diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 206490a1..09787a97 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -60,6 +60,16 @@ elseif(${CMAKE_Fortran_COMPILER_ID} MATCHES "PGI")
   add_definitions(-DMUSICA_USING_PGI)
 endif()
 
+if(MUSICA_BUILD_C_CXX_INTERFACE)
+  # on ubuntu with clang, an incorrect version of the c++ standard library was being linked
+  if (${CMAKE_HOST_SYSTEM_NAME} MATCHES "Linux" AND "${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID}" STREQUAL "Clang")
+      # If the compiler is Clang, use libc++
+      set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -stdlib=libc++")
+  endif()
+
+  set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 20)
+endif()
+
 ################################################################################
 # Dependencies
 
diff --git a/cmake/dependencies.cmake b/cmake/dependencies.cmake
index 831cc09e..10bb0032 100644
--- a/cmake/dependencies.cmake
+++ b/cmake/dependencies.cmake
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ endif()
 ################################################################################
 # google test
 if(MUSICA_ENABLE_TESTS)
-  set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 20)
   include(FetchContent)
   FetchContent_Declare(googletest
     GIT_REPOSITORY https://github.com/google/googletest.git
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 9f4b6e90..7e64cc37 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -14,12 +14,6 @@ include(musica_util)
 # Add submodules
 checkout_submodules()
 
-# on ubuntu with clang, an incorrect version of the c++ standard library was being linked
-if (${CMAKE_HOST_SYSTEM_NAME} MATCHES "Linux" AND "${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID}" STREQUAL "Clang")
-    # If the compiler is Clang, use libc++
-    set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -stdlib=libc++")
-endif()
-
 ##############################################################################
 # MUSICA targets