diff --git a/Base/CMakeLists.txt b/Base/CMakeLists.txt
index 4eba20015258674efb859cdf21ce94b20f606ee5..9a2792d6913ec2c1fa12bc6ae3b3776fb128f5d9 100644
--- a/Base/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/Base/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -35,21 +35,21 @@ target_link_libraries(${lib}
 # if std::filesystem is used
 if(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID STREQUAL "GNU"
     AND CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_VERSION VERSION_LESS 9.1)
-    target_link_libraries(${lib} stdc++fs)
+    target_link_libraries(${lib} PRIVATE stdc++fs)
 endif()
 # the same applies to clang versions less than 9.0: they need to link
 # against libstdc++fs or libc++fs if std::filesystem is used
 if(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID STREQUAL "Clang"
     AND CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_VERSION VERSION_LESS 9.0)
   if(CMAKE_HOST_SYSTEM_NAME STREQUAL "Linux")
-    target_link_libraries(${lib} stdc++fs)
+    target_link_libraries(${lib} PRIVATE stdc++fs)
   else()
-    target_link_libraries(${lib} c++fs)    
+    target_link_libraries(${lib} PRIVATE c++fs)
   endif()
 endif()
 
 if(BORNAGAIN_MPI)
     add_definitions(-DBORNAGAIN_MPI)
     include_directories(${MPI_INCLUDE_PATH})
-    target_link_libraries(${lib} ${MPI_LIBRARIES})
+    target_link_libraries(${lib} PRIVATE ${MPI_LIBRARIES})
 endif()