diff --git a/c++/src/CMakeLists.txt b/c++/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 8226d16ffb..cf7a8a5a14 100644
--- a/c++/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/c++/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ target_include_directories(${HDF5_CPP_LIB_TARGET}
     INTERFACE "$<INSTALL_INTERFACE:$<INSTALL_PREFIX>/include>"
 )
 target_compile_definitions(${HDF5_CPP_LIB_TARGET}
-    PRIVATE $<$<BOOL:${HDF5_ENABLE_PARALLEL}>:"-DMPICH_SKIP_MPICXX;-DMPICH_IGNORE_CXX_SEEK"># Parallel/MPI, prevent spurious cpp/cxx warnings
+    PRIVATE $<$<BOOL:${HDF5_ENABLE_PARALLEL}>:MPICH_SKIP_MPICXX;MPICH_IGNORE_CXX_SEEK># Parallel/MPI, prevent spurious cpp/cxx warnings
 )
 TARGET_C_PROPERTIES (${HDF5_CPP_LIB_TARGET} STATIC)
 target_link_libraries (${HDF5_CPP_LIB_TARGET} PUBLIC ${HDF5_LIB_TARGET})
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ if (BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
   )
   target_compile_definitions(${HDF5_CPP_LIBSH_TARGET}
       PUBLIC "H5_BUILT_AS_DYNAMIC_LIB"
-      PRIVATE $<$<BOOL:${HDF5_ENABLE_PARALLEL}>:"-DMPICH_SKIP_MPICXX;-DMPICH_IGNORE_CXX_SEEK"># Parallel/MPI, prevent spurious cpp/cxx warnings
+      PRIVATE $<$<BOOL:${HDF5_ENABLE_PARALLEL}>:MPICH_SKIP_MPICXX;MPICH_IGNORE_CXX_SEEK># Parallel/MPI, prevent spurious cpp/cxx warnings
   )
   TARGET_C_PROPERTIES (${HDF5_CPP_LIBSH_TARGET} SHARED)
   target_link_libraries (${HDF5_CPP_LIBSH_TARGET} PUBLIC ${HDF5_LIBSH_TARGET})
diff --git a/c++/test/CMakeLists.txt b/c++/test/CMakeLists.txt
index 0815aa8a8e..33849a90e4 100644
--- a/c++/test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/c++/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ configure_file (${HDF5_CPP_TEST_SOURCE_DIR}/H5srcdir_str.h.in H5srcdir_str.h  @O
 add_executable (cpp_testhdf5 ${CPP_TEST_SOURCES} )
 target_include_directories(cpp_testhdf5 PRIVATE "${HDF5_SRC_DIR};${HDF5_BINARY_DIR};${HDF5_TEST_BINARY_DIR}")
 target_compile_definitions(cpp_testhdf5
-    PRIVATE $<$<BOOL:${HDF5_ENABLE_PARALLEL}>:"-DMPICH_SKIP_MPICXX;-DMPICH_IGNORE_CXX_SEEK"># Parallel/MPI, prevent spurious cpp/cxx warnings
+    PRIVATE $<$<BOOL:${HDF5_ENABLE_PARALLEL}>:MPICH_SKIP_MPICXX;MPICH_IGNORE_CXX_SEEK># Parallel/MPI, prevent spurious cpp/cxx warnings
 )
 TARGET_C_PROPERTIES (cpp_testhdf5 STATIC)
 target_link_libraries (cpp_testhdf5 PRIVATE
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 70e18a2e8a..9ff70f9433 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -905,8 +905,8 @@ target_compile_definitions(${HDF5_LIB_TARGET}
         ${HDF_EXTRA_FLAGS}
         $<IF:$<CONFIG:Debug>,DEBUG,NDEBUG>
     PRIVATE
-        $<$<BOOL:${HDF5_ENABLE_TRACE}>:"H5_DEBUG_API">  # Enable tracing of the API
-        $<$<BOOL:${HDF5_ENABLE_DEBUG_APIS}>:"H5Z_DEBUG;H5T_DEBUG;H5ST_DEBUG;H5S_DEBUG;H5O_DEBUG;H5I_DEBUG;H5HL_DEBUG;H5F_DEBUG;H5D_DEBUG;H5B2_DEBUG;H5AC_DEBUG">
+        $<$<BOOL:${HDF5_ENABLE_TRACE}>:H5_DEBUG_API>  # Enable tracing of the API
+        $<$<BOOL:${HDF5_ENABLE_DEBUG_APIS}>:H5Z_DEBUG;H5T_DEBUG;H5ST_DEBUG;H5S_DEBUG;H5O_DEBUG;H5I_DEBUG;H5HL_DEBUG;H5F_DEBUG;H5D_DEBUG;H5B2_DEBUG;H5AC_DEBUG>
 )
 TARGET_C_PROPERTIES (${HDF5_LIB_TARGET} STATIC)
 target_link_libraries (${HDF5_LIB_TARGET}
@@ -948,9 +948,9 @@ if (BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
           ${HDF_EXTRA_FLAGS}
           $<IF:$<CONFIG:Debug>,DEBUG,NDEBUG>
       PRIVATE
-          $<$<BOOL:${HDF5_ENABLE_THREADSAFE}>:"H5_HAVE_THREADSAFE">
-          $<$<BOOL:${HDF5_ENABLE_TRACE}>:"H5_DEBUG_API">  # Enable tracing of the API
-          $<$<BOOL:${HDF5_ENABLE_DEBUG_APIS}>:"H5Z_DEBUG;H5T_DEBUG;H5ST_DEBUG;H5S_DEBUG;H5O_DEBUG;H5I_DEBUG;H5HL_DEBUG;H5F_DEBUG;H5D_DEBUG;H5B2_DEBUG;H5AC_DEBUG">
+          $<$<BOOL:${HDF5_ENABLE_THREADSAFE}>:H5_HAVE_THREADSAFE>
+          $<$<BOOL:${HDF5_ENABLE_TRACE}>:H5_DEBUG_API>  # Enable tracing of the API
+          $<$<BOOL:${HDF5_ENABLE_DEBUG_APIS}>:H5Z_DEBUG;H5T_DEBUG;H5ST_DEBUG;H5S_DEBUG;H5O_DEBUG;H5I_DEBUG;H5HL_DEBUG;H5F_DEBUG;H5D_DEBUG;H5B2_DEBUG;H5AC_DEBUG>
   )
   TARGET_C_PROPERTIES (${HDF5_LIBSH_TARGET} SHARED)
   target_link_libraries (${HDF5_LIBSH_TARGET}
diff --git a/test/CMakeLists.txt b/test/CMakeLists.txt
index 166fd99e67..8badf3c1c2 100644
--- a/test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ if (BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
       INTERFACE "$<INSTALL_INTERFACE:$<INSTALL_PREFIX>/include>"
   )
   target_compile_definitions(${HDF5_TEST_LIBSH_TARGET}
-      PUBLIC "H5_BUILT_AS_DYNAMIC_LIB" $<$<BOOL:${HDF5_ENABLE_THREADSAFE}>:"H5_HAVE_THREADSAFE">
+      PUBLIC "H5_BUILT_AS_DYNAMIC_LIB" $<$<BOOL:${HDF5_ENABLE_THREADSAFE}>:H5_HAVE_THREADSAFE>
   )
   TARGET_C_PROPERTIES (${HDF5_TEST_LIBSH_TARGET} SHARED)
   target_link_libraries (${HDF5_TEST_LIBSH_TARGET}