diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 7ef0cbe6c5692dbacaa6ef0080d49440f41249a5..2eebf95078564c32000f4209d41d32b9606e16a7 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -629,6 +629,10 @@ IF(KWSYS_STANDALONE OR CMake_SOURCE_DIR)
     IF(COMMAND SET_TESTS_PROPERTIES)
       ADD_TEST(kwsys.testFail ${EXEC_DIR}/testFail)
       SET_TESTS_PROPERTIES(kwsys.testFail PROPERTIES WILL_FAIL ON)
+      GET_TEST_PROPERTY(kwsys.testFail WILL_FAIL wfv)
+      IF(NOT $wfv})
+        MESSAGE(FATAL_ERROR "GET_TEST_PROPERTY command does not work")
+      ENDIF(NOT $wfv})
     ENDIF(COMMAND SET_TESTS_PROPERTIES)
   ENDIF(BUILD_TESTING)
 ENDIF(KWSYS_STANDALONE OR CMake_SOURCE_DIR)