diff --git a/dtool/pptempl/Depends.pp b/dtool/pptempl/Depends.pp
index 6034614476..019b95567b 100644
--- a/dtool/pptempl/Depends.pp
+++ b/dtool/pptempl/Depends.pp
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@
 
     // Define what the object files are.
     #foreach file $[c_sources] $[cxx_sources] $[yxx_sources] $[lxx_sources]
-      #define $[file]_obj $[patsubst %.c %.cxx %.cpp %.yxx %.lxx,$[ODIR]/$[TARGET]_%$[OBJ],$[notdir $[file]]]
+      #define $[file]_obj $[patsubst %.c %.cxx %.cpp %.yxx %.lxx,$[ODIR]/$[obj_prefix]%$[OBJ],$[notdir $[file]]]
       #push 1 $[file]_obj
     #end file
 
diff --git a/dtool/pptempl/Global.pp b/dtool/pptempl/Global.pp
index d5ec4a923a..9204441b38 100644
--- a/dtool/pptempl/Global.pp
+++ b/dtool/pptempl/Global.pp
@@ -527,6 +527,15 @@ Warning: Variable $[upcase $[tree]]_INSTALL is not set!
 // platforms will leave this empty.
 #define dllext
 
+// $[obj_prefix] defines the prefix that is prepended to the name of
+// the object files.  It can be used to avoid potential collisions
+// when a source file is used by multiple targets but with different
+// compile options for each.
+//
+// $[obj_prefix] may be redefined by one of the Global.platform.pp
+// files.
+#defer obj_prefix $[TARGET]_
+
 // Caution!  interrogate_ipath might be redefined in the
 // Global.platform.pp file.
 #defer interrogate_ipath $[target_ipath:%=-I%]