diff --git a/cmd/gvpr/CMakeLists.txt b/cmd/gvpr/CMakeLists.txt
index 2a49d2c8b..98b7016d7 100644
--- a/cmd/gvpr/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/cmd/gvpr/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -11,12 +11,9 @@ target_include_directories(gvpr-bin PRIVATE
 )
 
 target_link_libraries(gvpr-bin PRIVATE
-  ast
   cgraph
   gvc
   gvpr
-  expr
-  sfio
 )
 
 set_target_properties(gvpr-bin
diff --git a/lib/ast/CMakeLists.txt b/lib/ast/CMakeLists.txt
index e6bbe8dff..7efb097f3 100644
--- a/lib/ast/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/lib/ast/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-add_library(ast STATIC
+add_library(ast OBJECT  # private in gvpr
   chresc.c
   chrtoi.c
   error.c
diff --git a/lib/cdt/CMakeLists.txt b/lib/cdt/CMakeLists.txt
index 8ec7cd1f0..3a8f84f89 100644
--- a/lib/cdt/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/lib/cdt/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -16,7 +16,9 @@ add_library(cdt
   dtwalk.c
 )
 
+if(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
 target_compile_definitions(cdt PRIVATE EXPORT_CDT)
+endif()
 
 target_include_directories(cdt PRIVATE
   ..
diff --git a/lib/cgraph/CMakeLists.txt b/lib/cgraph/CMakeLists.txt
index e2b76f9f6..3bf51a6ed 100644
--- a/lib/cgraph/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/lib/cgraph/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -43,7 +43,9 @@ if(HAVE_C_WUNUSED_BUT_SET_VARIABLE)
     PROPERTIES COMPILE_FLAGS -Wno-unused-but-set-variable)
 endif()
 
+if(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
 target_compile_definitions(cgraph PRIVATE EXPORT_CGRAPH EXPORT_CGHDR)
+endif()
 
 target_include_directories(cgraph
   PUBLIC
diff --git a/lib/common/CMakeLists.txt b/lib/common/CMakeLists.txt
index bf37ff92f..3626aa0d9 100644
--- a/lib/common/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/lib/common/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -103,20 +103,17 @@ if(APPLE)
   target_compile_options(common_obj PRIVATE "-fno-common")
 endif()
 
-add_library(common STATIC
-  $<TARGET_OBJECTS:common_obj>
-)
-
-target_link_libraries(common PRIVATE
+# legacy; target objects in gvc
+add_library(common INTERFACE)
+target_link_libraries(common INTERFACE
   cgraph
   pathplan
-  label
   xdot
   util
 )
 
 if(EXPAT_FOUND)
-  target_link_libraries(common PRIVATE
+  target_link_libraries(common INTERFACE
     ${EXPAT_LIBRARIES}
   )
 endif()
diff --git a/lib/dotgen/CMakeLists.txt b/lib/dotgen/CMakeLists.txt
index cf02ab457..84cafa181 100644
--- a/lib/dotgen/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/lib/dotgen/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -29,5 +29,6 @@ target_include_directories(dotgen PRIVATE
 
 target_link_libraries(dotgen PRIVATE
   cgraph
+  gvc # ortho, pack
   util
 )
diff --git a/lib/expr/CMakeLists.txt b/lib/expr/CMakeLists.txt
index 5e949ff14..95359f59e 100644
--- a/lib/expr/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/lib/expr/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ BISON_TARGET(
   COMPILE_FLAGS "--yacc -Wno-yacc --defines --debug --verbose"
 )
 
-add_library(expr STATIC
+add_library(expr OBJECT  # private in gvpr
   # Source files
   excc.c
   excontext.c
diff --git a/lib/gvc/CMakeLists.txt b/lib/gvc/CMakeLists.txt
index 100df84cf..985d24851 100644
--- a/lib/gvc/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/lib/gvc/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -38,8 +38,9 @@ if(WIN32 AND NOT MINGW)
   )
 endif()
 
-target_link_libraries(gvc PRIVATE
+target_sources(gvc PRIVATE
   $<TARGET_OBJECTS:common_obj>
+  $<TARGET_OBJECTS:label>
   $<TARGET_OBJECTS:pack_obj>
 )
 
@@ -47,7 +48,6 @@ target_link_libraries(gvc PRIVATE
   cdt
   cgraph
   common
-  pack
   util
 )
 
@@ -64,10 +64,7 @@ if(ZLIB_FOUND)
 endif()
 
 if(with_ortho)
-  target_link_libraries(gvc PRIVATE
-    $<TARGET_OBJECTS:ortho_obj>
-  )
-  target_link_libraries(gvc PRIVATE ortho)
+  target_sources(gvc PRIVATE $<TARGET_OBJECTS:ortho_obj>)
 endif()
 
 # Installation location of library files
diff --git a/lib/gvpr/CMakeLists.txt b/lib/gvpr/CMakeLists.txt
index ed32e9cb5..20f4057c7 100644
--- a/lib/gvpr/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/lib/gvpr/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -6,7 +6,9 @@ add_library(gvpr
   parse.c
 )
 
+if(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
 target_compile_definitions(gvpr PRIVATE EXPORT_GVPR)
+endif()
 
 target_include_directories(gvpr
   PUBLIC
@@ -34,13 +36,16 @@ if(WIN32 AND NOT MINGW)
   target_include_directories(gvpr PRIVATE ../../windows/include/unistd)
 endif()
 
-target_link_libraries(gvpr PRIVATE
+target_sources(gvpr PRIVATE
   $<TARGET_OBJECTS:ast>
+  $<TARGET_OBJECTS:expr>
+  $<TARGET_OBJECTS:sfio>
+)
+
+target_link_libraries(gvpr PRIVATE
   cgraph
   gvc
   util
-  $<TARGET_OBJECTS:expr>
-  $<TARGET_OBJECTS:sfio>
 )
 
 if(NOT HAVE_GETOPT_H)
diff --git a/lib/label/CMakeLists.txt b/lib/label/CMakeLists.txt
index 834a9f7e5..6600d76c9 100644
--- a/lib/label/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/lib/label/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-add_library(label STATIC
+add_library(label OBJECT  # export with gvc
   index.c
   node.c
   rectangle.c
diff --git a/lib/ortho/CMakeLists.txt b/lib/ortho/CMakeLists.txt
index 0a22c418b..5b6f77cc3 100644
--- a/lib/ortho/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/lib/ortho/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -24,10 +24,7 @@ target_include_directories(ortho_obj PRIVATE
 
 target_link_libraries(ortho_obj PRIVATE util)
 
-add_library(ortho STATIC
-  $<TARGET_OBJECTS:ortho_obj>
-)
-
-target_link_libraries(ortho PRIVATE util)
+add_library(ortho INTERFACE) # legacy
+target_link_libraries(ortho INTERFACE gvc) # target objects in gvc
 
 endif()
diff --git a/lib/pack/CMakeLists.txt b/lib/pack/CMakeLists.txt
index c7e1acd4b..0458180fe 100644
--- a/lib/pack/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/lib/pack/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -17,11 +17,9 @@ target_include_directories(pack_obj PRIVATE
 
 target_link_libraries(pack_obj PRIVATE util)
 
-add_library(pack STATIC
-  $<TARGET_OBJECTS:pack_obj>
-)
-
-target_link_libraries(pack PRIVATE util)
+# legacy; target objects in gvc
+add_library(pack INTERFACE)
+target_link_libraries(pack INTERFACE gvc)
 
 # Specify headers to be installed
 install(
diff --git a/lib/sfio/CMakeLists.txt b/lib/sfio/CMakeLists.txt
index fe95440b4..ee6166d1f 100644
--- a/lib/sfio/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/lib/sfio/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-add_library(sfio STATIC
+add_library(sfio OBJECT  # private in gvpr
   sfcvt.c
   sfextern.c
   sftable.c
diff --git a/lib/xdot/CMakeLists.txt b/lib/xdot/CMakeLists.txt
index 2f02b2415..dc91c67ef 100644
--- a/lib/xdot/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/lib/xdot/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@ add_library(xdot
   xdot.c
 )
 
+if(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
 target_compile_definitions(xdot PRIVATE EXPORT_XDOT)
+endif()
 
 target_include_directories(xdot
   PUBLIC