!newResult) {
     // NEW policy did not find a configuration, OLD did.
     std::string const err =
@@ -3260,7 +3264,7 @@ bool cmTarget::GetMappedConfig(std::string const& desiredConfig, cmValue& loc,
     this->GetMakefile()->IssueMessage(MessageType::AUTHOR_WARNING, err);
   } else if (suffix != newSuffix) {
     // OLD and NEW policies found different configurations.
-    auto newConfig = cm::string_view{ newSuffix }.substr(1);
+    cm::string_view newConfig = configFromSuffix(newSuffix);
     std::string const err =
       cmStrCat(cmPolicies::GetPolicyWarning(cmPolicies::CMP0200),
                "\nConfiguration selection for imported target \"",
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/GeneratorExpression/CMP0200-WARN-stderr.txt b/Tests/RunCMake/GeneratorExpression/CMP0200-WARN-stderr.txt
index aa0402ca95..52b8671360 100644
--- a/Tests/RunCMake/GeneratorExpression/CMP0200-WARN-stderr.txt
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/GeneratorExpression/CMP0200-WARN-stderr.txt
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ CMake Warning \(dev\) in CMakeLists\.txt:
   policy details\.  Use the cmake_policy command to set the policy and
   suppress this warning\.
 
-  Configuration selection for imported target "lib_test" selected
+  Configuration selection for imported target "lib_test1" selected
   configuration "CAT", but would select configuration "DOG" under the NEW
   policy\.
 
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/GeneratorExpression/CMP0200-WARN.cmake b/Tests/RunCMake/GeneratorExpression/CMP0200-WARN.cmake
index a91bc55875..92bfded965 100644
--- a/Tests/RunCMake/GeneratorExpression/CMP0200-WARN.cmake
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/GeneratorExpression/CMP0200-WARN.cmake
@@ -2,10 +2,15 @@ project(test-CMP0200-WARN C)
 
 set(CMAKE_POLICY_WARNING_CMP0200 ON)
 
-add_library(lib_test INTERFACE IMPORTED)
-set_target_properties(lib_test PROPERTIES
+add_library(lib_test1 INTERFACE IMPORTED)
+set_target_properties(lib_test1 PROPERTIES
   IMPORTED_CONFIGURATIONS "DOG;CAT"
 )
 
-add_executable(exe_test configtest.c)
-target_link_libraries(exe_test PRIVATE lib_test)
+add_executable(exe_test1 configtest.c)
+target_link_libraries(exe_test1 PRIVATE lib_test1)
+
+add_library(lib_test2 INTERFACE IMPORTED)
+
+add_executable(exe_test2 configtest.c)
+target_link_libraries(exe_test2 PRIVATE lib_test2)