diff --git a/CMake/cmake_uninstall.in.cmake b/CMake/cmake_uninstall.in.cmake
index c7fd8008e1..30e812b124 100644
--- a/CMake/cmake_uninstall.in.cmake
+++ b/CMake/cmake_uninstall.in.cmake
@@ -26,18 +26,22 @@ if(NOT EXISTS "${_manifest}")
   message(FATAL_ERROR "Cannot find install manifest: ${_manifest}")
 endif()
 
-if(NOT DEFINED CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX)
-  set(CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX "@CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@")
+set(_destdir "$ENV{DESTDIR}")
+if(NOT _destdir STREQUAL "")
+  message(STATUS "DESTDIR environment: ${_destdir}")
 endif()
-message(${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX})
 
 file(READ "${_manifest}" _files)
 string(REGEX REPLACE "\n" ";" _files "${_files}")
 foreach(_file IN LISTS _files)
-  set(_target "$ENV{DESTDIR}${_file}")
-  message(STATUS "Uninstalling ${_target}")
+  set(_target "${_destdir}${_file}")
   if(IS_SYMLINK "${_target}" OR EXISTS "${_target}")
-    execute_process(COMMAND "@CMAKE_COMMAND@" -E rm -f -- "${_target}")
+    file(REMOVE "${_target}")
+    if(IS_SYMLINK "${_target}" OR EXISTS "${_target}")
+      message(STATUS "Failed to delete: ${_target}")
+    else()
+      message(STATUS "Uninstalled: ${_target}")
+    endif()
   else()
     message(STATUS "File does not exist: ${_target}")
   endif()
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index c0071f1a07..5929b741ce 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -2452,9 +2452,7 @@ if(NOT CURL_DISABLE_INSTALL)
     DESTINATION ${_install_cmake_dir})
 
   if(NOT TARGET curl_uninstall)
-    # Consumed variables:
-    #   CMAKE_COMMAND
-    #   CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX
+    # Consumed variable:
     #   PROJECT_BINARY_DIR
     configure_file(
       "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/CMake/cmake_uninstall.in.cmake"