diff --git a/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio8Generator.cxx b/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio8Generator.cxx
index aefb67a13e..acb20d1d04 100644
--- a/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio8Generator.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio8Generator.cxx
@@ -117,10 +117,6 @@ bool cmGlobalVisualStudio8Generator::SetGeneratorPlatform(std::string const& p,
                       *targetFrameworkTargetsVersion);
   }
 
-  if (!this->InitializePlatform(mf)) {
-    return false;
-  }
-
   // The generator name does not contain the platform name, and so supports
   // explicit platform specification.  We handled that above, so pass an
   // empty platform name to our base class implementation so it does not error.
@@ -206,11 +202,6 @@ bool cmGlobalVisualStudio8Generator::ProcessGeneratorPlatformField(
   return false;
 }
 
-bool cmGlobalVisualStudio8Generator::InitializePlatform(cmMakefile*)
-{
-  return true;
-}
-
 cm::optional<std::string> const&
 cmGlobalVisualStudio8Generator::GetTargetFrameworkVersion() const
 {
diff --git a/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio8Generator.h b/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio8Generator.h
index 5555e9b2de..cb0ea760b5 100644
--- a/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio8Generator.h
+++ b/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio8Generator.h
@@ -60,8 +60,6 @@ protected:
   cmGlobalVisualStudio8Generator(cmake* cm, const std::string& name,
                                  std::string const& platformInGeneratorName);
 
-  virtual bool InitializePlatform(cmMakefile* mf);
-
   virtual bool ProcessGeneratorPlatformField(std::string const& key,
                                              std::string const& value);
 
diff --git a/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudioGenerator.cxx b/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudioGenerator.cxx
index 702199d3e9..6b024dbdb6 100644
--- a/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudioGenerator.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudioGenerator.cxx
@@ -75,6 +75,9 @@ void cmGlobalVisualStudioGenerator::EnableLanguage(
 bool cmGlobalVisualStudioGenerator::SetGeneratorPlatform(std::string const& p,
                                                          cmMakefile* mf)
 {
+  if (!this->InitializePlatform(mf)) {
+    return false;
+  }
   if (this->GetPlatformName() == "x64") {
     mf->AddDefinition("CMAKE_FORCE_WIN64", "TRUE");
   } else if (this->GetPlatformName() == "Itanium") {
@@ -84,6 +87,11 @@ bool cmGlobalVisualStudioGenerator::SetGeneratorPlatform(std::string const& p,
   return this->cmGlobalGenerator::SetGeneratorPlatform(p, mf);
 }
 
+bool cmGlobalVisualStudioGenerator::InitializePlatform(cmMakefile*)
+{
+  return true;
+}
+
 std::string const& cmGlobalVisualStudioGenerator::GetPlatformName() const
 {
   if (!this->GeneratorPlatform.empty()) {
diff --git a/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudioGenerator.h b/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudioGenerator.h
index 3e20ada2d4..52db98d209 100644
--- a/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudioGenerator.h
+++ b/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudioGenerator.h
@@ -164,6 +164,8 @@ protected:
   cmGlobalVisualStudioGenerator(cmake* cm,
                                 std::string const& platformInGeneratorName);
 
+  virtual bool InitializePlatform(cmMakefile* mf);
+
   void AddExtraIDETargets() override;
 
   // Does this VS version link targets to each other if there are