diff --git a/make_helpers/build_macros.mk b/make_helpers/build_macros.mk
index a5c93a6..71cf18b 100644
--- a/make_helpers/build_macros.mk
+++ b/make_helpers/build_macros.mk
@@ -558,7 +558,7 @@
 $(ELF): $(OBJS) $(DEFAULT_LINKER_SCRIPT) $(LINKER_SCRIPTS) | $(1)_dirs libraries $(BL_LIBS)
 	$$(ECHO) "  LD      $$@"
 ifdef MAKE_BUILD_STRINGS
-	$(call MAKE_BUILD_STRINGS, $(BUILD_DIR)/build_message.o)
+	$(call MAKE_BUILD_STRINGS,$(BUILD_DIR)/build_message.o)
 else
 	@echo 'const char build_message[] = "Built : "$(BUILD_MESSAGE_TIMESTAMP); \
 	       const char version_string[] = "${VERSION_STRING}"; \
diff --git a/make_helpers/windows.mk b/make_helpers/windows.mk
index b6d6f0b..ac0f940 100644
--- a/make_helpers/windows.mk
+++ b/make_helpers/windows.mk
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #
-# Copyright (c) 2016-2022, Arm Limited and Contributors. All rights reserved.
+# Copyright (c) 2016-2023, Arm Limited and Contributors. All rights reserved.
 #
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
 #
@@ -83,8 +83,9 @@
 VERSION_STRING_MESSAGE = const char version_string[] = "${VERSION_STRING}";
 VERSION_MESSAGE = const char version[] = "${VERSION}";
 define MAKE_BUILD_STRINGS
+	$$(file >$1.in,$$(TF_CFLAGS) $$(CFLAGS))
 	@echo $$(BUILT_TIME_DATE_STRING) $$(VERSION_STRING_MESSAGE) $$(VERSION_MESSAGE) | \
-		$$(CC) $$(TF_CFLAGS) $$(CFLAGS) -x c -c - -o $1
+		$$(CC) @$1.in -x c -c - -o $1
 endef
 
 MSVC_NMAKE := nmake.exe