diff --git a/cmake/CMakeLists.txt b/cmake/CMakeLists.txt
index a6956f5f5d..41229e9cd6 100644
--- a/cmake/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/cmake/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -538,7 +538,10 @@ set(CMAKE_TUNE_FLAGS "${CMAKE_TUNE_DEFAULT}" CACHE STRING "Compiler and machine
 separate_arguments(CMAKE_TUNE_FLAGS)
 foreach(_FLAG ${CMAKE_TUNE_FLAGS})
   target_compile_options(lammps PRIVATE ${_FLAG})
-  target_compile_options(lmp PRIVATE ${_FLAG})
+  # skip these flags when linking the main executable
+  if(NOT (("${_FLAG}" STREQUAL "-Xcudafe") OR (("${_FLAG}" STREQUAL "--diag_suppress=unrecognized_pragma"))))
+    target_compile_options(lmp PRIVATE ${_FLAG})
+  endif()
 endforeach()
 ########################################################################
 # Basic system tests (standard libraries, headers, functions, types)   #
diff --git a/cmake/Modules/Packages/KOKKOS.cmake b/cmake/Modules/Packages/KOKKOS.cmake
index b4eb227d61..00486e73db 100644
--- a/cmake/Modules/Packages/KOKKOS.cmake
+++ b/cmake/Modules/Packages/KOKKOS.cmake
@@ -72,13 +72,11 @@ if(DOWNLOAD_KOKKOS)
   set_target_properties(LAMMPS::KOKKOSCONTAINERS PROPERTIES
     IMPORTED_LOCATION "${INSTALL_DIR}/lib/libkokkoscontainers.a")
   target_link_libraries(lammps PRIVATE LAMMPS::KOKKOSCORE LAMMPS::KOKKOSCONTAINERS)
-  target_link_libraries(lmp PRIVATE LAMMPS::KOKKOSCORE LAMMPS::KOKKOSCONTAINERS)
   add_dependencies(LAMMPS::KOKKOSCORE kokkos_build)
   add_dependencies(LAMMPS::KOKKOSCONTAINERS kokkos_build)
 elseif(EXTERNAL_KOKKOS)
   find_package(Kokkos 3.7.01 REQUIRED CONFIG)
   target_link_libraries(lammps PRIVATE Kokkos::kokkos)
-  target_link_libraries(lmp PRIVATE Kokkos::kokkos)
 else()
   set(LAMMPS_LIB_KOKKOS_SRC_DIR ${LAMMPS_LIB_SOURCE_DIR}/kokkos)
   set(LAMMPS_LIB_KOKKOS_BIN_DIR ${LAMMPS_LIB_BINARY_DIR}/kokkos)
@@ -98,7 +96,6 @@ else()
                           ${LAMMPS_LIB_KOKKOS_BIN_DIR})
   target_include_directories(lammps PRIVATE ${Kokkos_INCLUDE_DIRS})
   target_link_libraries(lammps PRIVATE kokkos)
-  target_link_libraries(lmp PRIVATE kokkos)
   if(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS_WAS_ON)
     set(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS ON)
   endif()
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index e263938e57..e3e304a0d4 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -13,9 +13,8 @@
 
 #include "lammps.h"
 
-#include "accelerator_kokkos.h"
 #include "input.h"
-#include "lmppython.h"
+#include "library.h"
 
 #if defined(LAMMPS_EXCEPTIONS)
 #include "exceptions.h"
@@ -35,6 +34,13 @@
 
 using namespace LAMMPS_NS;
 
+// for convenience
+static void finalize()
+{
+  lammps_kokkos_finalize();
+  lammps_python_finalize();
+}
+
 /* ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    main program to drive LAMMPS
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
@@ -42,7 +48,6 @@ using namespace LAMMPS_NS;
 int main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
   MPI_Init(&argc, &argv);
-
   MPI_Comm lammps_comm = MPI_COMM_WORLD;
 
 #if defined(LMP_MDI)
@@ -76,19 +81,21 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
     lammps->input->file();
     delete lammps;
   } catch (LAMMPSAbortException &ae) {
-    KokkosLMP::finalize();
-    Python::finalize();
+    finalize();
     MPI_Abort(ae.universe, 1);
   } catch (LAMMPSException &) {
-    KokkosLMP::finalize();
-    Python::finalize();
+    finalize();
     MPI_Barrier(lammps_comm);
     MPI_Finalize();
     exit(1);
   } catch (fmt::format_error &fe) {
     fprintf(stderr, "fmt::format_error: %s\n", fe.what());
-    KokkosLMP::finalize();
-    Python::finalize();
+    finalize();
+    MPI_Abort(MPI_COMM_WORLD, 1);
+    exit(1);
+  } catch (std::exception &e) {
+    fprintf(stderr, "Exception: %s\n", e.what());
+    finalize();
     MPI_Abort(MPI_COMM_WORLD, 1);
     exit(1);
   }
@@ -99,14 +106,12 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
     delete lammps;
   } catch (fmt::format_error &fe) {
     fprintf(stderr, "fmt::format_error: %s\n", fe.what());
-    KokkosLMP::finalize();
-    Python::finalize();
+    finalize();
     MPI_Abort(MPI_COMM_WORLD, 1);
     exit(1);
   }
 #endif
-  KokkosLMP::finalize();
-  Python::finalize();
+  finalize();
   MPI_Barrier(lammps_comm);
   MPI_Finalize();
 }