diff --git a/cli/CMakeLists.txt b/cli/CMakeLists.txt
index ccec962e0..7ec2288fe 100644
--- a/cli/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/cli/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,15 +1,14 @@
-include_directories(${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/lib/)
-if(USE_BUNDLED_TINYXML2)
-    include_directories(SYSTEM ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/externals/tinyxml2/)
-endif()
-include_directories(${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/externals/simplecpp/)
-
 file(GLOB hdrs "*.h")
 file(GLOB srcs "*.cpp")
 file(GLOB mainfile "main.cpp")
 list(REMOVE_ITEM srcs ${mainfile})
 
 add_library(cli_objs OBJECT ${hdrs} ${srcs})
+target_include_directories(cli_objs PRIVATE ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/lib/)
+if(USE_BUNDLED_TINYXML2)
+    target_include_directories(cli_objs PRIVATE ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/externals/tinyxml2/)
+endif()
+target_include_directories(cli_objs PRIVATE ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/externals/simplecpp/)
 
 list(APPEND cppcheck_SOURCES ${hdrs} ${mainfile} $<TARGET_OBJECTS:cli_objs> $<TARGET_OBJECTS:lib_objs> $<TARGET_OBJECTS:simplecpp_objs>)
 if(USE_BUNDLED_TINYXML2)
@@ -17,6 +16,11 @@ if(USE_BUNDLED_TINYXML2)
 endif()
 
 add_executable(cppcheck ${cppcheck_SOURCES})
+target_include_directories(cppcheck PRIVATE ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/lib/)
+if(USE_BUNDLED_TINYXML2)
+    target_include_directories(cppcheck PRIVATE ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/externals/tinyxml2/)
+endif()
+target_include_directories(cppcheck PRIVATE ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/externals/simplecpp/)
 if (HAVE_RULES)
     target_link_libraries(cppcheck ${PCRE_LIBRARY})
 endif()
diff --git a/cmake/findDependencies.cmake b/cmake/findDependencies.cmake
index a5a4c67a9..ffc61743e 100644
--- a/cmake/findDependencies.cmake
+++ b/cmake/findDependencies.cmake
@@ -11,8 +11,6 @@ if (HAVE_RULES)
     find_library(PCRE_LIBRARY pcre)
     if (NOT PCRE_LIBRARY OR NOT PCRE_INCLUDE)
         message(FATAL_ERROR "pcre dependency for RULES has not been found")
-    else()
-        include_directories(${PCRE_INCLUDE})
     endif()
 endif()
 
@@ -28,11 +26,9 @@ if (USE_Z3)
             message(FATAL_ERROR "z3++.h has not been found")
         endif()
     endif()
-    include_directories(cppcheck SYSTEM ${Z3_CXX_INCLUDE_DIRS})
 endif()
 
 set(CMAKE_INCLUDE_CURRENT_DIR ON)
-set(CMAKE_AUTOMOC OFF)
 
 if (NOT USE_MATCHCOMPILER_OPT MATCHES "Off")
     find_package(PythonInterp)
diff --git a/gui/CMakeLists.txt b/gui/CMakeLists.txt
index b096b63e1..73921bb7b 100644
--- a/gui/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/gui/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 if (BUILD_GUI)
 
-    set(CMAKE_AUTOMOC ON)
     if (CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE MATCHES "Release")
         add_definitions(-DQT_NO_DEBUG)
         add_definitions(-DQT_NO_DEBUG_OUTPUT)
@@ -9,11 +8,6 @@ if (BUILD_GUI)
         add_definitions(-DQT_DEBUG)
     endif()
 
-    include_directories(${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/lib/)
-    if(USE_BUNDLED_TINYXML2)
-        include_directories(SYSTEM ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/externals/tinyxml2/)
-    endif()
-
     file(GLOB hdrs "*.h")
     file(GLOB srcs "*.cpp")
     file(GLOB uis  "*.ui")
@@ -27,6 +21,11 @@ if (BUILD_GUI)
     endif()
 
     add_executable(cppcheck-gui ${cppcheck-gui_SOURCES})
+    set_target_properties(cppcheck-gui PROPERTIES AUTOMOC ON)
+    target_include_directories(cppcheck-gui PRIVATE ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/lib/)
+    if(USE_BUNDLED_TINYXML2)
+        target_include_directories(cppcheck-gui PRIVATE ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/externals/tinyxml2/)
+    endif()
     if (HAVE_RULES)
         target_link_libraries(cppcheck-gui ${PCRE_LIBRARY})
     endif()
@@ -57,6 +56,4 @@ if (BUILD_GUI)
     install(FILES cppcheck-gui.svg DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_DATADIR}/icons/hicolor/scalable/apps)
     install(FILES cppcheck-gui.png DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_DATADIR}/icons/hicolor/64x64/apps)
 
-    set(CMAKE_AUTOMOC OFF)
-
 endif()
diff --git a/lib/CMakeLists.txt b/lib/CMakeLists.txt
index c193125f0..48c70ec3e 100644
--- a/lib/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/lib/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,10 +1,3 @@
-include_directories(SYSTEM ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/externals/)
-include_directories(SYSTEM ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/externals/picojson/)
-if(USE_BUNDLED_TINYXML2)
-    include_directories(SYSTEM ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/externals/tinyxml2/)
-endif()
-include_directories(${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/externals/simplecpp/)
-
 file(GLOB_RECURSE hdrs "*.h")
 file(GLOB_RECURSE srcs "*.cpp")
 
@@ -40,6 +33,19 @@ else()
 endif()
 
 add_library(lib_objs OBJECT ${srcs_lib} ${hdrs})
+target_include_directories(lib_objs PRIVATE ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/externals/)
+if(USE_BUNDLED_TINYXML2)
+    target_include_directories(lib_objs PRIVATE ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/externals/tinyxml2/)
+endif()
+target_include_directories(lib_objs PRIVATE ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/externals/picojson/)
+target_include_directories(lib_objs PRIVATE ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/externals/simplecpp/)
+if (HAVE_RULES)
+    target_include_directories(lib_objs SYSTEM PRIVATE ${PCRE_INCLUDE})
+endif()
+if (USE_Z3)
+    target_include_directories(lib_objs SYSTEM PRIVATE ${Z3_CXX_INCLUDE_DIRS})
+endif()
+
 if (NOT CMAKE_DISABLE_PRECOMPILE_HEADERS)
     target_precompile_headers(lib_objs PRIVATE precompiled.h)
 endif()
diff --git a/test/CMakeLists.txt b/test/CMakeLists.txt
index 7e4d73a53..2cc49fe99 100644
--- a/test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,10 +1,4 @@
 if (BUILD_TESTS)
-    include_directories(${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/lib/ ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/cli/)
-    if(USE_BUNDLED_TINYXML2)
-        include_directories(SYSTEM ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/externals/tinyxml2)
-    endif()
-    include_directories(${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/externals/simplecpp/)
-
     file(GLOB hdrs "*.h")
     file(GLOB srcs "*.cpp")
     list(APPEND testrunner_SOURCES ${hdrs} ${srcs} $<TARGET_OBJECTS:lib_objs> $<TARGET_OBJECTS:cli_objs> $<TARGET_OBJECTS:simplecpp_objs>)
@@ -13,6 +7,11 @@ if (BUILD_TESTS)
     endif()
 
     add_executable(testrunner ${testrunner_SOURCES})
+    target_include_directories(testrunner PRIVATE ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/lib/ ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/cli/)
+    if(USE_BUNDLED_TINYXML2)
+        target_include_directories(testrunner PRIVATE ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/externals/tinyxml2)
+    endif()
+    target_include_directories(testrunner PRIVATE ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/externals/simplecpp/)
     if (HAVE_RULES)
         target_link_libraries(testrunner ${PCRE_LIBRARY})
     endif()
diff --git a/tools/triage/CMakeLists.txt b/tools/triage/CMakeLists.txt
index 65644ec53..ba0e5c875 100644
--- a/tools/triage/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tools/triage/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 if (BUILD_GUI AND BUILD_TESTS)
-    set(CMAKE_AUTOMOC ON)
     if (CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE MATCHES "Release")
         add_definitions(-DQT_NO_DEBUG)
         add_definitions(-DQT_NO_DEBUG_OUTPUT)
@@ -20,7 +19,8 @@ if (BUILD_GUI AND BUILD_TESTS)
         ${uis_hdrs}
         ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/gui/codeeditorstyle.cpp
         ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/gui/codeeditor.cpp)
-    target_include_directories(triage PUBLIC ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/gui/)
+    set_target_properties(triage PROPERTIES AUTOMOC ON)
+    target_include_directories(triage PRIVATE ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/lib/ ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/gui/)
     target_link_libraries(triage Qt5::Core Qt5::Gui Qt5::Widgets)
     if (CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "Clang")
         if (NOT CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_VERSION VERSION_LESS "8.0.0")
@@ -28,6 +28,4 @@ if (BUILD_GUI AND BUILD_TESTS)
             target_compile_options(triage PRIVATE -Wno-extra-semi-stmt)
         endif()
     endif()
-
-    set(CMAKE_AUTOMOC OFF)
 endif()