diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 25398891..03088e39 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -3,25 +3,11 @@
 cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.10)
 
 project(xo_pysimulator VERSION 0.1)
-enable_language(CXX)
 
-# common XO cmake macros (see https://github.com:rconybea/xo-cmake.git)
-include(xo_macros/xo-project-macros)
+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 (usually temporary)
@@ -29,8 +15,6 @@ add_code_coverage_all_targets(EXCLUDE /nix/store/* ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/utest/*
 set(PROJECT_CXX_FLAGS "")
 add_definitions(${PROJECT_CXX_FLAGS})
 
-xo_toplevel_compile_options()
-
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------
 # sources
 
@@ -41,4 +25,3 @@ add_subdirectory(src/pysimulator)
 # provide find_package() support
 
 xo_export_cmake_config(${PROJECT_NAME} ${PROJECT_VERSION} ${PROJECT_NAME}Targets)
-
diff --git a/cmake/xo-bootstrap-macros.cmake b/cmake/xo-bootstrap-macros.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..aba31169
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmake/xo-bootstrap-macros.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------
+# 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=${XO_CMAKE_CONFIG_EXECUTABLE}")
+
+if (NOT XO_SUBMODULE_BUILD)
+    if (("${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_cxx)
+
+xo_cxx_bootstrap_message()