diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 3954c3b2e2..e0e565657f 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1085,22 +1085,22 @@ foreach(_option ${LYX_OPTIONS})
     set(opts "${opts} ${_option}(${${_option}})")
   endif()
 endforeach()
-set(VERSION_INFO "CMake Build")
-set(VERSION_INFO "${VERSION_INFO}\\n  Host name:               ${CMAKE_HOST_SYSTEM_NAME}")
-set(VERSION_INFO "${VERSION_INFO}\\n  Host processor:          ${CMAKE_HOST_SYSTEM_PROCESSOR}")
-set(VERSION_INFO "${VERSION_INFO}\\n  Build flags:             ${opts}")
-set(VERSION_INFO "${VERSION_INFO}\\n  C++ Compiler:            ${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID} (${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_VERSION})")
-set(VERSION_INFO "${VERSION_INFO}\\n  C++ Compiler flags:      ${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS}")
+set(tmp_vi "CMake Build")
+list(APPEND tmp_vi "  Host name:               ${CMAKE_HOST_SYSTEM_NAME}")
+list(APPEND tmp_vi "  Host processor:          ${CMAKE_HOST_SYSTEM_PROCESSOR}")
+list(APPEND tmp_vi "  Build flags:             ${opts}")
+list(APPEND tmp_vi "  C++ Compiler:            ${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID} (${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_VERSION})")
+list(APPEND tmp_vi "  C++ Compiler flags:      ${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS}")
 if (LYX_DEBUG)
-set(VERSION_INFO "${VERSION_INFO}\\n  C++ Compiler user flags: ${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG}")
+list(APPEND tmp_vi "  C++ Compiler user flags: ${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG}")
 else()
-set(VERSION_INFO "${VERSION_INFO}\\n  C++ Compiler user flags: ${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE}")
+list(APPEND tmp_vi "  C++ Compiler user flags: ${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE}")
 endif()
-set(VERSION_INFO "${VERSION_INFO}\\n  Qt version:              ${QTVERSION}")
-set(VERSION_INFO "${VERSION_INFO}\\n  LyX binary dir:          ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/${LYX_UTILITIES_INSTALL_PATH}")
+list(APPEND tmp_vi "  Qt version:              ${QTVERSION}")
+list(APPEND tmp_vi "  LyX binary dir:          ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/${LYX_UTILITIES_INSTALL_PATH}")
 get_data_destination(dest_data)
-set(VERSION_INFO "${VERSION_INFO}\\n  LyX files dir:           ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/${dest_data}")
-
+list(APPEND tmp_vi "  LyX files dir:           ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/${dest_data}")
+string(REPLACE ";" "\\n" VERSION_INFO "${tmp_vi}")
 
 configure_file(${LYX_CMAKE_DIR}/config.h.cmake ${TOP_BINARY_DIR}/config.h)