The response file is only used at the linking step, so I’m wondering if adding it as a source file is the wrong place for it. The LINK_DEPENDS target property seems conceptually like the place the response file should be added, but I don’t know off hand if it is used for the static archiver. If this was a shared library, that would seem the right property to add it to. EDIT: I just saw you already mentioned this in your original post. Potentially we need a STATIC_LINK_DEPENDS property to more easily achieve what you’re trying to do.