diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 00d64058..49085743 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -3,19 +3,12 @@
 cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.25)
 
 project(xo_flatstring VERSION 1.0)
-#enable_language(CXX)
 
-# common XO cmake macros (see proj/xo-cmake)
 include(GNUInstallDirs)
 include(cmake/xo-bootstrap-macros.cmake)
 
 xo_cxx_toplevel_options2()
 
-# ----------------------------------------------------------------
-# unit test + coverage setup
-#
-enable_testing()
-
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------
 # cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=coverage
 #
@@ -29,8 +22,6 @@ set(PROJECT_CXX_FLAGS "")
 #set(PROJECT_CXX_FLAGS "-fconcepts-diagnostics-depth=2")
 add_definitions(${PROJECT_CXX_FLAGS})
 
-xo_toplevel_compile_options()
-
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------
 
 add_subdirectory(example)
diff --git a/cmake/xo-bootstrap-macros.cmake b/cmake/xo-bootstrap-macros.cmake
index 4f6cec4d..fd54d865 100644
--- a/cmake/xo-bootstrap-macros.cmake
+++ b/cmake/xo-bootstrap-macros.cmake
@@ -1,12 +1,14 @@
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------
-# for example use
+# for example:
 #   $ PREFIX=/usr/local   # for example
 #   $ cmake -DCMAKE_MODULE_PATH=prefix -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=$PREFIX -B .build
 #
-# will set
-#   CMAKE_MODULE_PATH = /usr/local/share/cmake
+# will get
+#   CMAKE_MODULE_PATH
+# from xo-cmake-config --cmake-module-path
+#
 # and expect .cmake macros in
-#   /usr/local/share/cmake/xo_macros/xo-project-macros.cmake
+#   CMAKE_MODULE_PATH/xo_macros/xo_cxx.cmake
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------
 
 find_program(XO_CMAKE_CONFIG_EXECUTABLE NAMES xo-cmake-config REQUIRED)
@@ -17,24 +19,17 @@ endif()
 
 message(STATUS "XO_CMAKE_CONFIG_EXECUTABLE=${XO_CMAKE_CONFIG_EXECUTABLE}")
 
-if (("${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH}" STREQUAL "") OR ("${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH}" STREQUAL prefix))
-    message(STATUS "call XO_CMAKE_CONFIG_EXECUTABLE to get XO_CMAKE_MODULE_PATH")
-    # default to typical install location for xo-project-macros
-    execute_process(COMMAND ${XO_CMAKE_CONFIG_EXECUTABLE} --cmake-module-path OUTPUT_VARIABLE XO_CMAKE_MODULE_PATH)
-    message(STATUS "XO_CMAKE_MODULE_PATH=[${XO_CMAKE_MODULE_PATH}]")
-    set(CMAKE_MODULE_PATH ${XO_CMAKE_MODULE_PATH})
-else()
-    message(STATUS "use already-defined CMAKE_MODULE_PATH=[${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH}]")
-endif()
-
 if (NOT XO_SUBMODULE_BUILD)
-    message(STATUS "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 ${XO_CMAKE_CONFIG_EXECUTABLE} --cmake-module-path OUTPUT_VARIABLE CMAKE_MODULE_PATH)
+        message(STATUS "CMAKE_MODULE_PATH=${XO_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)   # not using v1 code-coverage; testing cmake-examples impl instead
+include(xo_macros/xo_cxx)
 
 xo_cxx_bootstrap_message()