diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index e9f002f1f83..56af8ab86b6 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1115,17 +1115,22 @@ endif()
 set(UA_FILE_NODESETS) # List of nodeset-xml files to be considered in the generated information model
 set(UA_NODESET_DIR ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/deps/ua-nodeset CACHE STRING "The path to the node-set directory (e.g. from https://github.com/OPCFoundation/UA-Nodeset)")
 
+unset(UA_FILE_NS0_PRIVATE)
+if(UA_FILE_NS0)
+    set(UA_FILE_NS0_PRIVATE "${UA_FILE_NS0}")
+endif()
+
 if(UA_NAMESPACE_ZERO STREQUAL "FULL")
     # Use the "full" schema files also for datatypes and statuscodes
     set(UA_SCHEMA_DIR ${UA_NODESET_DIR}/Schema CACHE INTERNAL "")
 
     # Set the full Nodeset for NS0
-    if(NOT UA_FILE_NS0)
-        set(UA_FILE_NS0 ${UA_SCHEMA_DIR}/Opc.Ua.NodeSet2.xml CACHE INTERNAL "")
+    if(NOT UA_FILE_NS0_PRIVATE)
+        set(UA_FILE_NS0_PRIVATE ${UA_SCHEMA_DIR}/Opc.Ua.NodeSet2.xml)
     endif()
 
     # Check that the submodule was checked out or manually downloaded into the folder
-    if(NOT EXISTS "${UA_FILE_NS0}")
+    if(NOT EXISTS "${UA_FILE_NS0_PRIVATE}")
         message(STATUS "Submodule update")
         execute_process(COMMAND ${GIT_EXECUTABLE} submodule update --init --recursive
                         RESULT_VARIABLE GIT_SUBMOD_RESULT)
@@ -1138,8 +1143,8 @@ else()
     set(UA_SCHEMA_DIR ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/tools/schema CACHE INTERNAL "")
 
     # Set the reduced Nodeset for NS0
-    if(NOT UA_FILE_NS0)
-        set(UA_FILE_NS0 ${UA_SCHEMA_DIR}/Opc.Ua.NodeSet2.Reduced.xml CACHE INTERNAL "")
+    if(NOT UA_FILE_NS0_PRIVATE)
+        set(UA_FILE_NS0_PRIVATE ${UA_SCHEMA_DIR}/Opc.Ua.NodeSet2.Reduced.xml CACHE INTERNAL "")
     endif()
 
     # Set feature-specific datatypes definitions and nodesets
@@ -1189,7 +1194,7 @@ else()
     endif()
 endif()
 
-list(INSERT UA_FILE_NODESETS 0 "${UA_FILE_NS0}")
+list(INSERT UA_FILE_NODESETS 0 "${UA_FILE_NS0_PRIVATE}")
 set(UA_FILE_NODEIDS ${UA_SCHEMA_DIR}/NodeIds.csv)
 set(UA_FILE_STATUSCODES ${UA_SCHEMA_DIR}/StatusCode.csv)
 set(UA_FILE_TYPES_BSD ${UA_SCHEMA_DIR}/Opc.Ua.Types.bsd)