diff --git a/Source/cmCommonTargetGenerator.cxx b/Source/cmCommonTargetGenerator.cxx
index 7c2e20c016..59e41419e5 100644
--- a/Source/cmCommonTargetGenerator.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmCommonTargetGenerator.cxx
@@ -39,10 +39,10 @@ std::vector<std::string> const& cmCommonTargetGenerator::GetConfigNames() const
   return this->ConfigNames;
 }
 
-const char* cmCommonTargetGenerator::GetFeature(const std::string& feature,
-                                                const std::string& config)
+cmProp cmCommonTargetGenerator::GetFeature(const std::string& feature,
+                                           const std::string& config)
 {
-  return this->GeneratorTarget->GetFeature(feature, config)->c_str();
+  return this->GeneratorTarget->GetFeature(feature, config);
 }
 
 void cmCommonTargetGenerator::AddModuleDefinitionFlag(
diff --git a/Source/cmCommonTargetGenerator.h b/Source/cmCommonTargetGenerator.h
index e1a4f8bb5b..463a445a27 100644
--- a/Source/cmCommonTargetGenerator.h
+++ b/Source/cmCommonTargetGenerator.h
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@
 #include <string>
 #include <vector>
 
+#include "cmProperty.h"
+
 class cmGeneratorTarget;
 class cmGlobalCommonGenerator;
 class cmLinkLineComputer;
@@ -28,8 +30,7 @@ public:
 
 protected:
   // Feature query methods.
-  const char* GetFeature(const std::string& feature,
-                         const std::string& config);
+  cmProp GetFeature(const std::string& feature, const std::string& config);
 
   // Helper to add flag for windows .def file.
   void AddModuleDefinitionFlag(cmLinkLineComputer* linkLineComputer,