diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 6c72a48c45..5df0c889d2 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -313,22 +313,19 @@ endif()
 
 option(CURL_CODE_COVERAGE "Enable code coverage build options" OFF)
 if(CURL_CODE_COVERAGE)
-  set(CURL_COVERAGE_MACROS "")
-  set(CURL_COVERAGE_CFLAGS "")
-  set(CURL_COVERAGE_LIBS "")
   if(CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID STREQUAL "GNU")
-    list(APPEND CURL_COVERAGE_MACROS "NDEBUG")
-    list(APPEND CURL_COVERAGE_CFLAGS "-O0" "-g" "-fprofile-arcs")
+    set(CURL_COVERAGE_MACROS "NDEBUG")
+    set(CURL_COVERAGE_CFLAGS "-O0" "-g" "-fprofile-arcs")
     if(CMAKE_C_COMPILER_VERSION VERSION_GREATER_EQUAL 4.1)
       list(APPEND CURL_COVERAGE_CFLAGS "--coverage")
     else()
       list(APPEND CURL_COVERAGE_CFLAGS "-ftest-coverage")
     endif()
-    list(APPEND CURL_COVERAGE_LIBS "gcov")
+    set(APPEND CURL_COVERAGE_LIBS "gcov")
   elseif(CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "Clang")
-    list(APPEND CURL_COVERAGE_MACROS "NDEBUG")
-    list(APPEND CURL_COVERAGE_CFLAGS "-O0" "-g" "-fprofile-instr-generate" "-fcoverage-mapping")
-    list(APPEND CURL_COVERAGE_LDFLAGS "-fprofile-instr-generate" "-fcoverage-mapping")
+    set(CURL_COVERAGE_MACROS "NDEBUG")
+    set(CURL_COVERAGE_CFLAGS "-O0" "-g" "-fprofile-instr-generate" "-fcoverage-mapping")
+    set(CURL_COVERAGE_LDFLAGS "-fprofile-instr-generate" "-fcoverage-mapping")
   else()
     set(CURL_CODE_COVERAGE OFF)
   endif()