diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index e410db70..62334aed 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -175,16 +175,16 @@ if (USE_TLS)
     endif()
     message(STATUS "OpenSSL: " ${OPENSSL_VERSION})
 
-    target_link_libraries(ixwebsocket OpenSSL::SSL OpenSSL::Crypto)
+    target_link_libraries(ixwebsocket PUBLIC OpenSSL::SSL OpenSSL::Crypto)
   elseif (USE_MBED_TLS)
     message(STATUS "TLS configured to use mbedtls")
 
     find_package(MbedTLS REQUIRED)
     target_include_directories(ixwebsocket PUBLIC ${MBEDTLS_INCLUDE_DIRS})
-    target_link_libraries(ixwebsocket ${MBEDTLS_LIBRARIES})
+    target_link_libraries(ixwebsocket PUBLIC ${MBEDTLS_LIBRARIES})
   elseif (USE_SECURE_TRANSPORT)
     message(STATUS "TLS configured to use secure transport")
-    target_link_libraries(ixwebsocket "-framework foundation" "-framework security")
+    target_link_libraries(ixwebsocket PUBLIC "-framework foundation" "-framework security")
   endif()
 endif()
 
@@ -194,25 +194,25 @@ if (NOT ZLIB_FOUND)
 endif()
 if (ZLIB_FOUND)
   include_directories(${ZLIB_INCLUDE_DIRS})
-  target_link_libraries(ixwebsocket ${ZLIB_LIBRARIES})
+  target_link_libraries(ixwebsocket PUBLIC ${ZLIB_LIBRARIES})
 else()
   include_directories(third_party/zlib ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/third_party/zlib)
-  add_subdirectory(third_party/zlib)
-  target_link_libraries(ixwebsocket zlibstatic)
+  add_subdirectory(third_party/zlib EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL)
+  target_link_libraries(ixwebsocket PRIVATE $<LINK_ONLY:zlibstatic>)
 endif()
 
 if (WIN32)
-  target_link_libraries(ixwebsocket wsock32 ws2_32 shlwapi)
+  target_link_libraries(ixwebsocket PUBLIC wsock32 ws2_32 shlwapi)
   add_definitions(-D_CRT_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS)
 
   if (USE_TLS)
-    target_link_libraries(ixwebsocket Crypt32)
+    target_link_libraries(ixwebsocket PUBLIC Crypt32)
   endif()
 endif()
 
 if (UNIX)
   find_package(Threads)
-  target_link_libraries(ixwebsocket ${CMAKE_THREAD_LIBS_INIT})
+  target_link_libraries(ixwebsocket PUBLIC ${CMAKE_THREAD_LIBS_INIT})
 endif()