diff --git a/mesonbuild/cmake/__init__.py b/mesonbuild/cmake/__init__.py
index b13b5a895..d39bf2424 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/cmake/__init__.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/cmake/__init__.py
@@ -30,11 +30,13 @@ __all__ = [
     'TargetOptions',
     'parse_generator_expressions',
     'language_map',
+    'backend_generator_map',
+    'cmake_get_generator_args',
     'cmake_defines_to_args',
     'check_cmake_args',
 ]
 
-from .common import CMakeException, SingleTargetOptions, TargetOptions, cmake_defines_to_args, language_map, check_cmake_args
+from .common import CMakeException, SingleTargetOptions, TargetOptions, cmake_defines_to_args, language_map, backend_generator_map, cmake_get_generator_args, check_cmake_args
 from .client import CMakeClient
 from .executor import CMakeExecutor
 from .fileapi import CMakeFileAPI
diff --git a/mesonbuild/cmake/common.py b/mesonbuild/cmake/common.py
index f0a54b58c..d1f86f083 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/cmake/common.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/cmake/common.py
@@ -15,11 +15,14 @@
 # This class contains the basic functionality needed to run any interpreter
 # or an interpreter-based tool.
 
-from ..mesonlib import MesonException
+from ..mesonlib import MesonException, OptionKey
 from .. import mlog
 from pathlib import Path
 import typing as T
 
+if T.TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from ..environment import Environment
+
 language_map = {
     'c': 'C',
     'cpp': 'CXX',
@@ -32,6 +35,15 @@ language_map = {
     'swift': 'Swift',
 }
 
+backend_generator_map = {
+    'ninja': 'Ninja',
+    'xcode': 'Xcode',
+    'vs2010': 'Visual Studio 10 2010',
+    'vs2015': 'Visual Studio 15 2017',
+    'vs2017': 'Visual Studio 15 2017',
+    'vs2019': 'Visual Studio 16 2019',
+}
+
 blacklist_cmake_defs = [
     'CMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE',
     'CMAKE_PROJECT_INCLUDE',
@@ -87,6 +99,12 @@ def _flags_to_list(raw: str) -> T.List[str]:
     res = list(filter(lambda x: len(x) > 0, res))
     return res
 
+def cmake_get_generator_args(env: 'Environment') -> T.List[str]:
+    backend_name = env.coredata.get_option(OptionKey('backend'))
+    assert isinstance(backend_name, str)
+    assert backend_name in backend_generator_map
+    return ['-G', backend_generator_map[backend_name]]
+
 def cmake_defines_to_args(raw: T.Any, permissive: bool = False) -> T.List[str]:
     res = []  # type: T.List[str]
     if not isinstance(raw, list):
diff --git a/mesonbuild/cmake/interpreter.py b/mesonbuild/cmake/interpreter.py
index 26fc63532..cc6adf18c 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/cmake/interpreter.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/cmake/interpreter.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 # This class contains the basic functionality needed to run any interpreter
 # or an interpreter-based tool.
 
-from .common import CMakeException, CMakeTarget, TargetOptions, CMakeConfiguration, language_map, check_cmake_args
+from .common import CMakeException, CMakeTarget, TargetOptions, CMakeConfiguration, language_map, backend_generator_map, cmake_get_generator_args, check_cmake_args
 from .client import CMakeClient, RequestCMakeInputs, RequestConfigure, RequestCompute, RequestCodeModel, ReplyCMakeInputs, ReplyCodeModel
 from .fileapi import CMakeFileAPI
 from .executor import CMakeExecutor
@@ -74,15 +74,6 @@ disable_policy_warnings = [
     'CMP0102',
 ]
 
-backend_generator_map = {
-    'ninja': 'Ninja',
-    'xcode': 'Xcode',
-    'vs2010': 'Visual Studio 10 2010',
-    'vs2015': 'Visual Studio 15 2017',
-    'vs2017': 'Visual Studio 15 2017',
-    'vs2019': 'Visual Studio 16 2019',
-}
-
 target_type_map = {
     'STATIC_LIBRARY': 'static_library',
     'MODULE_LIBRARY': 'shared_module',
@@ -898,9 +889,8 @@ class CMakeInterpreter:
         # TODO: drop this check once the deprecated `cmake_args` kwarg is removed
         extra_cmake_options = check_cmake_args(extra_cmake_options)
 
-        generator = backend_generator_map[self.backend_name]
         cmake_args = []
-        cmake_args += ['-G', generator]
+        cmake_args += cmake_get_generator_args(self.env)
         cmake_args += [f'-DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX={self.install_prefix}']
         cmake_args += extra_cmake_options
         trace_args = self.trace.trace_args()
diff --git a/mesonbuild/cmake/toolchain.py b/mesonbuild/cmake/toolchain.py
index c5056d7e8..f3e487d15 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/cmake/toolchain.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/cmake/toolchain.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ from pathlib import Path
 from .traceparser import CMakeTraceParser
 from ..envconfig import CMakeSkipCompilerTest
 from ..mesonlib import MachineChoice
-from .common import language_map
+from .common import language_map, cmake_get_generator_args
 from .. import mlog
 
 import shutil
@@ -224,7 +224,10 @@ class CMakeToolchain:
         # Configure
         trace = CMakeTraceParser(self.cmakebin.version(), build_dir)
         self.cmakebin.set_exec_mode(print_cmout=False, always_capture_stderr=trace.requires_stderr())
-        cmake_args = [*trace.trace_args(), '-DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=' + temp_toolchain_file.as_posix(), '.']
+        cmake_args = []
+        cmake_args += trace.trace_args()
+        cmake_args += cmake_get_generator_args(self.env)
+        cmake_args += [f'-DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE={temp_toolchain_file.as_posix()}', '.']
         rc, _, raw_trace = self.cmakebin.call(cmake_args, build_dir=build_dir, disable_cache=True)
 
         if rc != 0: