diff --git a/Source/cmLocalUnixMakefileGenerator3.cxx b/Source/cmLocalUnixMakefileGenerator3.cxx
index 68c79ed334..7654466e83 100644
--- a/Source/cmLocalUnixMakefileGenerator3.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmLocalUnixMakefileGenerator3.cxx
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ cmLocalUnixMakefileGenerator3::cmLocalUnixMakefileGenerator3(
 
 cmLocalUnixMakefileGenerator3::~cmLocalUnixMakefileGenerator3() = default;
 
-std::string cmLocalUnixMakefileGenerator3::GetConfigName() const
+std::string const& cmLocalUnixMakefileGenerator3::GetConfigName() const
 {
   auto const& configNames = this->GetConfigNames();
   assert(configNames.size() == 1);
diff --git a/Source/cmLocalUnixMakefileGenerator3.h b/Source/cmLocalUnixMakefileGenerator3.h
index aaf9da3290..573c2c5d61 100644
--- a/Source/cmLocalUnixMakefileGenerator3.h
+++ b/Source/cmLocalUnixMakefileGenerator3.h
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ public:
   cmLocalUnixMakefileGenerator3(cmGlobalGenerator* gg, cmMakefile* mf);
   ~cmLocalUnixMakefileGenerator3() override;
 
-  std::string GetConfigName() const;
+  std::string const& GetConfigName() const;
 
   void ComputeHomeRelativeOutputPath() override;
 
diff --git a/Source/cmMakefileTargetGenerator.cxx b/Source/cmMakefileTargetGenerator.cxx
index 4a6ee3954f..0adffc6053 100644
--- a/Source/cmMakefileTargetGenerator.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmMakefileTargetGenerator.cxx
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ std::unique_ptr<cmMakefileTargetGenerator> cmMakefileTargetGenerator::New(
   return result;
 }
 
-std::string cmMakefileTargetGenerator::GetConfigName() const
+std::string const& cmMakefileTargetGenerator::GetConfigName() const
 {
   auto const& configNames = this->LocalGenerator->GetConfigNames();
   assert(configNames.size() == 1);
diff --git a/Source/cmMakefileTargetGenerator.h b/Source/cmMakefileTargetGenerator.h
index e8956470e6..484d223840 100644
--- a/Source/cmMakefileTargetGenerator.h
+++ b/Source/cmMakefileTargetGenerator.h
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ public:
 
   cmGeneratorTarget* GetGeneratorTarget() { return this->GeneratorTarget; }
 
-  std::string GetConfigName() const;
+  std::string const& GetConfigName() const;
 
 protected:
   void GetDeviceLinkFlags(std::string& linkFlags,