diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 57bd4530363..79f2ec92ac9 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -502,6 +502,49 @@ endif()
 # initialize CLI11 submodule
 cpp_cc_git_submodule(CLI11 BUILD PACKAGE CLI11 REQUIRED)
 
+# =============================================================================
+# Enable NMODL code-generator support
+# =============================================================================
+if(NRN_ENABLE_CORENEURON)
+
+# =============================================================================
+# NMODL specific options
+# =============================================================================
+find_package(nmodl)
+if(NOT "${CORENRN_NMODL_DIR}" STREQUAL "" AND NOT nmodl_FOUND)
+  message(FATAL_ERROR "Cannot find NMODL in ${CORENRN_NMODL_DIR}")
+endif()
+if(nmodl_FOUND)
+  set(CORENRN_NMODL_BINARY ${nmodl_BINARY})
+else()
+  set(NMODL_ENABLE_PYTHON_BINDINGS
+      OFF
+      CACHE BOOL "Enable NMODL python bindings")
+  nrn_add_external_project(nmodl DISABLE_ADD)
+  add_subdirectory(${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/external/nmodl ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/external/nmodl)
+  set(CORENRN_NMODL_BINARY ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/bin/nmodl${CMAKE_EXECUTABLE_SUFFIX})
+  set(NMODL_TARGET_TO_DEPEND nmodl)
+  set(NMODL_PROJECT_BINARY_DIR ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/external/nmodl)
+  # install nrnunits.lib and libpywrapper.so from external/nmodl
+  install(
+    FILES ${NMODL_PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/lib/libpywrapper${CMAKE_SHARED_LIBRARY_SUFFIX}
+    DESTINATION lib
+    COMPONENT pywrapper
+    OPTIONAL)
+  install(
+    FILES ${NMODL_PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/share/nmodl/nrnunits.lib
+    DESTINATION share/nmodl
+    COMPONENT nrnunits)
+endif()
+set_property(GLOBAL PROPERTY CORENRN_NMODL_BINARY "${CORENRN_NMODL_BINARY}")
+
+# set correct arguments for nmodl for cpu/gpu target
+set(CORENRN_NMODL_FLAGS
+    ""
+    CACHE STRING "Extra NMODL options such as passes")
+
+endif()
+
 # =============================================================================
 # Enable CoreNEURON support
 # =============================================================================
@@ -536,7 +579,8 @@ if(NRN_ENABLE_CORENEURON)
   get_property(CORENRN_LIB_LINK_FLAGS GLOBAL PROPERTY CORENRN_LIB_LINK_FLAGS)
   get_property(CORENRN_NEURON_LINK_FLAGS GLOBAL PROPERTY CORENRN_NEURON_LINK_FLAGS)
   get_property(CORENRN_ENABLE_SHARED GLOBAL PROPERTY CORENRN_ENABLE_SHARED)
-  get_property(CORENRN_NMODL_BINARY GLOBAL PROPERTY CORENRN_NMODL_BINARY)
+  # get_property(CORENRN_NMODL_BINARY GLOBAL PROPERTY CORENRN_NMODL_BINARY)
+
   # NEURON tests that link against CoreNEURON need to depend on it.
   set(CORENEURON_TARGET_TO_DEPEND coreneuron-for-tests)
 
diff --git a/src/coreneuron/CMakeLists.txt b/src/coreneuron/CMakeLists.txt
index 1cf452d23c5..59e78ae735f 100644
--- a/src/coreneuron/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/coreneuron/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -241,42 +241,6 @@ if(MINGW)
   list(APPEND CORENRN_COMPILE_DEFS MINGW)
 endif()
 
-# =============================================================================
-# NMODL specific options
-# =============================================================================
-find_package(nmodl)
-if(NOT "${CORENRN_NMODL_DIR}" STREQUAL "" AND NOT nmodl_FOUND)
-  message(FATAL_ERROR "Cannot find NMODL in ${CORENRN_NMODL_DIR}")
-endif()
-if(nmodl_FOUND)
-  set(CORENRN_NMODL_BINARY ${nmodl_BINARY})
-else()
-  set(NMODL_ENABLE_PYTHON_BINDINGS
-      OFF
-      CACHE BOOL "Enable NMODL python bindings")
-  nrn_add_external_project(nmodl DISABLE_ADD)
-  add_subdirectory(${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/external/nmodl ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/external/nmodl)
-  set(CORENRN_NMODL_BINARY ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/bin/nmodl${CMAKE_EXECUTABLE_SUFFIX})
-  set(NMODL_TARGET_TO_DEPEND nmodl)
-  set(NMODL_PROJECT_BINARY_DIR ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/external/nmodl)
-  # install nrnunits.lib and libpywrapper.so from external/nmodl
-  install(
-    FILES ${NMODL_PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/lib/libpywrapper${CMAKE_SHARED_LIBRARY_SUFFIX}
-    DESTINATION lib
-    COMPONENT pywrapper
-    OPTIONAL)
-  install(
-    FILES ${NMODL_PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/share/nmodl/nrnunits.lib
-    DESTINATION share/nmodl
-    COMPONENT nrnunits)
-endif()
-set_property(GLOBAL PROPERTY CORENRN_NMODL_BINARY "${CORENRN_NMODL_BINARY}")
-
-# set correct arguments for nmodl for cpu/gpu target
-set(CORENRN_NMODL_FLAGS
-    ""
-    CACHE STRING "Extra NMODL options such as passes")
-
 # =============================================================================
 # Profiler/Instrumentation Options
 # =============================================================================