diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 4fc1c748..72f686aa 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -26,6 +26,21 @@ include("cmake/compat_config.cmake")
 include("cmake/pthread_checks.cmake")
 include(GNUInstallDirs)
 
+# Set convenience variables for subdirectories.
+set(MP_INCLUDE_DIR "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/include")
+if(CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR STREQUAL CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR)
+  set(MP_STANDALONE TRUE)
+else()
+  # Set MP_INCLUDE_DIR for parent directories too, so target_capnp_sources calls
+  # in parent directories can use it and not need to specify include directories
+  # manually or see capnproto error "error: Import failed: /mp/proxy.capnp"
+  set(MP_INCLUDE_DIR "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/include" PARENT_SCOPE)
+  set(MP_STANDALONE FALSE)
+endif()
+
+# Prevent include directories from parent project from leaking into this one.
+set_property(DIRECTORY PROPERTY INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES "")
+
 # Generated C++ preprocessor defines
 configure_file(include/mp/config.h.in "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/include/mp/config.h")
 
@@ -33,10 +48,10 @@ configure_file(include/mp/config.h.in "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/include/mp/co
 capnp_generate_cpp(MP_PROXY_SRCS MP_PROXY_HDRS include/mp/proxy.capnp)
 
 # util library
-add_library(util OBJECT src/mp/util.cpp)
-target_include_directories(util PRIVATE
-  $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/include>
-  $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/include>
+add_library(mputil OBJECT src/mp/util.cpp)
+target_include_directories(mputil PRIVATE
+  $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/include>
+  $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/include>
   ${CAPNP_INCLUDE_DIRECTORY})
 
 # libmultiprocess.a runtime library
@@ -50,7 +65,7 @@ add_library(multiprocess STATIC
   ${MP_PROXY_SRCS}
   ${MP_PUBLIC_HEADERS}
   src/mp/proxy.cpp
-  $<TARGET_OBJECTS:util>)
+  $<TARGET_OBJECTS:mputil>)
 add_library(Libmultiprocess::multiprocess ALIAS multiprocess)
 target_include_directories(multiprocess PUBLIC
   $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/include>
@@ -68,7 +83,7 @@ install(TARGETS multiprocess EXPORT LibTargets
   PUBLIC_HEADER DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_INCLUDEDIR}/mp COMPONENT lib)
 
 # mpgen code generator
-add_executable(mpgen src/mp/gen.cpp $<TARGET_OBJECTS:util>)
+add_executable(mpgen src/mp/gen.cpp $<TARGET_OBJECTS:mputil>)
 add_executable(Libmultiprocess::mpgen ALIAS mpgen)
 target_include_directories(mpgen PRIVATE $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/include>)
 target_include_directories(mpgen PUBLIC $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/include> $<INSTALL_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_INSTALL_INCLUDEDIR}>)
diff --git a/cmake/TargetCapnpSources.cmake b/cmake/TargetCapnpSources.cmake
index 47da24bc..cdc86c69 100644
--- a/cmake/TargetCapnpSources.cmake
+++ b/cmake/TargetCapnpSources.cmake
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ function(target_capnp_sources target include_prefix)
   foreach(capnp_file IN LISTS TCS_UNPARSED_ARGUMENTS)
     add_custom_command(
       OUTPUT ${capnp_file}.c++ ${capnp_file}.h ${capnp_file}.proxy-client.c++ ${capnp_file}.proxy-types.h ${capnp_file}.proxy-server.c++ ${capnp_file}.proxy-types.c++ ${capnp_file}.proxy.h
-      COMMAND Libmultiprocess::mpgen ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR} ${include_prefix} ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/${capnp_file} ${TCS_IMPORT_PATHS}
+      COMMAND Libmultiprocess::mpgen ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR} ${include_prefix} ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/${capnp_file} ${TCS_IMPORT_PATHS} ${MP_INCLUDE_DIR}
       DEPENDS ${capnp_file}
       VERBATIM
     )
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ function(target_capnp_sources target include_prefix)
   if(relative_path)
     string(APPEND build_include_prefix "/" "${relative_path}")
   endif()
-  target_include_directories(${target} PUBLIC $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${build_include_prefix}>)
+  target_include_directories(${target} PUBLIC $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${build_include_prefix}> ${MP_INCLUDE_DIR})
 
   if(TARGET Libmultiprocess::multiprocess)
     target_link_libraries(${target} PRIVATE Libmultiprocess::multiprocess)
diff --git a/example/CMakeLists.txt b/example/CMakeLists.txt
index a776322f..333462b8 100644
--- a/example/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/example/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -7,29 +7,23 @@ include(${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/TargetCapnpSources.cmake)
 add_executable(mpcalculator
   calculator.cpp
 )
-target_capnp_sources(mpcalculator ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR} init.capnp calculator.capnp printer.capnp
-  IMPORT_PATHS ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/include
-)
+target_capnp_sources(mpcalculator ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR} init.capnp calculator.capnp printer.capnp)
 target_include_directories(mpcalculator PRIVATE ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR})
 target_link_libraries(mpcalculator PRIVATE Threads::Threads)
 
 add_executable(mpprinter
   printer.cpp
 )
-target_capnp_sources(mpprinter ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR} init.capnp calculator.capnp printer.capnp
-  IMPORT_PATHS ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/include
-)
+target_capnp_sources(mpprinter ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR} init.capnp calculator.capnp printer.capnp)
 target_include_directories(mpprinter PRIVATE ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR})
 target_link_libraries(mpprinter PRIVATE Threads::Threads)
 
 add_executable(mpexample
   example.cpp
 )
-target_capnp_sources(mpexample ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR} init.capnp calculator.capnp printer.capnp
-  IMPORT_PATHS ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/include
-)
+target_capnp_sources(mpexample ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR} init.capnp calculator.capnp printer.capnp)
 target_include_directories(mpexample PRIVATE ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR})
 target_link_libraries(mpexample PRIVATE Threads::Threads)
 target_link_libraries(mpexample PRIVATE stdc++fs)
 
-add_custom_target(example DEPENDS mpexample mpcalculator mpprinter)
+add_custom_target(mpexamples DEPENDS mpexample mpcalculator mpprinter)
diff --git a/test/CMakeLists.txt b/test/CMakeLists.txt
index b6ae925b..129cb563 100644
--- a/test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -11,8 +11,15 @@ include(CTest)
 # that were previously built, without building anything itself. Define "make
 # tests" here as a custom target to build all available tests and "make check"
 # as a custom target to build and run them.
-add_custom_target(tests)
-add_custom_target(check COMMAND ${CMAKE_CTEST_COMMAND} DEPENDS tests)
+add_custom_target(mptests)
+add_custom_target(mpcheck COMMAND ${CMAKE_CTEST_COMMAND} DEPENDS mptests)
+
+# Only add more convenient tests and check targets if project is being built
+# standlone, to prevent clashes with external projects.
+if (MP_STANDALONE)
+  add_custom_target(tests DEPENDS mptests)
+  add_custom_target(check DEPENDS mpcheck)
+endif()
 
 if(BUILD_TESTING AND TARGET CapnProto::kj-test)
   set_property(SOURCE ${MP_PROXY_HDRS} PROPERTY GENERATED 1)
@@ -24,13 +31,11 @@ if(BUILD_TESTING AND TARGET CapnProto::kj-test)
     mp/test/test.cpp
   )
   include(${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/TargetCapnpSources.cmake)
-  target_capnp_sources(mptest ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR} mp/test/foo.capnp
-    IMPORT_PATHS ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/include
-  )
+  target_capnp_sources(mptest ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR} mp/test/foo.capnp)
   target_include_directories(mptest PRIVATE ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR})
   target_link_libraries(mptest PRIVATE CapnProto::kj-test)
   target_link_libraries(mptest PRIVATE Threads::Threads)
 
-  add_dependencies(tests mptest)
+  add_dependencies(mptests mptest)
   add_test(NAME mptest COMMAND mptest)
 endif()