diff --git a/gtsam/linear/CMakeLists.txt b/gtsam/linear/CMakeLists.txt
index 802cb4d78..744151a8b 100644
--- a/gtsam/linear/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/gtsam/linear/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -22,6 +22,11 @@ if (GTSAM_BUILD_TESTS)
     gtsam_add_subdir_tests(linear "${linear_local_libs}" "${gtsam-default}" "${linear_excluded_files}") 
 endif(GTSAM_BUILD_TESTS)
 
+if(MSVC)
+	set_property(SOURCE "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/tests/testSerializationLinear.cpp"
+		APPEND PROPERTY COMPILE_FLAGS "/bigobj")
+endif()
+
 # Build timing scripts
 if (GTSAM_BUILD_TIMING)
     gtsam_add_subdir_timing(linear "${linear_local_libs}" "${gtsam-default}" "${linear_excluded_files}") 
diff --git a/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
index 74aa1e059..cc91ea4f3 100644
--- a/tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -21,10 +21,6 @@ if ("${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID}" STREQUAL "Clang") # might not be best test - Rich
 	list (APPEND tests_exclude "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/testSerializationSLAM.cpp") 
 endif()
 
-if(MSVC)
-  add_definitions("/bigobj") # testSerializationSLAM needs this
-endif()
-
 # Build tests
 if (GTSAM_BUILD_TESTS)
     # Subdirectory target for tests
@@ -50,3 +46,8 @@ if (GTSAM_BUILD_TIMING)
     "${tests_local_libs}" "${gtsam-default};CppUnitLite" "${tests_exclude}"   # Pass in linking and exclusion lists
     ${is_test})
 endif (GTSAM_BUILD_TIMING)
+
+if(MSVC)
+	set_property(SOURCE "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/testSerializationSLAM.cpp"
+		APPEND PROPERTY COMPILE_FLAGS "/bigobj")
+endif()