diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 0a10d628..3cf358bd 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -3,25 +3,11 @@
 cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.10)
 
 project(process VERSION 1.0)
-enable_language(CXX)
 
-# common XO cmake macros (see proj/xo-cmake)
+include(GNUInstallDirs)
 include(cmake/xo-bootstrap-macros.cmake)
 
-# ----------------------------------------------------------------
-# unit test setup
-
-enable_testing()
-# activate code coverage for all executables + libraries (when configured with -DCODE_COVERAGE=ON)
-add_code_coverage()
-# 1. assuming that /nix/store/ prefixes .hpp files belonging to gcc, catch2 etc.
-#    we're not interested in code coverage for these sources.
-# 2. exclude the utest/ subdir, we don't need coverage on the unit tests themselves;
-#    rather,  want coverage on the code that the unit tests exercise.
-#
-# NOTE: this seems to work only with the 'ccov-all' target.  In particular,  doesn't seem to do anything with the 'ccov' target
-#
-add_code_coverage_all_targets(EXCLUDE /nix/store/* ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/utest/* ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/local/* ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/repo/*)
+xo_cxx_toplevel_options3()
 
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------
 # c++ settings
@@ -31,8 +17,6 @@ set(PROJECT_CXX_FLAGS "")
 #set(PROJECT_CXX_FLAGS "-fconcepts-diagnostics-depth=2")
 add_definitions(${PROJECT_CXX_FLAGS})
 
-xo_toplevel_compile_options()
-
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------
 
 add_subdirectory(src/process)
diff --git a/cmake/xo-bootstrap-macros.cmake b/cmake/xo-bootstrap-macros.cmake
index 96592216..aba31169 100644
--- a/cmake/xo-bootstrap-macros.cmake
+++ b/cmake/xo-bootstrap-macros.cmake
@@ -1,14 +1,35 @@
-if (("${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH}" STREQUAL "") OR ("${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH}" STREQUAL "prefix"))
-    # default to typical install location for xo-project-macros
-    set(CMAKE_MODULE_PATH ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/share/cmake)
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------
+# for example:
+#   $ PREFIX=/usr/local   # for example
+#   $ cmake -DCMAKE_MODULE_PATH=prefix -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=$PREFIX -B .build
+#
+# will get
+#   CMAKE_MODULE_PATH
+# from xo-cmake-config --cmake-module-path
+#
+# and expect .cmake macros in
+#   CMAKE_MODULE_PATH/xo_macros/xo_cxx.cmake
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------
+
+find_program(XO_CMAKE_CONFIG_EXECUTABLE NAMES xo-cmake-config REQUIRED)
+
+if ("${XO_CMAKE_CONFIG_EXECUTABLE}" STREQUAL "XO_CMAKE_CONFIG_EXECUTABLE-NOT_FOUND")
+    message(FATAL "could not find xo-cmake-config executable")
 endif()
 
+message(STATUS "XO_CMAKE_CONFIG_EXECUTABLE=${XO_CMAKE_CONFIG_EXECUTABLE}")
+
 if (NOT XO_SUBMODULE_BUILD)
-    message("-- CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}")
-    message("-- CMAKE_MODULE_PATH=${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH}")
+    if (("${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH}" STREQUAL "") OR ("${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH}" STREQUAL prefix))
+        # default to typical install location for xo-project-macros
+        execute_process(COMMAND ${XO_CMAKE_CONFIG_EXECUTABLE} --cmake-module-path OUTPUT_VARIABLE CMAKE_MODULE_PATH)
+        message(STATUS "CMAKE_MODULE_PATH=${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH}")
+    endif()
 endif()
 
 # needs to have been installed somewhere on CMAKE_MODULE_PATH,
 # (e.g. from xo-cmake with the same value for CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX)
 #
-include(xo_macros/xo-project-macros)
+include(xo_macros/xo_cxx)
+
+xo_cxx_bootstrap_message()
diff --git a/utest/CMakeLists.txt b/utest/CMakeLists.txt
index 39bd3870..a3d5585b 100644
--- a/utest/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/utest/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -8,20 +8,8 @@ set(SELF_SRCS
     RealizationSource.test.cpp
     process_utest_main.cpp)
 
-add_executable(${SELF_EXE} ${SELF_SRCS})
-xo_include_options2(${SELF_EXE})
-
-add_test(NAME ${SELF_EXE} COMMAND ${SELF_EXE})
-target_code_coverage(${SELF_EXE} AUTO ALL)
-
-# ----------------------------------------------------------------
-# internal dependencies (on this codebase)
-
+xo_add_utest_executable(${SELF_EXE} ${SELF_SRCS})
 xo_self_dependency(${SELF_EXE} process)
-
-# ----------------------------------------------------------------
-# external dependencies
-
 xo_dependency(${SELF_EXE} simulator)
 xo_external_target_dependency(${SELF_EXE} Catch2 Catch2::Catch2)