diff --git a/lib/cpp/CMakeLists.txt b/lib/cpp/CMakeLists.txt
index b3a34d0..7a656c0 100755
--- a/lib/cpp/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/lib/cpp/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -153,9 +153,9 @@
 
 ADD_LIBRARY_THRIFT(thrift ${thriftcpp_SOURCES} ${thriftcpp_threads_SOURCES})
 if(WIN32)
-    TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES_THRIFT(thrift ${SYSLIBS} ws2_32)
+    TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES_THRIFT(thrift PUBLIC ${SYSLIBS} ws2_32)
 else()
-    TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES_THRIFT(thrift ${SYSLIBS})
+    TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES_THRIFT(thrift PUBLIC ${SYSLIBS})
 endif()
 ADD_PKGCONFIG_THRIFT(thrift)
 
@@ -164,8 +164,13 @@
     include_directories(SYSTEM ${LIBEVENT_INCLUDE_DIRS})
 
     ADD_LIBRARY_THRIFT(thriftnb ${thriftcppnb_SOURCES})
-    LINK_AGAINST_THRIFT_LIBRARY(thriftnb thrift)
-    TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES_THRIFT(thriftnb ${SYSLIBS} ${LIBEVENT_LIBRARIES})
+    LINK_AGAINST_THRIFT_LIBRARY(thriftnb PUBLIC thrift)
+    if(TARGET libevent::core AND TARGET libevent::extra)
+        # libevent was found via its cmake config, use modern style targets
+        TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES_THRIFT(thriftnb PUBLIC libevent::core libevent::extra)
+    else()
+        TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES_THRIFT(thriftnb PUBLIC ${LIBEVENT_LIBRARIES})
+    endif()
     ADD_PKGCONFIG_THRIFT(thrift-nb)
 endif()
 
@@ -174,8 +179,8 @@
     include_directories(SYSTEM ${ZLIB_INCLUDE_DIRS})
 
     ADD_LIBRARY_THRIFT(thriftz ${thriftcppz_SOURCES})
-    TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES_THRIFT(thriftz ${SYSLIBS} ${ZLIB_LIBRARIES})
-    TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES_THRIFT_AGAINST_THRIFT_LIBRARY(thriftz thrift)
+    LINK_AGAINST_THRIFT_LIBRARY(thriftz PUBLIC thrift)
+    TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES_THRIFT(thriftz PUBLIC ${ZLIB_LIBRARIES})
     ADD_PKGCONFIG_THRIFT(thrift-z)
 endif()
 
diff --git a/lib/cpp/src/thrift/qt/CMakeLists.txt b/lib/cpp/src/thrift/qt/CMakeLists.txt
index 04a9a31..fc1a2c2 100644
--- a/lib/cpp/src/thrift/qt/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/lib/cpp/src/thrift/qt/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -24,5 +24,5 @@
 set(CMAKE_AUTOMOC ON)
 find_package(Qt5 REQUIRED COMPONENTS Core Network)
 ADD_LIBRARY_THRIFT(thriftqt5 ${thriftcppqt5_SOURCES})
-TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES_THRIFT(thriftqt5 Qt5::Core Qt5::Network)
-TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES_THRIFT_AGAINST_THRIFT_LIBRARY(thriftqt5 thrift)
+LINK_AGAINST_THRIFT_LIBRARY(thriftqt5 PUBLIC thrift)
+TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES_THRIFT(thriftqt5 PUBLIC Qt5::Core Qt5::Network)
diff --git a/lib/cpp/test/CMakeLists.txt b/lib/cpp/test/CMakeLists.txt
index ced78a2..3263b66 100644
--- a/lib/cpp/test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/lib/cpp/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -283,7 +283,6 @@
     testgencpp_cob
     ${Boost_LIBRARIES}
 )
-LINK_AGAINST_THRIFT_LIBRARY(processor_test thrift)
 LINK_AGAINST_THRIFT_LIBRARY(processor_test thriftnb)
 add_test(NAME processor_test COMMAND processor_test)
 
@@ -292,10 +291,8 @@
 include_directories(${LIBEVENT_INCLUDE_DIRS})
 target_link_libraries(TNonblockingServerTest
     testgencpp_cob
-    ${LIBEVENT_LIBRARIES}
     ${Boost_LIBRARIES}
 )
-LINK_AGAINST_THRIFT_LIBRARY(TNonblockingServerTest thrift)
 LINK_AGAINST_THRIFT_LIBRARY(TNonblockingServerTest thriftnb)
 add_test(NAME TNonblockingServerTest COMMAND TNonblockingServerTest)
 
@@ -305,10 +302,8 @@
   include_directories(${LIBEVENT_INCLUDE_DIRS})
   target_link_libraries(TNonblockingSSLServerTest
     testgencpp_cob
-    ${LIBEVENT_LIBRARIES}
     ${Boost_LIBRARIES}
   )
-  LINK_AGAINST_THRIFT_LIBRARY(TNonblockingSSLServerTest thrift)
   LINK_AGAINST_THRIFT_LIBRARY(TNonblockingSSLServerTest thriftnb)
   add_test(NAME TNonblockingSSLServerTest COMMAND TNonblockingSSLServerTest -- "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/../../../test/keys")
 endif(OPENSSL_FOUND AND WITH_OPENSSL)