diff --git a/3rdparty/stb_library.hpp b/3rdparty/stb_library.hpp
index 56492de6f..3086f94d4 100644
--- a/3rdparty/stb_library.hpp
+++ b/3rdparty/stb_library.hpp
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 #pragma clang diagnostic ignored "-Wcast-align"
 #endif
 
-#include <stb/stb_image.h>
+#include "stb/stb_image.h"
 
 #if defined(__clang__)
 #pragma clang diagnostic pop
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 82bc88efe..88f343287 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -44,13 +44,6 @@ include(cmake/onetbb.cmake)
 message( STATUS "PPC step: Setup external projects" )
 include(cmake/gtest.cmake)
 
-############################## Headers ##############################
-
-message( STATUS "PPC step: Setup headers" )
-include_directories(3rdparty)
-include_directories(modules)
-include_directories(tasks)
-
 ############################## Modules ##############################
 
 message( STATUS "PPC step: Setup modules" )
diff --git a/cmake/gtest.cmake b/cmake/gtest.cmake
index 9f3884641..a9bdd6f13 100644
--- a/cmake/gtest.cmake
+++ b/cmake/gtest.cmake
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-include_directories(${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/3rdparty/googletest/googletest/include)
 include(ExternalProject)
 
 ExternalProject_Add(
diff --git a/cmake/json.cmake b/cmake/json.cmake
index 0c8bdd852..89070d4b7 100644
--- a/cmake/json.cmake
+++ b/cmake/json.cmake
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-include_directories(${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/3rdparty/json/include)
-
 include(ExternalProject)
 
 ExternalProject_Add(
diff --git a/cmake/libenvpp.cmake b/cmake/libenvpp.cmake
index 1c4ccb6e6..564a7d488 100644
--- a/cmake/libenvpp.cmake
+++ b/cmake/libenvpp.cmake
@@ -1,7 +1,3 @@
-include_directories(${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/3rdparty/libenvpp/include)
-include_directories(SYSTEM
-                    ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/3rdparty/libenvpp/external/fmt/include)
-
 if(WIN32)
   set(PPC_FMT_FLAGS "/EHsc /DFMT_CONSTEVAL=inline")
 else()
diff --git a/cmake/mpi.cmake b/cmake/mpi.cmake
index 6683e6e4f..8b307ccdd 100644
--- a/cmake/mpi.cmake
+++ b/cmake/mpi.cmake
@@ -1,6 +1,4 @@
 find_package(MPI REQUIRED)
-if(MPI_FOUND)
-  include_directories(${MPI_INCLUDE_PATH})
-else(MPI_FOUND)
+if(NOT MPI_FOUND)
   message(FATAL_ERROR "MPI NOT FOUND")
 endif(MPI_FOUND)
diff --git a/cmake/onetbb.cmake b/cmake/onetbb.cmake
index e4f2daa7b..df89aa354 100644
--- a/cmake/onetbb.cmake
+++ b/cmake/onetbb.cmake
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 include(ExternalProject)
 
-include_directories("${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/3rdparty/onetbb/include")
-
 if(WIN32)
   set(ppc_onetbb_TEST_COMMAND
       "${CMAKE_COMMAND}" -E copy_directory
diff --git a/cmake/openmp.cmake b/cmake/openmp.cmake
index 3b88922ff..445815153 100644
--- a/cmake/openmp.cmake
+++ b/cmake/openmp.cmake
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ endif()
 
 find_package(OpenMP)
 if(OpenMP_FOUND)
-  include_directories(${OpenMP_C_INCLUDE_DIRS} ${OpenMP_CXX_INCLUDE_DIRS})
   set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} ${OpenMP_C_FLAGS}")
   set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} ${OpenMP_CXX_FLAGS}")
   set(CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS
diff --git a/modules/core/CMakeLists.txt b/modules/core/CMakeLists.txt
index de8ae2c29..318572711 100644
--- a/modules/core/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/modules/core/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -24,6 +24,22 @@ project(${exec_func_lib})
 add_library(${exec_func_lib} STATIC ${LIB_SOURCE_FILES})
 set_target_properties(${exec_func_lib} PROPERTIES LINKER_LANGUAGE CXX)
 
+# Add include directories to target
+target_include_directories(
+  ${exec_func_lib} PUBLIC ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/3rdparty
+                          ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/modules ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/tasks)
+
+# Add external project include directories
+target_include_directories(
+  ${exec_func_lib}
+  PUBLIC ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/3rdparty/onetbb/include
+         ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/3rdparty/json/include
+         ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/3rdparty/googletest/googletest/include
+         ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/3rdparty/libenvpp/include)
+target_include_directories(
+  ${exec_func_lib} SYSTEM
+  PUBLIC ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/3rdparty/libenvpp/external/fmt/include)
+
 add_dependencies(${exec_func_lib} ppc_libenvpp)
 target_link_directories(${exec_func_lib} PUBLIC
                         "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/ppc_libenvpp/install/lib")
@@ -64,6 +80,7 @@ if(MPI_LINK_FLAGS)
   set_target_properties(${exec_func_lib} PROPERTIES LINK_FLAGS
                                                     "${MPI_LINK_FLAGS}")
 endif(MPI_LINK_FLAGS)
+target_include_directories(${exec_func_lib} PUBLIC ${MPI_INCLUDE_PATH})
 target_link_libraries(${exec_func_lib} PUBLIC ${MPI_LIBRARIES})
 
 add_library(stb_image STATIC ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/3rdparty/stb_image_wrapper.cpp)