diff --git a/cmake/Modules/MPI4WIN.cmake b/cmake/Modules/MPI4WIN.cmake
index a02adca77d..4447289668 100644
--- a/cmake/Modules/MPI4WIN.cmake
+++ b/cmake/Modules/MPI4WIN.cmake
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ endif()
 
 ExternalProject_get_property(mpi4win_build SOURCE_DIR)
 target_compile_definitions(lammps PRIVATE -DMPICH_SKIP_MPICXX)
-include_directories("${SOURCE_DIR}/include")
+target_include_directories(lammps PRIVATE "${SOURCE_DIR}/include")
 set(MPI4WIN_LIBRARIES "${SOURCE_DIR}/lib/libmpi.a")
 add_dependencies(lammps mpi4win_build)
 set(LAMMPS_USE_MPI4WIN ON)
diff --git a/cmake/Modules/Packages/CORESHELL.cmake b/cmake/Modules/Packages/CORESHELL.cmake
index 2afe2b8c1b..e550b1989f 100644
--- a/cmake/Modules/Packages/CORESHELL.cmake
+++ b/cmake/Modules/Packages/CORESHELL.cmake
@@ -9,5 +9,5 @@ if(PKG_CORESHELL)
     get_property(CORESHELL_SOURCES GLOBAL PROPERTY CORESHELL_SOURCES)
 
     target_sources(lammps PRIVATE ${CORESHELL_SOURCES})
-    include_directories(${CORESHELL_SOURCES_DIR})
+    target_include_directories(lammps PRIVATE ${CORESHELL_SOURCES_DIR})
 endif()
diff --git a/cmake/Modules/Packages/GPU.cmake b/cmake/Modules/Packages/GPU.cmake
index 95bb525dd5..cd359068e7 100644
--- a/cmake/Modules/Packages/GPU.cmake
+++ b/cmake/Modules/Packages/GPU.cmake
@@ -193,5 +193,5 @@ if(PKG_GPU)
     get_property(GPU_SOURCES GLOBAL PROPERTY GPU_SOURCES)
 
     target_sources(lammps PRIVATE ${GPU_SOURCES})
-    include_directories(${GPU_SOURCES_DIR})
+    target_include_directories(lammps PRIVATE ${GPU_SOURCES_DIR})
 endif()
diff --git a/cmake/Modules/Packages/KIM.cmake b/cmake/Modules/Packages/KIM.cmake
index 7d349f496b..5a4b12956e 100644
--- a/cmake/Modules/Packages/KIM.cmake
+++ b/cmake/Modules/Packages/KIM.cmake
@@ -62,5 +62,5 @@ if(PKG_KIM)
     find_package(KIM-API ${KIM-API_MIN_VERSION} REQUIRED)
   endif()
   target_link_libraries(lammps PRIVATE "${KIM-API_LDFLAGS}")
-  include_directories(${KIM-API_INCLUDE_DIRS})
+  target_include_directories(lammps PRIVATE ${KIM-API_INCLUDE_DIRS})
 endif()
diff --git a/cmake/Modules/Packages/KOKKOS.cmake b/cmake/Modules/Packages/KOKKOS.cmake
index 34c924790e..083b55840c 100644
--- a/cmake/Modules/Packages/KOKKOS.cmake
+++ b/cmake/Modules/Packages/KOKKOS.cmake
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ if(PKG_KOKKOS)
                             ${LAMMPS_LIB_KOKKOS_SRC_DIR}/containers/src
                             ${LAMMPS_LIB_KOKKOS_SRC_DIR}/algorithms/src
                             ${LAMMPS_LIB_KOKKOS_BIN_DIR})
-    include_directories(${Kokkos_INCLUDE_DIRS})
+    target_include_directories(lammps PRIVATE ${Kokkos_INCLUDE_DIRS})
     target_link_libraries(lammps PRIVATE kokkos)
   endif()
   target_compile_definitions(lammps PRIVATE -DLMP_KOKKOS)
@@ -70,5 +70,5 @@ if(PKG_KOKKOS)
   get_property(KOKKOS_PKG_SOURCES GLOBAL PROPERTY KOKKOS_PKG_SOURCES)
 
   target_sources(lammps PRIVATE ${KOKKOS_PKG_SOURCES})
-  include_directories(${KOKKOS_PKG_SOURCES_DIR})
+  target_include_directories(lammps PRIVATE ${KOKKOS_PKG_SOURCES_DIR})
 endif()
diff --git a/cmake/Modules/Packages/KSPACE.cmake b/cmake/Modules/Packages/KSPACE.cmake
index e2a42f3981..184a70f746 100644
--- a/cmake/Modules/Packages/KSPACE.cmake
+++ b/cmake/Modules/Packages/KSPACE.cmake
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ if(PKG_KSPACE)
     if(FFT_MKL_THREADS)
       target_compile_definitions(lammps PRIVATE -DFFT_MKL_THREADS)
     endif()
-    include_directories(${MKL_INCLUDE_DIRS})
+    target_include_directories(lammps PRIVATE ${MKL_INCLUDE_DIRS})
     target_link_libraries(lammps PRIVATE ${MKL_LIBRARIES})
   else()
     # last option is KISSFFT
diff --git a/cmake/Modules/Packages/MESSAGE.cmake b/cmake/Modules/Packages/MESSAGE.cmake
index c28c50c507..54d9f3eef7 100644
--- a/cmake/Modules/Packages/MESSAGE.cmake
+++ b/cmake/Modules/Packages/MESSAGE.cmake
@@ -28,5 +28,5 @@ if(PKG_MESSAGE)
   endif()
 
   target_link_libraries(lammps PRIVATE cslib)
-  include_directories(${LAMMPS_LIB_SOURCE_DIR}/message/cslib/src)
+  target_include_directories(lammps PRIVATE ${LAMMPS_LIB_SOURCE_DIR}/message/cslib/src)
 endif()
diff --git a/cmake/Modules/Packages/OPT.cmake b/cmake/Modules/Packages/OPT.cmake
index 02e3877c59..5d006bfd58 100644
--- a/cmake/Modules/Packages/OPT.cmake
+++ b/cmake/Modules/Packages/OPT.cmake
@@ -9,5 +9,5 @@ if(PKG_OPT)
     get_property(OPT_SOURCES GLOBAL PROPERTY OPT_SOURCES)
 
     target_sources(lammps PRIVATE ${OPT_SOURCES})
-    include_directories(${OPT_SOURCES_DIR})
+    target_include_directories(lammps PRIVATE ${OPT_SOURCES_DIR})
 endif()
diff --git a/cmake/Modules/Packages/PYTHON.cmake b/cmake/Modules/Packages/PYTHON.cmake
index 4611fddb98..b2451ebbdf 100644
--- a/cmake/Modules/Packages/PYTHON.cmake
+++ b/cmake/Modules/Packages/PYTHON.cmake
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 if(PKG_PYTHON)
   find_package(PythonLibs REQUIRED)
   target_compile_definitions(lammps PRIVATE -DLMP_PYTHON)
-  include_directories(${PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIR})
+  target_include_directories(lammps PRIVATE ${PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIR})
   target_link_libraries(lammps PRIVATE ${PYTHON_LIBRARY})
 endif()
diff --git a/cmake/Modules/Packages/QEQ.cmake b/cmake/Modules/Packages/QEQ.cmake
index 9b151c2610..d69fb23440 100644
--- a/cmake/Modules/Packages/QEQ.cmake
+++ b/cmake/Modules/Packages/QEQ.cmake
@@ -16,5 +16,5 @@ if(PKG_QEQ)
 
   get_property(QEQ_SOURCES GLOBAL PROPERTY QEQ_SOURCES)
   target_sources(lammps PRIVATE ${QEQ_SOURCES})
-  include_directories(${QEQ_SOURCES_DIR})
+  target_include_directories(lammps PRIVATE ${QEQ_SOURCES_DIR})
 endif()
diff --git a/cmake/Modules/Packages/USER-H5MD.cmake b/cmake/Modules/Packages/USER-H5MD.cmake
index 1e3fcf82ce..cf5623f46d 100644
--- a/cmake/Modules/Packages/USER-H5MD.cmake
+++ b/cmake/Modules/Packages/USER-H5MD.cmake
@@ -4,5 +4,4 @@ if(PKG_USER-H5MD)
   find_package(HDF5 REQUIRED)
   target_link_libraries(h5md PRIVATE ${HDF5_LIBRARIES})
   target_include_directories(h5md PRIVATE ${HDF5_INCLUDE_DIRS})
-  include_directories(${HDF5_INCLUDE_DIRS})
 endif()
diff --git a/cmake/Modules/Packages/USER-INTEL.cmake b/cmake/Modules/Packages/USER-INTEL.cmake
index 96a897297f..d81f793f50 100644
--- a/cmake/Modules/Packages/USER-INTEL.cmake
+++ b/cmake/Modules/Packages/USER-INTEL.cmake
@@ -109,5 +109,5 @@ if(PKG_USER-INTEL)
   endif()
 
   target_sources(lammps PRIVATE ${USER-INTEL_SOURCES})
-  include_directories(${USER-INTEL_SOURCES_DIR})
+  target_include_directories(lammps PRIVATE ${USER-INTEL_SOURCES_DIR})
 endif()
diff --git a/cmake/Modules/Packages/USER-OMP.cmake b/cmake/Modules/Packages/USER-OMP.cmake
index 91f0467a17..42f91495d5 100644
--- a/cmake/Modules/Packages/USER-OMP.cmake
+++ b/cmake/Modules/Packages/USER-OMP.cmake
@@ -38,5 +38,5 @@ if(PKG_USER-OMP)
     endif()
 
     target_sources(lammps PRIVATE ${USER-OMP_SOURCES})
-    include_directories(${USER-OMP_SOURCES_DIR})
+    target_include_directories(lammps PRIVATE ${USER-OMP_SOURCES_DIR})
 endif()
diff --git a/cmake/Modules/Packages/USER-PLUMED.cmake b/cmake/Modules/Packages/USER-PLUMED.cmake
index cfd187ed9d..75b2db2f93 100644
--- a/cmake/Modules/Packages/USER-PLUMED.cmake
+++ b/cmake/Modules/Packages/USER-PLUMED.cmake
@@ -92,5 +92,5 @@ if(PKG_USER-PLUMED)
     endif()
     target_link_libraries(lammps PRIVATE ${PLUMED_LOAD})
   endif()
-  include_directories(${PLUMED_INCLUDE_DIRS})
+  target_include_directories(lammps PRIVATE ${PLUMED_INCLUDE_DIRS})
 endif()
diff --git a/cmake/Modules/Packages/USER-SDPD.cmake b/cmake/Modules/Packages/USER-SDPD.cmake
index 1105fbd7ce..750194bcc6 100644
--- a/cmake/Modules/Packages/USER-SDPD.cmake
+++ b/cmake/Modules/Packages/USER-SDPD.cmake
@@ -11,5 +11,5 @@ if(PKG_USER-SDPD)
   endif()
   set_property(GLOBAL PROPERTY FIX "${hlist}")
 
-  include_directories(${USER-SDPD_SOURCES_DIR})
+  target_include_directories(lammps PRIVATE ${USER-SDPD_SOURCES_DIR})
 endif()