diff --git a/Source/cmLocalVisualStudio7Generator.cxx b/Source/cmLocalVisualStudio7Generator.cxx
index ac33deb795..39c842f252 100644
--- a/Source/cmLocalVisualStudio7Generator.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmLocalVisualStudio7Generator.cxx
@@ -816,11 +816,14 @@ void cmLocalVisualStudio7Generator::WriteConfiguration(
     /* clang-format on */
   }
 
+  cm::optional<cmGeneratorTarget::MsvcCharSet> const charSet =
+    targetOptions.GetCharSet();
+
   // If unicode is enabled change the character set to unicode, if not
   // then default to MBCS.
-  if (targetOptions.UsingUnicode()) {
+  if (charSet == cmGeneratorTarget::MsvcCharSet::Unicode) {
     fout << "\t\t\tCharacterSet=\"1\">\n";
-  } else if (targetOptions.UsingSBCS()) {
+  } else if (charSet == cmGeneratorTarget::MsvcCharSet::SingleByte) {
     fout << "\t\t\tCharacterSet=\"0\">\n";
   } else {
     fout << "\t\t\tCharacterSet=\"2\">\n";
@@ -1220,7 +1223,8 @@ void cmLocalVisualStudio7Generator::OutputBuildTool(
         fout << "\t\t\t\tSubSystem=\"8\"\n";
 
         if (!linkOptions.GetFlag("EntryPointSymbol")) {
-          char const* entryPointSymbol = targetOptions.UsingUnicode()
+          char const* entryPointSymbol = targetOptions.GetCharSet() ==
+              cmGeneratorTarget::MsvcCharSet::Unicode
             ? (isWin32Executable ? "wWinMainCRTStartup" : "mainWCRTStartup")
             : (isWin32Executable ? "WinMainCRTStartup" : "mainACRTStartup");
           fout << "\t\t\t\tEntryPointSymbol=\"" << entryPointSymbol << "\"\n";
diff --git a/Source/cmVisualStudio10TargetGenerator.cxx b/Source/cmVisualStudio10TargetGenerator.cxx
index 9beb99bc69..bc3546a146 100644
--- a/Source/cmVisualStudio10TargetGenerator.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmVisualStudio10TargetGenerator.cxx
@@ -433,6 +433,17 @@ void cmVisualStudio10TargetGenerator::Generate()
     if (!this->ComputeLibOptions()) {
       return;
     }
+    for (std::string const& config : this->Configurations) {
+      // Default character set if not populated above.
+      this->CharSet.emplace(
+        config,
+        (this->GeneratorTarget->GetPropertyAsBool("VS_WINRT_COMPONENT") ||
+         this->GlobalGenerator->TargetsWindowsPhone() ||
+         this->GlobalGenerator->TargetsWindowsStore() ||
+         this->GeneratorTarget->GetPropertyAsBool("VS_WINRT_EXTENSIONS"))
+          ? MsvcCharSet::Unicode
+          : MsvcCharSet::MultiByte);
+    }
   }
   std::string path =
     cmStrCat(this->LocalGenerator->GetCurrentBinaryDirectory(), '/',
@@ -1536,15 +1547,11 @@ void cmVisualStudio10TargetGenerator::WriteMSToolConfigurationValues(
   }
 
   if ((this->GeneratorTarget->GetType() <= cmStateEnums::OBJECT_LIBRARY &&
-       this->ClOptions[config]->UsingUnicode()) ||
-      this->GeneratorTarget->GetPropertyAsBool("VS_WINRT_COMPONENT") ||
-      this->GlobalGenerator->TargetsWindowsPhone() ||
-      this->GlobalGenerator->TargetsWindowsStore() ||
-      this->GeneratorTarget->GetPropertyAsBool("VS_WINRT_EXTENSIONS")) {
+       this->CharSet[config] == MsvcCharSet::Unicode)) {
     e1.Element("CharacterSet", "Unicode");
   } else if (this->GeneratorTarget->GetType() <=
                cmStateEnums::OBJECT_LIBRARY &&
-             this->ClOptions[config]->UsingSBCS()) {
+             this->CharSet[config] == MsvcCharSet::SingleByte) {
     e1.Element("CharacterSet", "NotSet");
   } else {
     e1.Element("CharacterSet", "MultiByte");
@@ -3631,6 +3638,10 @@ bool cmVisualStudio10TargetGenerator::ComputeClOptions(
     }
   }
 
+  if (cm::optional<MsvcCharSet> charSet = clOptions.GetCharSet()) {
+    this->CharSet.emplace(configName, *charSet);
+  }
+
   if (this->ProjectType != VsProjectType::csproj &&
       (clOptions.IsManaged() || clOptions.HasFlag("CLRSupport"))) {
     this->Managed = true;
@@ -4608,7 +4619,7 @@ bool cmVisualStudio10TargetGenerator::ComputeLinkOptions(
         if (this->GlobalGenerator->TargetsWindowsCE()) {
           linkOptions.AddFlag("SubSystem", "WindowsCE");
           if (this->GeneratorTarget->GetType() == cmStateEnums::EXECUTABLE) {
-            if (this->ClOptions[config]->UsingUnicode()) {
+            if (this->CharSet[config] == MsvcCharSet::Unicode) {
               linkOptions.AddFlag("EntryPointSymbol", "wWinMainCRTStartup");
             } else {
               linkOptions.AddFlag("EntryPointSymbol", "WinMainCRTStartup");
@@ -4621,7 +4632,7 @@ bool cmVisualStudio10TargetGenerator::ComputeLinkOptions(
         if (this->GlobalGenerator->TargetsWindowsCE()) {
           linkOptions.AddFlag("SubSystem", "WindowsCE");
           if (this->GeneratorTarget->GetType() == cmStateEnums::EXECUTABLE) {
-            if (this->ClOptions[config]->UsingUnicode()) {
+            if (this->CharSet[config] == MsvcCharSet::Unicode) {
               linkOptions.AddFlag("EntryPointSymbol", "mainWCRTStartup");
             } else {
               linkOptions.AddFlag("EntryPointSymbol", "mainACRTStartup");
diff --git a/Source/cmVisualStudio10TargetGenerator.h b/Source/cmVisualStudio10TargetGenerator.h
index 162a140e2b..1bfc92916b 100644
--- a/Source/cmVisualStudio10TargetGenerator.h
+++ b/Source/cmVisualStudio10TargetGenerator.h
@@ -276,6 +276,9 @@ private:
   using ToolSourceMap = std::map<std::string, ToolSources>;
   ToolSourceMap Tools;
 
+  using MsvcCharSet = cmGeneratorTarget::MsvcCharSet;
+  std::map<std::string, MsvcCharSet> CharSet;
+
   std::set<std::string> ExpectedResxHeaders;
   std::set<std::string> ExpectedXamlHeaders;
   std::set<std::string> ExpectedXamlSources;
diff --git a/Source/cmVisualStudioGeneratorOptions.cxx b/Source/cmVisualStudioGeneratorOptions.cxx
index ee66e747c8..5f10e02337 100644
--- a/Source/cmVisualStudioGeneratorOptions.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmVisualStudioGeneratorOptions.cxx
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #include <vector>
 
 #include <cm/iterator>
+#include <cm/optional>
 #include <cmext/string_view>
 
 #include "cmAlgorithms.h"
@@ -134,44 +135,18 @@ bool cmVisualStudioGeneratorOptions::IsManaged() const
   return this->FlagMap.find("CompileAsManaged") != this->FlagMap.end();
 }
 
-void cmVisualStudioGeneratorOptions::CacheCharsetValue() const
+cm::optional<cmGeneratorTarget::MsvcCharSet>
+cmVisualStudioGeneratorOptions::GetCharSet() const
 {
-  using MsvcCharSet = cmGeneratorTarget::MsvcCharSet;
-
-  if (this->CachedCharset.has_value()) {
-    return;
+  // Look for a project- or user-specified character set definition.
+  for (std::string const& define : this->Defines) {
+    cmGeneratorTarget::MsvcCharSet charSet =
+      cmGeneratorTarget::GetMsvcCharSet(define);
+    if (charSet != cmGeneratorTarget::MsvcCharSet::None) {
+      return charSet;
+    }
   }
-
-  MsvcCharSet newValue = MsvcCharSet::None;
-
-  // Look for a any charset definition.
-  // Real charset will be updated if something is found.
-  auto it = std::find_if(this->Defines.begin(), this->Defines.end(),
-                         [&newValue](std::string const& define) {
-                           newValue =
-                             cmGeneratorTarget::GetMsvcCharSet(define);
-                           return newValue != MsvcCharSet::None;
-                         });
-
-  if (it == this->Defines.end()) {
-    // Default to multi-byte, as Visual Studio does
-    newValue = MsvcCharSet::MultiByte;
-  }
-
-  this->CachedCharset = newValue;
-}
-
-bool cmVisualStudioGeneratorOptions::UsingUnicode() const
-{
-  this->CacheCharsetValue();
-  return this->CachedCharset.value() ==
-    cmGeneratorTarget::MsvcCharSet::Unicode;
-}
-bool cmVisualStudioGeneratorOptions::UsingSBCS() const
-{
-  this->CacheCharsetValue();
-  return this->CachedCharset.value() ==
-    cmGeneratorTarget::MsvcCharSet::SingleByte;
+  return cm::nullopt;
 }
 
 void cmVisualStudioGeneratorOptions::FixCudaCodeGeneration()
diff --git a/Source/cmVisualStudioGeneratorOptions.h b/Source/cmVisualStudioGeneratorOptions.h
index 76977061b6..5837876b9f 100644
--- a/Source/cmVisualStudioGeneratorOptions.h
+++ b/Source/cmVisualStudioGeneratorOptions.h
@@ -60,9 +60,8 @@ public:
   // Store options for verbose builds.
   void SetVerboseMakefile(bool verbose);
 
-  // Check for specific options.
-  bool UsingUnicode() const;
-  bool UsingSBCS() const;
+  // Detect a character set definition.
+  cm::optional<cmGeneratorTarget::MsvcCharSet> GetCharSet() const;
 
   void FixCudaCodeGeneration();
 
@@ -98,11 +97,7 @@ private:
 
   std::string UnknownFlagField;
 
-  mutable cm::optional<cmGeneratorTarget::MsvcCharSet> CachedCharset;
-
   void StoreUnknownFlag(std::string const& flag) override;
 
   FlagValue TakeFlag(std::string const& key);
-
-  void CacheCharsetValue() const;
 };