diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index e915b1a80fcf1c86692b7edd8b30893e70606640..c877c90939ec9b01b33148d6ea4aa0e351ee6dd5 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -20,6 +20,22 @@
 #  KWSYS_HEADER_ROOT = The directory into which to generate the kwsys headers.
 #                      A directory called "${KWSYS_NAMESPACE}" will be
 #                      created under this root directory to hold the files.
+#  KWSYS_SPLIT_OBJECTS_FROM_INTERFACE
+#                    = Instead of creating a single ${KWSYS_NAMESPACE} library
+#                      target, create three separate targets:
+#                        ${KWSYS_NAMESPACE}
+#                          - An INTERFACE library only containing usage
+#                            requirements.
+#                        ${KWSYS_NAMESPACE}_objects
+#                          - An OBJECT library for the built kwsys objects.
+#                        ${KWSYS_NAMESPACE}_private
+#                          - An INTERFACE library combining both that is
+#                            appropriate for use with PRIVATE linking in
+#                            target_link_libraries. Because of how interface
+#                            properties propagate, this target is not suitable
+#                            for use with PUBLIC or INTERFACE linking.
+#                      Note: only the ${KWSYS_NAMESPACE} library will be
+#                      installed
 #
 #    Example:
 #
@@ -79,6 +95,10 @@ FOREACH(p
 ENDFOREACH()
 SET(CMAKE_LEGACY_CYGWIN_WIN32 0)
 
+IF(CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_LESS 3.0)
+  SET(KWSYS_SPLIT_OBJECTS_FROM_INTERFACE 0)
+ENDIF()
+
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # If a namespace is not specified, use "kwsys" and enable testing.
 # This should be the case only when kwsys is not included inside
@@ -795,69 +815,126 @@ ENDFOREACH()
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Add the library with the configured name and list of sources.
 IF(KWSYS_C_SRCS OR KWSYS_CXX_SRCS)
-  ADD_LIBRARY(${KWSYS_NAMESPACE} ${KWSYS_LIBRARY_TYPE}
-    ${KWSYS_C_SRCS} ${KWSYS_CXX_SRCS})
-  SET_PROPERTY(TARGET ${KWSYS_NAMESPACE} PROPERTY C_CLANG_TIDY "")
-  SET_PROPERTY(TARGET ${KWSYS_NAMESPACE} PROPERTY CXX_CLANG_TIDY "")
-  SET_PROPERTY(TARGET ${KWSYS_NAMESPACE} PROPERTY C_INCLUDE_WHAT_YOU_USE "")
-  SET_PROPERTY(TARGET ${KWSYS_NAMESPACE} PROPERTY CXX_INCLUDE_WHAT_YOU_USE "")
-  SET_PROPERTY(TARGET ${KWSYS_NAMESPACE} PROPERTY LABELS ${KWSYS_LABELS_LIB})
+  IF(KWSYS_SPLIT_OBJECTS_FROM_INTERFACE)
+    SET(KWSYS_TARGET_INTERFACE ${KWSYS_NAMESPACE})
+    SET(KWSYS_TARGET_OBJECT ${KWSYS_NAMESPACE}_objects)
+    SET(KWSYS_TARGET_LINK ${KWSYS_NAMESPACE}_private)
+    SET(KWSYS_LINK_DEPENDENCY INTERFACE)
+    ADD_LIBRARY(${KWSYS_TARGET_OBJECT} OBJECT
+      ${KWSYS_C_SRCS} ${KWSYS_CXX_SRCS})
+    IF(KWSYS_BUILD_SHARED)
+      SET_PROPERTY(TARGET ${KWSYS_TARGET_OBJECT} PROPERTY
+        POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE TRUE)
+    ENDIF()
+    ADD_LIBRARY(${KWSYS_TARGET_INTERFACE} INTERFACE)
+    ADD_LIBRARY(${KWSYS_TARGET_LINK} INTERFACE)
+    TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(${KWSYS_TARGET_LINK} INTERFACE
+      ${KWSYS_TARGET_INTERFACE})
+    TARGET_SOURCES(${KWSYS_TARGET_LINK} INTERFACE
+      $<TARGET_OBJECTS:${KWSYS_TARGET_OBJECT}>)
+  ELSE()
+    SET(KWSYS_TARGET_INTERFACE ${KWSYS_NAMESPACE})
+    SET(KWSYS_TARGET_OBJECT ${KWSYS_NAMESPACE})
+    SET(KWSYS_TARGET_LINK ${KWSYS_NAMESPACE})
+    SET(KWSYS_LINK_DEPENDENCY PUBLIC)
+    ADD_LIBRARY(${KWSYS_TARGET_INTERFACE} ${KWSYS_LIBRARY_TYPE}
+      ${KWSYS_C_SRCS} ${KWSYS_CXX_SRCS})
+  ENDIF()
+  SET_TARGET_PROPERTIES(${KWSYS_TARGET_OBJECT} PROPERTIES
+    C_CLANG_TIDY ""
+    CXX_CLANG_TIDY ""
+    C_INCLUDE_WHAT_YOU_USE ""
+    CXX_INCLUDE_WHAT_YOU_USE ""
+    LABELS "${KWSYS_LABELS_LIB}")
   IF(KWSYS_USE_DynamicLoader)
     IF(UNIX)
-      TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(${KWSYS_NAMESPACE} ${CMAKE_DL_LIBS})
+      TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(${KWSYS_TARGET_INTERFACE} ${KWSYS_LINK_DEPENDENCY}
+        ${CMAKE_DL_LIBS})
     ENDIF()
   ENDIF()
 
   IF(KWSYS_USE_SystemInformation)
     IF(WIN32)
-      TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(${KWSYS_NAMESPACE} ws2_32)
+      TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(${KWSYS_TARGET_INTERFACE} ${KWSYS_LINK_DEPENDENCY} ws2_32)
       IF(KWSYS_SYS_HAS_PSAPI)
-        TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(${KWSYS_NAMESPACE} Psapi)
+        TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(${KWSYS_TARGET_INTERFACE} ${KWSYS_LINK_DEPENDENCY}
+          Psapi)
       ENDIF()
     ELSEIF(UNIX)
       IF (EXECINFO_LIB AND KWSYS_CXX_HAS_BACKTRACE)
         # backtrace on FreeBSD is not in libc
-        TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(${KWSYS_NAMESPACE} ${EXECINFO_LIB})
+        TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(${KWSYS_TARGET_INTERFACE} ${KWSYS_LINK_DEPENDENCY}
+          ${EXECINFO_LIB})
       ENDIF()
       IF (KWSYS_CXX_HAS_DLADDR)
         # for symbol lookup using dladdr
-        TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(${KWSYS_NAMESPACE} ${CMAKE_DL_LIBS})
+        TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(${KWSYS_TARGET_INTERFACE} ${KWSYS_LINK_DEPENDENCY}
+          ${CMAKE_DL_LIBS})
       ENDIF()
       IF (CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME STREQUAL "SunOS")
-        TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(${KWSYS_NAMESPACE} socket)
+        TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(${KWSYS_TARGET_INTERFACE} ${KWSYS_LINK_DEPENDENCY}
+          socket)
       ENDIF()
     ENDIF()
   ENDIF()
 
   # Apply user-defined target properties to the library.
   IF(KWSYS_PROPERTIES_CXX)
-    SET_TARGET_PROPERTIES(${KWSYS_NAMESPACE} PROPERTIES
-      ${KWSYS_PROPERTIES_CXX}
-      )
+    SET_TARGET_PROPERTIES(${KWSYS_TARGET_INTERFACE} PROPERTIES
+      ${KWSYS_PROPERTIES_CXX})
+  ENDIF()
+
+  # Set up include usage requirement
+  IF(COMMAND TARGET_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES)
+    TARGET_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES(${KWSYS_TARGET_INTERFACE} INTERFACE
+      ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR})
   ENDIF()
 
   # Create an install target for the library.
   IF(KWSYS_INSTALL_LIBRARY_RULE)
-    INSTALL(TARGETS ${KWSYS_NAMESPACE} ${KWSYS_INSTALL_LIBRARY_RULE})
+    INSTALL(TARGETS ${KWSYS_TARGET_INTERFACE} ${KWSYS_INSTALL_LIBRARY_RULE})
   ENDIF()
 ENDIF()
 
 # Add a C-only library if requested.
 IF(KWSYS_ENABLE_C AND KWSYS_C_SRCS)
-  ADD_LIBRARY(${KWSYS_NAMESPACE}_c ${KWSYS_LIBRARY_TYPE} ${KWSYS_C_SRCS})
-  SET_PROPERTY(TARGET ${KWSYS_NAMESPACE}_c PROPERTY LABELS ${KWSYS_LABELS_LIB})
+ IF(KWSYS_SPLIT_OBJECTS_FROM_INTERFACE)
+    SET(KWSYS_TARGET_C_INTERFACE ${KWSYS_NAMESPACE}_c)
+    SET(KWSYS_TARGET_C_OBJECT ${KWSYS_NAMESPACE}_c_objects)
+    SET(KWSYS_TARGET_C_LINK ${KWSYS_NAMESPACE}_c_private)
+    SET(KWSYS_LINK_DEPENDENCY INTERFACE)
+    ADD_LIBRARY(${KWSYS_TARGET_C_OBJECT} OBJECT ${KWSYS_C_SRCS})
+    IF(KWSYS_BUILD_SHARED)
+      SET_PROPERTY(TARGET ${KWSYS_TARGET_C_OBJECT} PROPERTY
+        POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE TRUE)
+    ENDIF()
+    ADD_LIBRARY(${KWSYS_TARGET_C_INTERFACE} INTERFACE)
+    ADD_LIBRARY(${KWSYS_TARGET_C_LINK} INTERFACE)
+    TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(${KWSYS_TARGET_C_LINK} INTERFACE
+      ${KWSYS_TARGET_C_INTERFACE})
+    TARGET_SOURCES(${KWSYS_TARGET_C_LINK} INTERFACE
+      $<TARGET_OBJECTS:${KWSYS_TARGET_C_OBJECT}>)
+  ELSE()
+    SET(KWSYS_TARGET_C_INTERFACE ${KWSYS_NAMESPACE}_c)
+    SET(KWSYS_TARGET_C_OBJECT ${KWSYS_NAMESPACE}_c)
+    SET(KWSYS_TARGET_C_LINK ${KWSYS_NAMESPACE}_c)
+    SET(KWSYS_LINK_DEPENDENCY PUBLIC)
+    ADD_LIBRARY(${KWSYS_TARGET_C_INTERFACE} ${KWSYS_LIBRARY_TYPE}
+      ${KWSYS_C_SRCS})
+  ENDIF()
+  SET_TARGET_PROPERTIES(${KWSYS_TARGET_C_OBJECT} PROPERTIES
+    LABELS "${KWSYS_LABELS_LIB}")
 
   # Apply user-defined target properties to the library.
   IF(KWSYS_PROPERTIES_C)
-    SET_TARGET_PROPERTIES(${KWSYS_NAMESPACE}_c PROPERTIES
-      ${KWSYS_PROPERTIES_C}
-      )
+    SET_TARGET_PROPERTIES(${KWSYS_TARGET_C_INTERFACE} PROPERTIES
+      ${KWSYS_PROPERTIES_C})
   ENDIF()
 
   # Create an install target for the library.
   IF(KWSYS_INSTALL_LIBRARY_RULE)
-    INSTALL(TARGETS ${KWSYS_NAMESPACE}_c ${KWSYS_INSTALL_LIBRARY_RULE})
-  ENDIF()
+    INSTALL(TARGETS ${KWSYS_TARGET_C_INTERFACE} ${KWSYS_INSTALL_LIBRARY_RULE})
+   ENDIF()
 ENDIF()
 
 # For building kwsys itself, we use a macro defined on the command
@@ -915,7 +992,7 @@ IF(KWSYS_STANDALONE OR CMake_SOURCE_DIR)
       )
     ADD_EXECUTABLE(${KWSYS_NAMESPACE}TestsC ${KWSYS_C_TEST_SRCS})
     SET_PROPERTY(TARGET ${KWSYS_NAMESPACE}TestsC PROPERTY LABELS ${KWSYS_LABELS_EXE})
-    TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(${KWSYS_NAMESPACE}TestsC ${KWSYS_NAMESPACE}_c)
+    TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(${KWSYS_NAMESPACE}TestsC ${KWSYS_TARGET_C_LINK})
     FOREACH(test ${KWSYS_C_TESTS})
       ADD_TEST(kwsys.${test} ${EXEC_DIR}/${KWSYS_NAMESPACE}TestsC ${test} ${KWSYS_TEST_ARGS_${test}})
       SET_PROPERTY(TEST kwsys.${test} PROPERTY LABELS ${KWSYS_LABELS_TEST})
@@ -950,7 +1027,7 @@ IF(KWSYS_STANDALONE OR CMake_SOURCE_DIR)
       SET_PROPERTY(TARGET testConsoleBufChild PROPERTY C_INCLUDE_WHAT_YOU_USE "")
       SET_PROPERTY(TARGET testConsoleBufChild PROPERTY CXX_INCLUDE_WHAT_YOU_USE "")
       SET_PROPERTY(TARGET testConsoleBufChild PROPERTY LABELS ${KWSYS_LABELS_EXE})
-      TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(testConsoleBufChild ${KWSYS_NAMESPACE})
+      TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(testConsoleBufChild ${KWSYS_TARGET_LINK})
       SET(KWSYS_CXX_TESTS ${KWSYS_CXX_TESTS}
         testConsoleBuf
         )
@@ -969,7 +1046,7 @@ IF(KWSYS_STANDALONE OR CMake_SOURCE_DIR)
       # If kwsys contains the DynamicLoader, need extra library
       ADD_LIBRARY(${KWSYS_NAMESPACE}TestDynload MODULE testDynload.c)
       SET_PROPERTY(TARGET ${KWSYS_NAMESPACE}TestDynload PROPERTY LABELS ${KWSYS_LABELS_LIB})
-      ADD_DEPENDENCIES(${KWSYS_NAMESPACE}TestDynload ${KWSYS_NAMESPACE})
+      ADD_DEPENDENCIES(${KWSYS_NAMESPACE}TestDynload ${KWSYS_TARGET_INTERFACE})
     ENDIF()
     CREATE_TEST_SOURCELIST(
       KWSYS_CXX_TEST_SRCS ${KWSYS_NAMESPACE}TestsCxx.cxx
@@ -981,7 +1058,7 @@ IF(KWSYS_STANDALONE OR CMake_SOURCE_DIR)
     SET_PROPERTY(TARGET ${KWSYS_NAMESPACE}TestsCxx PROPERTY C_INCLUDE_WHAT_YOU_USE "")
     SET_PROPERTY(TARGET ${KWSYS_NAMESPACE}TestsCxx PROPERTY CXX_INCLUDE_WHAT_YOU_USE "")
     SET_PROPERTY(TARGET ${KWSYS_NAMESPACE}TestsCxx PROPERTY LABELS ${KWSYS_LABELS_EXE})
-    TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(${KWSYS_NAMESPACE}TestsCxx ${KWSYS_NAMESPACE})
+    TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(${KWSYS_NAMESPACE}TestsCxx ${KWSYS_TARGET_LINK})
 
     SET(TEST_SYSTEMTOOLS_SOURCE_DIR "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}")
     SET(TEST_SYSTEMTOOLS_BINARY_DIR "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}")
@@ -1032,7 +1109,7 @@ IF(KWSYS_STANDALONE OR CMake_SOURCE_DIR)
     # Process tests.
     ADD_EXECUTABLE(${KWSYS_NAMESPACE}TestProcess testProcess.c)
     SET_PROPERTY(TARGET ${KWSYS_NAMESPACE}TestProcess PROPERTY LABELS ${KWSYS_LABELS_EXE})
-    TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(${KWSYS_NAMESPACE}TestProcess ${KWSYS_NAMESPACE}_c)
+    TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(${KWSYS_NAMESPACE}TestProcess ${KWSYS_TARGET_C_LINK})
     IF(NOT CYGWIN)
       SET(KWSYS_TEST_PROCESS_7 7)
     ENDIF()
@@ -1060,7 +1137,7 @@ IF(KWSYS_STANDALONE OR CMake_SOURCE_DIR)
     ADD_EXECUTABLE(${KWSYS_NAMESPACE}TestSharedForward
                    ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/testSharedForward.c)
     SET_PROPERTY(TARGET ${KWSYS_NAMESPACE}TestSharedForward PROPERTY LABELS ${KWSYS_LABELS_EXE})
-    ADD_DEPENDENCIES(${KWSYS_NAMESPACE}TestSharedForward ${KWSYS_NAMESPACE}_c)
+    ADD_DEPENDENCIES(${KWSYS_NAMESPACE}TestSharedForward ${KWSYS_TARGET_C_LINK})
     ADD_TEST(kwsys.testSharedForward ${EXEC_DIR}/${KWSYS_NAMESPACE}TestSharedForward 1)
     SET_PROPERTY(TEST kwsys.testSharedForward PROPERTY LABELS ${KWSYS_LABELS_TEST})