diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 07810da..dda5877 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -2,25 +2,34 @@
 # refer to the root source directory of the project as ${HELLO_SOURCE_DIR} and
 # to the root binary directory of the project as ${HELLO_BINARY_DIR}.
 
-cmake_minimum_required (VERSION 2.8.11)
-project (cpp-jwt)
+cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.1)
+project(cpp-jwt)
 
 #SET (CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER /usr/local/bin/g++)
-SET( CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS  "-std=c++14 -Wall -Wextra" )
+# SET( CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS  "-std=c++14 -Wall -Wextra" )
 
-include_directories (include)
+add_library(${PROJECT_NAME} INTERFACE)
+target_compile_options(${PROJECT_NAME} INTERFACE -Wall -Wextra)
+# variable_templates ensures c++14 standard or greater
+target_compile_features(${PROJECT_NAME} INTERFACE cxx_variable_templates)
+
+target_include_directories(${PROJECT_NAME} INTERFACE include)
 
 find_package(OpenSSL REQUIRED)
-include_directories(${OPENSSL_INCLUDE_DIR})
+target_include_directories(${PROJECT_NAME} INTERFACE ${OPENSSL_INCLUDE_DIR})
+target_link_libraries(${PROJECT_NAME} INTERFACE ${OPENSSL_LIBRARIES})
 
 find_package(GTest REQUIRED)
-include_directories(${GTEST_INCLUDE_DIRS})
+target_include_directories(${PROJECT_NAME} INTERFACE ${GTEST_INCLUDE_DIRS})
+target_link_libraries(${PROJECT_NAME} INTERFACE ${GTEST_LIBRARIES})
 
-enable_testing()
+# Only if not a subproject
+if(${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR} STREQUAL ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR})
+  enable_testing()
 
-# Recurse into the "Hello" and "Demo" subdirectories. This does not actually
-# cause another cmake executable to run. The same process will walk through
-# the project's entire directory structure.
-add_subdirectory (tests)
-
-add_subdirectory (examples)
+  # Recurse into the "Hello" and "Demo" subdirectories. This does not actually
+  # cause another cmake executable to run. The same process will walk through
+  # the project's entire directory structure.
+  add_subdirectory(tests)
+  add_subdirectory(examples)
+endif()
diff --git a/examples/CMakeLists.txt b/examples/CMakeLists.txt
index 9180a01..69182bb 100644
--- a/examples/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/examples/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,18 +1,18 @@
-
-include_directories(${OPENSSL_INCLUDE_DIR})
-
 SET(CERT_ROOT_DIR "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/rsa_256")
-SET(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS  "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -DCERT_ROOT_DIR=\"\\\"${CERT_ROOT_DIR}\\\"\"")
+# SET(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS  "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -DCERT_ROOT_DIR=\"\\\"${CERT_ROOT_DIR}\\\"\"")
 
 add_executable(simple_ex1 simple_ex1.cc)
-target_link_libraries(simple_ex1 ${OPENSSL_LIBRARIES} ${GTEST_LIBRARIES})
+target_link_libraries(simple_ex1 cpp-jwt)
+target_compile_definitions(simple_ex1 PRIVATE CERT_ROOT_DIR="${CERT_ROOT_DIR}")
 add_test(NAME simple_ex1 COMMAND ./simple_ex1 WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR})
 
 add_executable(simple_ex2 simple_ex2.cc)
-target_link_libraries(simple_ex2 ${OPENSSL_LIBRARIES} ${GTEST_LIBRARIES})
+target_link_libraries(simple_ex2 cpp-jwt)
+target_compile_definitions(simple_ex2 PRIVATE CERT_ROOT_DIR="${CERT_ROOT_DIR}")
 add_test(NAME simple_ex2 COMMAND ./simple_ex2 WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR})
 
 add_executable(simple_ex3_rsa simple_ex3_rsa.cc)
-target_link_libraries(simple_ex3_rsa ${OPENSSL_LIBRARIES} ${GTEST_LIBRARIES})
+target_link_libraries(simple_ex3_rsa cpp-jwt)
+target_compile_definitions(simple_ex3_rsa PRIVATE CERT_ROOT_DIR="${CERT_ROOT_DIR}")
 add_test(NAME simple_ex3_rsa COMMAND ./simple_ex3_rsa WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR})
 
diff --git a/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
index 1ee5201..248edeb 100644
--- a/tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,33 +1,37 @@
-
-include_directories(${OPENSSL_INCLUDE_DIR})
-
 SET(CERT_ROOT_DIR "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/certs")
-SET(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS  "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -DCERT_ROOT_DIR=\"\\\"${CERT_ROOT_DIR}\\\"\"")
+# SET(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS  "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -DCERT_ROOT_DIR=\"\"${CERT_ROOT_DIR}\"\"")
 
 add_executable(test_jwt_object test_jwt_object.cc)
-target_link_libraries(test_jwt_object ${OPENSSL_LIBRARIES} ${GTEST_LIBRARIES})
+target_link_libraries(test_jwt_object cpp-jwt)
+target_compile_definitions(test_jwt_object PRIVATE CERT_ROOT_DIR="${CERT_ROOT_DIR}")
 add_test(NAME test_jwt_object COMMAND ./test_jwt_object WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR})
 
 add_executable(test_jwt_encode test_jwt_encode.cc)
-target_link_libraries(test_jwt_encode ${OPENSSL_LIBRARIES} ${GTEST_LIBRARIES})
+target_link_libraries(test_jwt_encode cpp-jwt)
+target_compile_definitions(test_jwt_encode PRIVATE CERT_ROOT_DIR="${CERT_ROOT_DIR}")
 add_test(NAME test_jwt_encode COMMAND ./test_jwt_encode WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR})
 
 add_executable(test_jwt_decode test_jwt_decode.cc)
-target_link_libraries(test_jwt_decode ${OPENSSL_LIBRARIES} ${GTEST_LIBRARIES})
+target_link_libraries(test_jwt_decode cpp-jwt)
+target_compile_definitions(test_jwt_decode PRIVATE CERT_ROOT_DIR="${CERT_ROOT_DIR}")
 add_test(NAME test_jwt_decode COMMAND ./test_jwt_decode WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR})
 
 add_executable(test_jwt_decode_verifiy test_jwt_decode_verifiy.cc)
-target_link_libraries(test_jwt_decode_verifiy ${OPENSSL_LIBRARIES} ${GTEST_LIBRARIES})
+target_link_libraries(test_jwt_decode_verifiy cpp-jwt)
+target_compile_definitions(test_jwt_decode_verifiy PRIVATE CERT_ROOT_DIR="${CERT_ROOT_DIR}")
 add_test(NAME test_jwt_decode_verifiy COMMAND ./test_jwt_decode_verifiy WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR})
 
 add_executable(test_jwt_decode_verifiy_with_exception test_jwt_decode_verifiy_with_exception.cc)
-target_link_libraries(test_jwt_decode_verifiy_with_exception ${OPENSSL_LIBRARIES} ${GTEST_LIBRARIES})
+target_link_libraries(test_jwt_decode_verifiy_with_exception cpp-jwt)
+target_compile_definitions(test_jwt_decode_verifiy_with_exception PRIVATE CERT_ROOT_DIR="${CERT_ROOT_DIR}")
 add_test(NAME test_jwt_decode_verifiy_with_exception COMMAND ./test_jwt_decode_verifiy_with_exception WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR})
 
 add_executable(test_jwt_rsa test_jwt_rsa.cc)
-target_link_libraries(test_jwt_rsa ${OPENSSL_LIBRARIES} ${GTEST_LIBRARIES} )
+target_link_libraries(test_jwt_rsa cpp-jwt)
+target_compile_definitions(test_jwt_rsa PRIVATE CERT_ROOT_DIR="${CERT_ROOT_DIR}")
 add_test(NAME test_jwt_rsa COMMAND ./test_jwt_rsa WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR})
 
 add_executable(test_jwt_es test_jwt_es.cc)
-target_link_libraries(test_jwt_es ${OPENSSL_LIBRARIES} ${GTEST_LIBRARIES})
+target_link_libraries(test_jwt_es cpp-jwt)
+target_compile_definitions(test_jwt_es PRIVATE CERT_ROOT_DIR="${CERT_ROOT_DIR}")
 add_test(NAME test_jwt_es COMMAND ./test_jwt_es WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR})