diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 4b40cce4e8..4e4d510ce0 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ list(APPEND CMAKE_MODULE_PATH
 # Support functions
 include(CheckAndAddFlag)
 include(CheckCCompilerFlag)
+include(DolphinCompileDefinitions)
 
 # Libraries to link
 set(LIBS)
@@ -193,6 +194,7 @@ endif()
 
 if(CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "MSVC")
 	check_and_add_flag(EXCEPTIONS /EHsc)
+	dolphin_compile_definitions(-D_DEBUG DEBUG_ONLY)
 
 	# Only MSBuild needs this, other generators will compile one file at a time
 	if(CMAKE_GENERATOR MATCHES "Visual Studio")
@@ -225,10 +227,10 @@ else()
 	check_and_add_flag(VISIBILITY_INLINES_HIDDEN -fvisibility-inlines-hidden)
 	check_and_add_flag(VISIBILITY_HIDDEN -fvisibility=hidden)
 
-	check_c_compiler_flag(-fomit-frame-pointer FLAG_C_FOMIT_FRAME_POINTER)
-	if(FLAG_C_FOMIT_FRAME_POINTER)
-		add_compile_options($<$<CONFIG:Release>:-fomit-frame-pointer>)
-	endif()
+	check_and_add_flag(FOMIT_FRAME_POINTER -fomit-frame-pointer RELEASE_ONLY)
+
+	dolphin_compile_definitions(_DEBUG DEBUG_ONLY)
+	check_and_add_flag(GGDB -ggdb DEBUG_ONLY)
 
 	if(NOT ANDROID AND _M_X86_64)
 		# PIE is required on Android, but not supported with the x86_64 jit currently
@@ -334,19 +336,13 @@ if(NOT CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE)
 		"Build type (Release/Debug/RelWithDebInfo/MinSizeRel)" FORCE)
 endif()
 
-
-if(CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE STREQUAL "Debug")
-	add_definitions(-D_DEBUG)
-	check_and_add_flag(GGDB -ggdb)
-
-	option(ENABLE_GPROF "Enable gprof profiling (must be using Debug build)" OFF)
-	if(ENABLE_GPROF)
-		check_and_add_flag(HAVE_PG -pg)
-		if(NOT FLAG_C_HAVE_PG)
-			message(FATAL_ERROR "Compiler option -pg is not supported")
-		endif()
-		set(CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS "${CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS} -pg")
+option(ENABLE_GPROF "Enable gprof profiling (must be using Debug build)" OFF)
+if(ENABLE_GPROF)
+	check_and_add_flag(HAVE_PG -pg)
+	if(NOT FLAG_C_HAVE_PG)
+		message(FATAL_ERROR "Compiler option -pg is not supported")
 	endif()
+	set(CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS "${CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS} -pg")
 endif()
 
 if(FASTLOG)
diff --git a/CMakeTests/CheckAndAddFlag.cmake b/CMakeTests/CheckAndAddFlag.cmake
index 34ab8e60b1..9494664e0a 100644
--- a/CMakeTests/CheckAndAddFlag.cmake
+++ b/CMakeTests/CheckAndAddFlag.cmake
@@ -1,14 +1,39 @@
 include(CheckCCompilerFlag)
 include(CheckCXXCompilerFlag)
 
-macro(check_and_add_flag var flag)
-	check_c_compiler_flag(${flag} FLAG_C_${var})
-	if(FLAG_C_${var})
-		set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} ${flag}")
-	endif()
+# check_add_add_flag(<variable> <flag> [DEBUG_ONLY | RELEASE_ONLY])
+#
+# Add a C or C++ compilation flag to the current scope
+#
+# Can optionally add the flag to Debug or Release configurations only, use this when
+# targeting multi-configuration generators like Visual Studio or Xcode.
+# Release configurations means NOT Debug, so it will work for RelWithDebInfo or MinSizeRel too.
+#
+# If the flag is added successfully, the variables FLAG_C_<variable> and FLAG_CXX_<variable>
+# may be set to ON.
+#
+# Examples:
+#   check_and_add_flag(FOO -foo)
+#   check_and_add_flag(ONLYDEBUG -onlydebug DEBUG_ONLY)
+#   check_and_add_flag(OPTMAX -O9001 RELEASE_ONLY)
 
-	check_cxx_compiler_flag(${flag} FLAG_CXX_${var})
-	if(FLAG_CXX_${var})
-		set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} ${flag}")
-	endif()
-endmacro()
+function(check_and_add_flag var flag)
+  set(genexp_config_test "1")
+  if(ARGV2 STREQUAL "DEBUG_ONLY")
+    set(genexp_config_test "$<CONFIG:Debug>")
+  elseif(ARGV2 STREQUAL "RELEASE_ONLY")
+    set(genexp_config_test "$<NOT:$<CONFIG:Debug>>")
+  elseif(ARGV2)
+    message(FATAL_ERROR "check_and_add_flag called with incorrect arguments: ${ARGN}")
+  endif()
+
+  check_c_compiler_flag(${flag} FLAG_C_${var})
+  if(FLAG_C_${var})
+    add_compile_options("$<$<AND:$<COMPILE_LANGUAGE:C>,${genexp_config_test}>:${flag}>")
+  endif()
+
+  check_cxx_compiler_flag(${flag} FLAG_CXX_${var})
+  if(FLAG_CXX_${var})
+    add_compile_options("$<$<AND:$<COMPILE_LANGUAGE:CXX>,${genexp_config_test}>:${flag}>")
+  endif()
+endfunction()
diff --git a/CMakeTests/DolphinCompileDefinitions.cmake b/CMakeTests/DolphinCompileDefinitions.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7368f921f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/CMakeTests/DolphinCompileDefinitions.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+# Add a C or C++ compile definitions to the current scope
+#
+# dolphin_compile_definitions(def [def ...] [DEBUG_ONLY | RELEASE_ONLY])
+#
+# Can optionally add the definitions to Debug or Release configurations only, use this so we can
+# target multi-configuration generators like Visual Studio or Xcode.
+# Release configurations means NOT Debug, so it will work for RelWithDebInfo or MinSizeRel too.
+# The definitions are added to the COMPILE_DEFINITIONS folder property.
+# Supports generator expressions, unlike add_definitions()
+#
+# Examples:
+#   dolphin_compile_definitions(FOO) -> -DFOO
+#   dolphin_compile_definitions(_DEBUG DEBUG_ONLY) -> -D_DEBUG
+#   dolphin_compile_definitions(NDEBUG RELEASE_ONLY) -> -DNDEBUG
+#   dolphin_compile_definitions($<$<COMPILE_LANGUAGE:C>:THISISONLYFORC>)
+
+function(dolphin_compile_definitions)
+  set(defs ${ARGN})
+
+  list(GET defs -1 last_def)
+  list(REMOVE_AT defs -1)
+
+  set(genexp_config_test "1")
+  if(last_def STREQUAL "DEBUG_ONLY")
+    set(genexp_config_test "$<CONFIG:Debug>")
+  elseif(last_def STREQUAL "RELEASE_ONLY")
+    set(genexp_config_test "$<NOT:$<CONFIG:Debug>>")
+  else()
+    list(APPEND defs ${last_def})
+  endif()
+
+  set_property(DIRECTORY APPEND PROPERTY COMPILE_DEFINITIONS
+    "$<${genexp_config_test}:${ARGN}>")
+endfunction()