diff --git a/lib/cppcheck.cpp b/lib/cppcheck.cpp
index 76f6bfd0d..2fcf75ed5 100644
--- a/lib/cppcheck.cpp
+++ b/lib/cppcheck.cpp
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ unsigned int CppCheck::processFile(const std::string& filename)
             }
 
             Timer t("Preprocessor::getcode", _settings._showtime, &S_timerResults);
-            const std::string codeWithoutCfg = preprocessor.getcode(filedata, cfg, filename, _settings.isEnabled("information"));
+            const std::string codeWithoutCfg = preprocessor.getcode(filedata, cfg, filename);
             t.Stop();
 
             const std::string &appendCode = _settings.append();
diff --git a/lib/preprocessor.cpp b/lib/preprocessor.cpp
index 02d9800d6..ad9d87b5c 100644
--- a/lib/preprocessor.cpp
+++ b/lib/preprocessor.cpp
@@ -1642,7 +1642,7 @@ bool Preprocessor::match_cfg_def(std::map<std::string, std::string> cfg, std::st
     return false;
 }
 
-std::string Preprocessor::getcode(const std::string &filedata, const std::string &cfg, const std::string &filename, const bool validate)
+std::string Preprocessor::getcode(const std::string &filedata, const std::string &cfg, const std::string &filename)
 {
     // For the error report
     unsigned int lineno = 0;
@@ -1846,7 +1846,7 @@ std::string Preprocessor::getcode(const std::string &filedata, const std::string
         ret << line << "\n";
     }
 
-    if (validate && !validateCfg(ret.str(), cfg)) {
+    if (!validateCfg(ret.str(), cfg)) {
         return "";
     }
 
diff --git a/lib/preprocessor.h b/lib/preprocessor.h
index a15b8cf2f..52eb2e22a 100644
--- a/lib/preprocessor.h
+++ b/lib/preprocessor.h
@@ -97,9 +97,8 @@ public:
      * @param filedata file data including preprocessing 'if', 'define', etc
      * @param cfg configuration to read out
      * @param filename name of source file
-     * @param validate true => perform validation that empty configuration macros are not used in the code
      */
-    std::string getcode(const std::string &filedata, const std::string &cfg, const std::string &filename, const bool validate = false);
+    std::string getcode(const std::string &filedata, const std::string &cfg, const std::string &filename);
 
     /**
      * simplify condition
diff --git a/test/testpreprocessor.cpp b/test/testpreprocessor.cpp
index 96b95322f..4e1f398ff 100644
--- a/test/testpreprocessor.cpp
+++ b/test/testpreprocessor.cpp
@@ -3858,6 +3858,18 @@ private:
         preprocessor.setFile0("test.c");
         ASSERT_EQUALS(false, preprocessor.validateCfg("int a=A;", "A"));
         ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.c:1]: (information) Skipping configuration 'A' since the value of 'A' is unknown. Use -D if you want to check it. You can use -U to skip it explicitly.\n", errout.str());
+
+        // #4949:
+        // #ifdef A
+        // a |= A;  // <- using macro. must use -D so "A" will get a proper value
+        errout.str("");
+		Settings settings1;
+		settings = settings1;
+        ASSERT_EQUALS("", preprocessor.getcode("if (x) a|=A;", "A", "test.c"));
+        ASSERT_EQUALS("", errout.str());
+		settings.addEnabled("information");
+        ASSERT_EQUALS("", preprocessor.getcode("if (x) a|=A;", "A", "test.c"));
+        ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.c:1]: (information) Skipping configuration 'A' since the value of 'A' is unknown. Use -D if you want to check it. You can use -U to skip it explicitly.\n", errout.str());
     }
 
     void if_sizeof() { // #4071