diff --git a/libc/src/string/CMakeLists.txt b/libc/src/string/CMakeLists.txt
index 6daaf1998ea7b..dd1bdffa9d0a3 100644
--- a/libc/src/string/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/libc/src/string/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,13 +1,10 @@
 add_subdirectory(memory_utils)
 
 if(LIBC_CONF_STRING_UNSAFE_WIDE_READ)
-  list(APPEND string_config_options "-DLIBC_COPT_STRING_UNSAFE_WIDE_READ")
+  add_compile_definitions("-DLIBC_COPT_STRING_UNSAFE_WIDE_READ")
 endif()
 if(LIBC_CONF_MEMSET_X86_USE_SOFTWARE_PREFETCHING)
-  list(APPEND string_config_options "-DLIBC_COPT_MEMSET_X86_USE_SOFTWARE_PREFETCHING")
-endif()
-if(string_config_options)
-  list(PREPEND string_config_options "COMPILE_OPTIONS")
+  add_compile_definitions("-DLIBC_COPT_MEMSET_X86_USE_SOFTWARE_PREFETCHING")
 endif()
 
 add_header_library(
@@ -20,7 +17,6 @@ add_header_library(
     libc.include.stdlib
     libc.src.__support.common
     libc.src.__support.CPP.bitset
-  ${string_config_options}
 )
 
 add_header_library(