diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index aba6e51259..2e4ae71bcc 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -280,19 +280,20 @@ if(SECP256K1_BUILD_CTIME_TESTS)
   unset(msan_enabled)
 endif()
 
-set(SECP256K1_APPEND_CFLAGS "" CACHE STRING "Compiler flags that are appended to the command line after all other flags added by the build system. This variable is intended for debugging and special builds.")
-if(SECP256K1_APPEND_CFLAGS)
-  # Appending to this low-level rule variable is the only way to
+# Only some generators use low-level rule variables.
+if(CMAKE_GENERATOR MATCHES "Make|Ninja")
+  # Appending to the low-level rule variables is the only way to
   # guarantee that the flags appear at the end of the command line.
-  string(APPEND CMAKE_C_COMPILE_OBJECT " ${SECP256K1_APPEND_CFLAGS}")
-endif()
+  set(SECP256K1_APPEND_CFLAGS "" CACHE STRING "Compiler flags that are appended to the command line after all other flags added by the build system. This variable is intended for debugging and special builds.")
+  if(SECP256K1_APPEND_CFLAGS)
+    string(REPLACE "<FLAGS>" "<FLAGS> ${SECP256K1_APPEND_CFLAGS}" CMAKE_C_COMPILE_OBJECT "${CMAKE_C_COMPILE_OBJECT}")
+  endif()
 
-set(SECP256K1_APPEND_LDFLAGS "" CACHE STRING "Linker flags that are appended to the command line after all other flags added by the build system. This variable is intended for debugging and special builds.")
-if(SECP256K1_APPEND_LDFLAGS)
-  # Appending to this low-level rule variable is the only way to
-  # guarantee that the flags appear at the end of the command line.
-  string(APPEND CMAKE_C_CREATE_SHARED_LIBRARY " ${SECP256K1_APPEND_LDFLAGS}")
-  string(APPEND CMAKE_C_LINK_EXECUTABLE " ${SECP256K1_APPEND_LDFLAGS}")
+  set(SECP256K1_APPEND_LDFLAGS "" CACHE STRING "Linker flags that are appended to the command line after all other flags added by the build system. This variable is intended for debugging and special builds.")
+  if(SECP256K1_APPEND_LDFLAGS)
+    string(REPLACE "<LINK_FLAGS>" "<LINK_FLAGS> ${SECP256K1_APPEND_LDFLAGS}" CMAKE_C_CREATE_SHARED_LIBRARY "${CMAKE_C_CREATE_SHARED_LIBRARY}")
+    string(REPLACE "<LINK_FLAGS>" "<LINK_FLAGS> ${SECP256K1_APPEND_LDFLAGS}" CMAKE_C_LINK_EXECUTABLE "${CMAKE_C_LINK_EXECUTABLE}")
+  endif()
 endif()
 
 if(NOT CMAKE_RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY)
@@ -381,11 +382,13 @@ else()
   message(" - LDFLAGS for executables ............ ${CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS_DEBUG}")
   message(" - LDFLAGS for shared libraries ....... ${CMAKE_SHARED_LINKER_FLAGS_DEBUG}")
 endif()
-if(SECP256K1_APPEND_CFLAGS)
-  message("SECP256K1_APPEND_CFLAGS ............... ${SECP256K1_APPEND_CFLAGS}")
-endif()
-if(SECP256K1_APPEND_LDFLAGS)
-  message("SECP256K1_APPEND_LDFLAGS .............. ${SECP256K1_APPEND_LDFLAGS}")
+if(CMAKE_GENERATOR MATCHES "Make|Ninja")
+  if(SECP256K1_APPEND_CFLAGS)
+    message("SECP256K1_APPEND_CFLAGS ............... ${SECP256K1_APPEND_CFLAGS}")
+  endif()
+  if(SECP256K1_APPEND_LDFLAGS)
+    message("SECP256K1_APPEND_LDFLAGS .............. ${SECP256K1_APPEND_LDFLAGS}")
+  endif()
 endif()
 message("")
 if(print_msan_notice)