diff --git a/.pre-commit-config.yaml b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
index 1bc24496..d8cb82f0 100644
--- a/.pre-commit-config.yaml
+++ b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
@@ -72,8 +72,8 @@ repos:
     hooks:
       - id: cmake-format
         additional_dependencies: [pyyaml]
-      - id: cmake-lint
-        additional_dependencies: [pyyaml]
+        types: [file]
+        files: (\.cmake|CMakeLists.txt)(.in)?$
 
   # Clang-format the C++ part of the code base automatically
   - repo: https://github.com/pre-commit/mirrors-clang-format
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ repos:
     hooks:
       - id: mypy
         files: ^(src/mqt|test/python)
-        args: ["--enable-incomplete-feature=Unpack"]
+        args: []
         additional_dependencies:
           - importlib_resources
           - numpy
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 4d81788f..2adff484 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -2,23 +2,10 @@
 cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.19...3.28)
 
 project(
-  qcec
+  mqt-qcec
   LANGUAGES CXX
   DESCRIPTION "MQT QCEC - A tool for Quantum Circuit Equivalence Checking")
 
-# check whether `modulename` is correctly cloned in the `extern` directory.
-macro(CHECK_SUBMODULE_PRESENT modulename)
-  if(NOT EXISTS "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/extern/${modulename}/CMakeLists.txt")
-    message(
-      FATAL_ERROR
-        "${modulename} submodule not cloned properly. \
-        Please run `git submodule update --init --recursive` \
-        from the main project directory")
-  endif()
-endmacro()
-
-check_submodule_present(mqt-core)
-
 option(BUILD_MQT_QCEC_TESTS "Also build tests for the MQT QCEC project" ON)
 option(BUILD_MQT_QCEC_BINDINGS "Build the MQT QCEC Python bindings" OFF)
 
@@ -26,17 +13,20 @@ if(BUILD_MQT_QCEC_BINDINGS)
   # ensure that the BINDINGS option is set
   set(BINDINGS
       ON
-      CACHE BOOL "Enable settings related to Python bindings" FORCE)
-  # cmake-lint: disable=C0103
+      CACHE INTERNAL "Enable settings related to Python bindings")
+  # Some common settings for finding Python
   set(Python_FIND_VIRTUALENV
       FIRST
       CACHE STRING "Give precedence to virtualenvs when searching for Python")
-  # cmake-lint: disable=C0103
+  set(Python_FIND_FRAMEWORK
+      LAST
+      CACHE STRING "Prefer Brew/Conda to Apple framework Python")
   set(Python_ARTIFACTS_INTERACTIVE
       ON
       CACHE
         BOOL
         "Prevent multiple searches for Python and instead cache the results.")
+
   # top-level call to find Python
   find_package(
     Python 3.8 REQUIRED
@@ -55,3 +45,10 @@ if(BUILD_MQT_QCEC_TESTS)
   include(GoogleTest)
   add_subdirectory(test)
 endif()
+
+configure_file(
+  ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/cmake_uninstall.cmake.in
+  ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/cmake_uninstall.cmake IMMEDIATE @ONLY)
+add_custom_target(
+  uninstall COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -P
+                    ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/cmake_uninstall.cmake)
diff --git a/cmake/ExternalDependencies.cmake b/cmake/ExternalDependencies.cmake
index a2ef920d..724b287a 100644
--- a/cmake/ExternalDependencies.cmake
+++ b/cmake/ExternalDependencies.cmake
@@ -3,80 +3,88 @@
 include(FetchContent)
 set(FETCH_PACKAGES "")
 
-# A macro to declare a dependency that takes into account the different CMake
-# versions and the features that they make available. In particular: - CMake
-# 3.24 introduced the `FIND_PACKAGE_ARGS` option to `FetchContent` which allows
-# to combine `FetchContent_Declare` and `find_package` in a single call. - CMake
-# 3.25 introduced the `SYSTEM` option to `FetchContent_Declare` which marks the
-# dependency as a system dependency. This is useful to avoid compiler warnings
-# from external header only libraries. - CMake 3.28 introduced the
-# `EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL` option to `FetchContent_Declare` which allows to exclude
-# all targets from the dependency from the `all` target.
-macro(DECLARE_DEPENDENCY)
-  cmake_parse_arguments(DEPENDENCY "SYSTEM;EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL"
-                        "NAME;URL;MD5;MIN_VERSION;ALT_NAME" "" ${ARGN})
-  set(ADDITIONAL_OPTIONS "")
-  if(DEPENDENCY_SYSTEM AND CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_GREATER_EQUAL 3.25)
-    list(APPEND ADDITIONAL_OPTIONS SYSTEM)
-  endif()
-  if(DEPENDENCY_EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL AND CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_GREATER_EQUAL 3.28)
-    list(APPEND ADDITIONAL_OPTIONS EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL)
+if(BUILD_MQT_QCEC_BINDINGS)
+  if(NOT SKBUILD)
+    # Manually detect the installed pybind11 package.
+    execute_process(
+      COMMAND "${Python_EXECUTABLE}" -m pybind11 --cmakedir
+      OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE
+      OUTPUT_VARIABLE pybind11_DIR)
+
+    # Add the detected directory to the CMake prefix path.
+    list(APPEND CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH "${pybind11_DIR}")
   endif()
-  if(CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_GREATER_EQUAL 3.28)
-    FetchContent_Declare(
-      ${DEPENDENCY_NAME}
-      URL ${DEPENDENCY_URL}
-      URL_MD5 ${DEPENDENCY_MD5}
-      ${ADDITIONAL_OPTIONS} FIND_PACKAGE_ARGS ${DEPENDENCY_MIN_VERSION} NAMES
-      ${DEPENDENCY_ALT_NAME})
-    list(APPEND FETCH_PACKAGES ${DEPENDENCY_NAME})
-  elseif(CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_GREATER_EQUAL 3.25)
-    FetchContent_Declare(
-      ${DEPENDENCY_NAME}
-      URL ${DEPENDENCY_URL}
-      URL_MD5 ${DEPENDENCY_MD5}
-      ${ADDITIONAL_OPTIONS} FIND_PACKAGE_ARGS ${DEPENDENCY_MIN_VERSION} NAMES
-      ${DEPENDENCY_ALT_NAME})
-    list(APPEND FETCH_PACKAGES ${DEPENDENCY_NAME})
-  elseif(CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_GREATER_EQUAL 3.24)
+
+  # add pybind11 library
+  find_package(pybind11 CONFIG REQUIRED)
+endif()
+
+set(FETCHCONTENT_SOURCE_DIR_MQT-CORE
+    ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/extern/mqt-core
+    CACHE
+      PATH
+      "Path to the source directory of the mqt-core library. This variable is used by FetchContent to download the library if it is not already available."
+)
+set(MQT_CORE_VERSION
+    2.2.2
+    CACHE STRING "MQT Core version")
+if(CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_GREATER_EQUAL 3.24)
+  FetchContent_Declare(
+    mqt-core
+    GIT_REPOSITORY https://github.com/cda-tum/mqt-core.git
+    GIT_TAG v${MQT_CORE_VERSION}
+    FIND_PACKAGE_ARGS ${MQT_CORE_VERSION})
+  list(APPEND FETCH_PACKAGES mqt-core)
+else()
+  find_package(mqt-core ${MQT_CORE_VERSION} QUIET)
+  if(NOT mqt-core_FOUND)
     FetchContent_Declare(
-      ${DEPENDENCY_NAME}
-      URL ${DEPENDENCY_URL}
-      URL_MD5 ${DEPENDENCY_MD5}
-      ${ADDITIONAL_OPTIONS} FIND_PACKAGE_ARGS ${DEPENDENCY_MIN_VERSION} NAMES
-      ${DEPENDENCY_ALT_NAME})
-    list(APPEND FETCH_PACKAGES ${DEPENDENCY_NAME})
-  else()
-    # try to get the system installed version
-    find_package(${DEPENDENCY_NAME} ${DEPENDENCY_MIN_VERSION} QUIET NAMES
-                 ${DEPENDENCY_ALT_NAME})
-    if(NOT ${DEPENDENCY_NAME}_FOUND)
-      FetchContent_Declare(
-        ${DEPENDENCY_NAME}
-        URL ${DEPENDENCY_URL}
-        URL_MD5 ${DEPENDENCY_MD5})
-      list(APPEND FETCH_PACKAGES ${DEPENDENCY_NAME})
-    endif()
+      mqt-core
+      GIT_REPOSITORY https://github.com/cda-tum/mqt-core.git
+      GIT_TAG v${MQT_CORE_VERSION})
+    list(APPEND FETCH_PACKAGES mqt-core)
   endif()
-endmacro()
+endif()
 
 if(BUILD_MQT_QCEC_TESTS)
-  set(gtest_force_shared_crt # cmake-lint: disable=C0103
+  set(gtest_force_shared_crt
       ON
       CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
-  declare_dependency(
-    NAME
-    googletest
-    URL
-    https://github.com/google/googletest/archive/refs/tags/v1.14.0.tar.gz
-    MD5
-    c8340a482851ef6a3fe618a082304cfc
-    MIN_VERSION
-    1.14.0
-    ALT_NAME
-    GTest
-    SYSTEM
-    EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL)
+  set(GTEST_VERSION
+      1.14.0
+      CACHE STRING "Google Test version")
+  set(GTEST_URL
+      https://github.com/google/googletest/archive/refs/tags/v${GTEST_VERSION}.tar.gz
+  )
+  if(CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_GREATER_EQUAL 3.24)
+    FetchContent_Declare(googletest URL ${GTEST_URL} FIND_PACKAGE_ARGS
+                                        ${GTEST_VERSION} NAMES GTest)
+    list(APPEND FETCH_PACKAGES googletest)
+  else()
+    find_package(googletest ${GTEST_VERSION} QUIET NAMES GTest)
+    if(NOT googletest_FOUND)
+      FetchContent_Declare(googletest URL ${GTEST_URL})
+      list(APPEND FETCH_PACKAGES googletest)
+    endif()
+  endif()
+endif()
+
+if(BUILD_MQT_QCEC_BINDINGS)
+  # add pybind11_json library
+  if(CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_GREATER_EQUAL 3.24)
+    FetchContent_Declare(
+      pybind11_json
+      GIT_REPOSITORY https://github.com/pybind/pybind11_json
+      FIND_PACKAGE_ARGS)
+    list(APPEND FETCH_PACKAGES pybind11_json)
+  else()
+    find_package(pybind11_json QUIET)
+    if(NOT pybind11_json_FOUND)
+      FetchContent_Declare(
+        pybind11_json GIT_REPOSITORY https://github.com/pybind/pybind11_json)
+      list(APPEND FETCH_PACKAGES pybind11_json)
+    endif()
+  endif()
 endif()
 
 # Make all declared dependencies available.
diff --git a/cmake/cmake_uninstall.cmake.in b/cmake/cmake_uninstall.cmake.in
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..629772f8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmake/cmake_uninstall.cmake.in
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+# Source:
+# https://gitlab.kitware.com/cmake/community/-/wikis/FAQ#can-i-do-make-uninstall-with-cmake
+
+if(NOT EXISTS "@CMAKE_BINARY_DIR@/install_manifest.txt")
+  message(
+    FATAL_ERROR
+      "Cannot find install manifest: @CMAKE_BINARY_DIR@/install_manifest.txt")
+endif()
+
+file(READ "@CMAKE_BINARY_DIR@/install_manifest.txt" files)
+string(REGEX REPLACE "\n" ";" files "${files}")
+foreach(file ${files})
+  message(STATUS "Uninstalling $ENV{DESTDIR}${file}")
+  if(IS_SYMLINK "$ENV{DESTDIR}${file}" OR EXISTS "$ENV{DESTDIR}${file}")
+    exec_program(
+      "@CMAKE_COMMAND@" ARGS
+      "-E remove \"$ENV{DESTDIR}${file}\""
+      OUTPUT_VARIABLE rm_out
+      RETURN_VALUE rm_retval)
+    if(NOT "${rm_retval}" STREQUAL 0)
+      message(FATAL_ERROR "Problem when removing $ENV{DESTDIR}${file}")
+    endif()
+  else(IS_SYMLINK "$ENV{DESTDIR}${file}" OR EXISTS "$ENV{DESTDIR}${file}")
+    message(STATUS "File $ENV{DESTDIR}${file} does not exist.")
+  endif()
+endforeach()
diff --git a/extern/mqt-core b/extern/mqt-core
index 8294bc9a..3d5e14b2 160000
--- a/extern/mqt-core
+++ b/extern/mqt-core
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 8294bc9aef2a2022300ef61a272f27062df33c41
+Subproject commit 3d5e14b20809108b90de6df03fa25def3d2851c9
diff --git a/noxfile.py b/noxfile.py
index 7793ff82..f6ef02ce 100644
--- a/noxfile.py
+++ b/noxfile.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from collections.abc import Sequence
 
-nox.options.sessions = ["lint", "pylint", "tests"]
+nox.options.sessions = ["lint", "tests"]
 
 PYTHON_ALL_VERSIONS = ["3.8", "3.9", "3.10", "3.11", "3.12"]
 
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 5465b410..f325710c 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -72,8 +72,8 @@ Discussions = "https://github.com/cda-tum/mqt-qcec/discussions"
 # Protect the configuration against future changes in scikit-build-core
 minimum-version = "0.6.1"
 
-# Set the target to build
-cmake.targets = ["pyqcec"]
+# Set the wheel install directory
+wheel.install-dir = "mqt/qcec"
 
 # Set required CMake and Ninja versions
 cmake.minimum-version = "3.19"
@@ -82,9 +82,6 @@ ninja.minimum-version = "1.10"
 # Setuptools-style build caching in a local directory
 build-dir = "build/{wheel_tag}"
 
-# Build stable ABI wheels for CPython 3.12+
-wheel.py-api = "cp312"
-
 # Explicitly set the package directory
 wheel.packages = ["src/mqt"]
 
@@ -141,6 +138,8 @@ run.omit = ["src/mqt/qcec/types.py"]
 report.exclude_also = [
     '\.\.\.',
     'if TYPE_CHECKING:',
+    'raise AssertionError',
+    'raise NotImplementedError',
 ]
 
 
@@ -148,12 +147,12 @@ report.exclude_also = [
 files = ["src/mqt", "test/python"]
 mypy_path = ["$MYPY_CONFIG_FILE_DIR/src"]
 python_version = "3.8"
-strict = true
-show_error_codes = true
+warn_unused_configs = true
 enable_error_code = ["ignore-without-code", "redundant-expr", "truthy-bool"]
-warn_unreachable = true
+strict = true
+disallow_untyped_defs = false
 explicit_package_bases = true
-pretty = true
+warn_unreachable = true
 
 [[tool.mypy.overrides]]
 module = ["qiskit.*"]
@@ -240,7 +239,6 @@ build = "cp3*"
 skip = "*-musllinux_*"
 archs = "auto64"
 test-command = "python -c \"from mqt import qcec\""
-test-skip = "cp312-*"  # Qiskit Terra does not support Python 3.12 yet
 build-frontend = "build"
 
 [tool.cibuildwheel.linux]
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 6a6ba080..c929aedd 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,10 +1,3 @@
-# add MQT::Core target
-set(BUILD_MQT_CORE_TESTS
-    OFF
-    CACHE BOOL "Build MQT Core tests")
-add_subdirectory("${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/extern/mqt-core" "extern/mqt-core"
-                 EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL)
-
 add_library(
   ${PROJECT_NAME}
   ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/include/checker
@@ -28,9 +21,11 @@ target_include_directories(${PROJECT_NAME} PUBLIC ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/include
 
 # link to the MQT::Core libraries
 target_link_libraries(${PROJECT_NAME} PUBLIC MQT::CoreDD MQT::CoreZX)
+target_link_libraries(${PROJECT_NAME} PRIVATE MQT::ProjectWarnings
+                                              MQT::ProjectOptions)
 
 # add MQT alias
-add_library(MQT::${PROJECT_NAME} ALIAS ${PROJECT_NAME})
+add_library(MQT::QCEC ALIAS ${PROJECT_NAME})
 
 if(BUILD_MQT_QCEC_BINDINGS)
   add_subdirectory(python)
diff --git a/src/python/CMakeLists.txt b/src/python/CMakeLists.txt
index a20e1379..3b616099 100644
--- a/src/python/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/python/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,43 +1,13 @@
-if(NOT SKBUILD)
-  message(
-    NOTICE
-    "\
-  This CMake file is meant to be executed using 'scikit-build'. Running
-  it directly will almost certainly not produce the desired result. If
-  you are a user trying to install this package, please use the command
-  below, which will install all necessary build dependencies, compile
-  the package in an isolated environment, and then install it.
-  =====================================================================
-   $ pip install .
-  =====================================================================
-  If you are a software developer, and this is your own package, then
-  it is usually much more efficient to install the build dependencies
-  in your environment once and use the following command that avoids
-  a costly creation of a new virtual environment at every compilation:
-  =====================================================================
-   $ pip install 'scikit-build-core[pyproject]' setuptools_scm pybind11
-   $ pip install --no-build-isolation -ve .
-  =====================================================================
-  You may optionally add -Ceditable.rebuild=true to auto-rebuild when
-  the package is imported. Otherwise, you need to re-run the above
-  after editing C++ files.")
-endif()
-
-if(NOT SKBUILD)
-  # Manually detect the installed pybind11 package and import it into CMake.
-  execute_process(
-    COMMAND "${Python_EXECUTABLE}" -m pybind11 --cmakedir
-    OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE
-    OUTPUT_VARIABLE pybind11_DIR)
-  list(APPEND CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH "${pybind11_DIR}")
-endif()
-
-# Import pybind11 through CMake's find_package mechanism
-find_package(pybind11 CONFIG REQUIRED)
-
-# We are now ready to compile the actual extension module
-pybind11_add_module(py${PROJECT_NAME} bindings.cpp)
-target_link_libraries(py${PROJECT_NAME} PRIVATE ${PROJECT_NAME} MQT::CorePython)
+pybind11_add_module(
+  pyqcec
+  # Prefer thin LTO if available
+  THIN_LTO
+  # Optimize the bindings for size
+  OPT_SIZE
+  # Source code goes here
+  bindings.cpp)
+target_link_libraries(pyqcec PRIVATE MQT::QCEC MQT::CorePython pybind11_json
+                                     MQT::ProjectOptions MQT::ProjectWarnings)
 
 # Install directive for scikit-build-core
-install(TARGETS py${PROJECT_NAME} LIBRARY DESTINATION mqt/qcec)
+install(TARGETS pyqcec LIBRARY DESTINATION .)
diff --git a/test/CMakeLists.txt b/test/CMakeLists.txt
index 8b65e5de..2d1374f1 100644
--- a/test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 package_add_test(
-  ${PROJECT_NAME}_test
-  ${PROJECT_NAME}
+  mqt-qcec-test
+  MQT::QCEC
   legacy/test_functionality.cpp
   legacy/test_journal.cpp
   legacy/test_compilationflow.cpp