diff --git a/test/qir/runner/test_qir_runner.cpp b/test/qir/runner/test_qir_runner.cpp
index 7d6ebeeaeb..fba8b6c46d 100644
--- a/test/qir/runner/test_qir_runner.cpp
+++ b/test/qir/runner/test_qir_runner.cpp
@@ -13,12 +13,6 @@
 #include <gtest/gtest.h>
 #include <sstream>
 
-#ifdef _WIN32
-#define SYSTEM _wsystem
-#else
-#define SYSTEM std::system
-#endif
-
 namespace qir {
 class QIRRunnerTest : public testing::TestWithParam<std::filesystem::path> {};
 
@@ -37,8 +31,8 @@ INSTANTIATE_TEST_SUITE_P(
 TEST_P(QIRRunnerTest, QIRFile) {
   const auto& file = GetParam();
   std::ostringstream command;
-  command << EXECUTABLE_PATH << " " << file;
-  const auto result = SYSTEM(command.str().c_str());
+  command << "\"" << EXECUTABLE_PATH << "\" \"" << file << "\"";
+  const auto result = std::system(command.str().c_str());
   EXPECT_EQ(result, 0);
 }
 } // namespace qir
diff --git a/test/qir/runtime/CMakeLists.txt b/test/qir/runtime/CMakeLists.txt
index e7726dd09e..6dd8e361ae 100644
--- a/test/qir/runtime/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/qir/runtime/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ macro(ADD_QIR_CIRCUIT target_name circuit_path)
       COMMENT "Compiling ${circuit_path} to ${circuit_name}.o")
     add_executable(${target_name} ${circuit_name}.o)
     target_link_libraries(${target_name} PRIVATE MQT::CoreQIRRuntime)
+    set_target_properties(${target_name} PROPERTIES LINKER_LANGUAGE CXX)
   endif()
 endmacro()