diff --git a/cmake/CMakeLists.txt b/cmake/CMakeLists.txt
index ada38138f6..b7f3da688f 100644
--- a/cmake/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/cmake/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ project(lammps CXX)
 set(SOVERSION 0)
 get_property(BUILD_IS_MULTI_CONFIG GLOBAL PROPERTY GENERATOR_IS_MULTI_CONFIG)
 
+include(GNUInstallDirs)
 get_filename_component(LAMMPS_DIR ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/.. ABSOLUTE)
 get_filename_component(LAMMPS_LIB_BINARY_DIR ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/lib ABSOLUTE)
 # collect all executables and shared libs in the top level build folder
@@ -208,7 +209,7 @@ else()
   unset(CMAKE_CXX_CLANG_TIDY CACHE)
 endif()
 
-include(GNUInstallDirs)
+
 file(GLOB ALL_SOURCES CONFIGURE_DEPENDS ${LAMMPS_SOURCE_DIR}/[^.]*.cpp)
 file(GLOB MAIN_SOURCES CONFIGURE_DEPENDS ${LAMMPS_SOURCE_DIR}/main.cpp)
 list(REMOVE_ITEM ALL_SOURCES ${MAIN_SOURCES})