diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index e5510f5..59b261d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ jobs:
           sudo apt-get install --assume-yes --no-install-recommends clang-${{ matrix.compiler.version }}
           echo "CC=/usr/bin/clang-${{ matrix.compiler.version }}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
           echo "CXX=/usr/bin/clang++-${{ matrix.compiler.version }}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v6
         with:
           submodules: recursive
       - name: Build
diff --git a/.github/workflows/codeql.yml b/.github/workflows/codeql.yml
index 83c1a2a..15ea0d5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/codeql.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/codeql.yml
@@ -23,11 +23,11 @@ jobs:
 
     steps:
     - name: Checkout repository
-      uses: actions/checkout@v3
+      uses: actions/checkout@v6
 
     # Initializes the CodeQL tools for scanning.
     - name: Initialize CodeQL
-      uses: github/codeql-action/init@v3
+      uses: github/codeql-action/init@v4
       with:
         languages: ${{ matrix.language }}
 
@@ -48,6 +48,6 @@ jobs:
 
     # Perform Analysis
     - name: Perform CodeQL Analysis
-      uses: github/codeql-action/analyze@v3
+      uses: github/codeql-action/analyze@v4
       with:
         category: "/language:${{matrix.language}}"
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 3c4ed9c..1e20dbf 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -2,124 +2,107 @@ cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.5...4.0)
 project(SSHASH)
 
 set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 17)
+set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED ON)
 if (NOT CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE)
-  set(CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE "Release")
+    set(CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE "Release")
 endif ()
 
 set(CMAKE_RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR})
 
+# Options
+option(SSHASH_BUILD_EXECUTABLES "Build sshash executables" ON)
+option(SSHASH_USE_ARCH_NATIVE "Build with -march=native" OFF)
+option(SSHASH_USE_MAX_KMER_LENGTH_63 "Use max kmer length 63" OFF)
+option(SSHASH_USE_TRADITIONAL_NUCLEOTIDE_ENCODING "Use traditional nucleotide encoding" OFF)
+option(SSHASH_USE_SANITIZERS "Build with sanitizers" OFF)
+
 if (UNIX AND (CMAKE_SYSTEM_PROCESSOR STREQUAL "x86_64"))
-  set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -mbmi2 -mavx2")
-  if (SSHASH_USE_ARCH_NATIVE AND NOT CMAKE_CROSSCOMPILING)
-    set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -march=native")
-  endif()
-endif()
+    set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -mbmi2 -mavx2")
+    if (SSHASH_USE_ARCH_NATIVE AND NOT CMAKE_CROSSCOMPILING)
+        set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -march=native")
+    endif ()
+endif ()
 
 if (SSHASH_USE_MAX_KMER_LENGTH_63)
-  MESSAGE(STATUS "SSHash uses a maximum kmer length of 63")
-  set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -DSSHASH_USE_MAX_KMER_LENGTH_63")
-else()
-  MESSAGE(STATUS "SSHash uses a maximum kmer length of 31")
-endif()
+    message(STATUS "SSHash uses a maximum kmer length of 63")
+    add_compile_definitions(SSHASH_USE_MAX_KMER_LENGTH_63)
+else ()
+    message(STATUS "SSHash uses a maximum kmer length of 31")
+endif ()
 
 if (SSHASH_USE_TRADITIONAL_NUCLEOTIDE_ENCODING)
-  MESSAGE(STATUS "SSHash maps {'A','a'}->0, {'C','c'}->1, {'G','g'}->2, and {'T','t'}->3")
-  set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -DSSHASH_USE_TRADITIONAL_NUCLEOTIDE_ENCODING")
-else()
-  MESSAGE(STATUS "SSHash maps {'A','a'}->0, {'C','c'}->1, {'T','t'}->2, and {'G','g'}->3")
-endif()
+    message(STATUS "SSHash maps {'A','a'}->0, {'C','c'}->1, {'G','g'}->2, and {'T','t'}->3")
+    add_compile_definitions(SSHASH_USE_TRADITIONAL_NUCLEOTIDE_ENCODING)
+else ()
+    message(STATUS "SSHash maps {'A','a'}->0, {'C','c'}->1, {'T','t'}->2, and {'G','g'}->3")
+endif ()
 
 if (UNIX)
+    set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -O3 -ggdb -Wall -Wextra -Werror -Wno-missing-braces -Wno-unknown-attributes -Wno-unused-function -pthread")
 
-  set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -O3")
-  set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -ggdb")
-  set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -Wall -Wextra -Werror -Wno-missing-braces -Wno-unknown-attributes -Wno-unused-function")
-  set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -pthread")
+    if (SSHASH_USE_SANITIZERS)
+        set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -fsanitize=address -fno-omit-frame-pointer")
+    endif ()
+endif ()
 
-  if (SSHASH_USE_SANITIZERS)
-    set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -fsanitize=address -fno-omit-frame-pointer")
-  endif()
+if (CONDA_BUILD)
+    set(CONDA_BUILD TRUE)
+else ()
+    set(CONDA_BUILD FALSE)
+endif ()
 
-endif()
+message(STATUS "Build type: ${CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE}")
+message(STATUS "Conda build: ${CONDA_BUILD}")
+message(STATUS "Installation prefix: ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}")
+message(STATUS "Compiling for processor: ${CMAKE_SYSTEM_PROCESSOR}")
+message(STATUS "Compiling with flags:${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS}")
+message(STATUS "Build executables: ${SSHASH_BUILD_EXECUTABLES}")
 
-if (CONDA_BUILD)
-  set(CONDA_BUILD TRUE)
-else()
-  set(CONDA_BUILD FALSE)
-endif()
+# Find dependencies
+find_package(ZLIB REQUIRED)
 
-option(SSHASH_BUILD_EXECUTABLES "Build sshash executables" ON)
-MESSAGE(STATUS "Build type: ${CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE}")
-MESSAGE(STATUS "Conda build: ${CONDA_BUILD}")
-MESSAGE(STATUS "Installation prefix: ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}")
-MESSAGE(STATUS "Compiling for processor: ${CMAKE_SYSTEM_PROCESSOR}")
-MESSAGE(STATUS "Compiling with flags:${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS}")
-MESSAGE(STATUS "Build executables: ${SSHASH_BUILD_EXECUTABLES}")
-
-set(Z_LIB_SOURCES
-  external/gz/zip_stream.cpp
+# SSHash static library target
+add_library(sshash_static STATIC
+        external/gz/zip_stream.cpp
+        external/cityhash/cityhash.cpp
+        src/builder/build.cpp
+        src/dictionary.cpp
+        src/query.cpp
+        src/info.cpp
 )
 
-set(CITYHASH_SOURCES
-  external/cityhash/cityhash.cpp
+# PUBLIC: Only expose SSHash's own API headers to consuming projects
+target_include_directories(sshash_static PUBLIC
+        $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/include>
+        $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}>
+        $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/external/pthash/include>
+        $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/external/pthash/external/bits/include>
+        $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/external/pthash/external/fastmod>
+        $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/external/pthash/external/bits/external/essentials/include>
+        $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/external/pthash/external/xxHash>
+        $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/external/pthash/external/mm_file/include>
 )
 
-set(SSHASH_SOURCES
-  src/builder/build.cpp
-  src/dictionary.cpp
-  src/query.cpp
-  src/info.cpp
-)
+# Link dependencies
+target_link_libraries(sshash_static PUBLIC ZLIB::ZLIB)
 
-set(SSHASH_INCLUDE_DIRS
-  external/pthash/include
-  external/pthash/external/bits/include
-  external/pthash/external/fastmod
-  external/pthash/external/bits/external/essentials/include
-  external/pthash/external/xxHash
-  external/pthash/external/mm_file/include
-  ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}
-  ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/include
-)
+# Create standard target alias
+add_library(sshash::sshash ALIAS sshash_static)
 
-# Create a static lib
-add_library(sshash_static STATIC
-  ${Z_LIB_SOURCES}
-  ${CITYHASH_SOURCES}
-  ${SSHASH_SOURCES}
-)
+if (SSHASH_BUILD_EXECUTABLES)
+    add_executable(sshash tools/sshash.cpp)
+    target_link_libraries(sshash PRIVATE sshash_static)
 
-target_include_directories(sshash_static PUBLIC ${SSHASH_INCLUDE_DIRS})
-
-if(SSHASH_BUILD_EXECUTABLES)
-  add_executable(sshash tools/sshash.cpp)
-  target_include_directories(sshash PUBLIC ${SSHASH_INCLUDE_DIRS})
-  target_link_libraries(sshash
-    sshash_static
-    z
-  )
-
-  # tests:
-
-  add_executable(test_alphabet test/test_alphabet.cpp)
-  target_link_libraries(test_alphabet
-    sshash_static
-  )
-
-  add_executable(test_minimizer test/test_minimizer.cpp)
-  target_link_libraries(test_minimizer
-    sshash_static
-  )
-
-  add_executable(check test/check.cpp)
-  target_link_libraries(check
-    sshash_static
-    z
-  )
-
-  if (CONDA_BUILD)
-    install(TARGETS sshash
-      RUNTIME DESTINATION bin
-    )
-  endif()
-endif()
+    add_executable(test_alphabet test/test_alphabet.cpp)
+    target_link_libraries(test_alphabet PRIVATE sshash_static)
+
+    add_executable(test_minimizer test/test_minimizer.cpp)
+    target_link_libraries(test_minimizer PRIVATE sshash_static)
+
+    add_executable(check test/check.cpp)
+    target_link_libraries(check PRIVATE sshash_static)
+
+    if (CONDA_BUILD)
+        install(TARGETS sshash RUNTIME DESTINATION bin)
+    endif ()
+endif ()