diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 7ebf47c..d809ed0 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+# emacs projectile config
+.projectile
 # symlink to ${my_build_directory}/compile_commands.json to make LSP work
 compile_commands.json
 # lsp keeps state here
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 46f3bdb..2a7ff77 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -7,19 +7,15 @@ project(indentlog VERSION 1.0)
 include(GNUInstallDirs)
 include(cmake/xo-bootstrap-macros.cmake)
 
-xo_cxx_toplevel_options2()
+xo_cxx_toplevel_options3()
 
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------
-# cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=debug
-xo_toplevel_debug_config2()
+# c++ settings
 
-# ----------------------------------------------------------------
-# cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=asan
-xo_toplevel_asan_config2()
-
-# ----------------------------------------------------------------
-# cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=coverage
-xo_toplevel_coverage_config2()
+# one-time project-specific c++ flags.  usually empty
+#set(PROJECT_CXX_FLAGS "-Wstringop-overread")
+#set(PROJECT_CXX_FLAGS "-fconcepts-diagnostics-depth=2")
+add_definitions(${PROJECT_CXX_FLAGS})
 
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------
 
@@ -35,9 +31,18 @@ xo_install_library4(${SELF_LIB} ${PROJECT_NAME}Targets)
 xo_export_cmake_config(${PROJECT_NAME} ${PROJECT_VERSION} ${PROJECT_NAME}Targets)
 
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------
+# docs targets depend on all the other library/utest targets
+#
+#add_subdirectory(docs)
 
-install(TARGETS hello DESTINATION bin/indentlog/example)
-install(TARGETS indentlog_ex1 DESTINATION bin/indentlog/example)
-install(TARGETS indentlog_ex2 DESTINATION bin/indentlog/example)
-install(TARGETS indentlog_ex3 DESTINATION bin/indentlog/example)
-install(TARGETS indentlog_ex4 DESTINATION bin/indentlog/example)
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------
+
+if (XO_ENABLE_EXAMPLES)
+    install(TARGETS hello DESTINATION bin/indentlog/example)
+    install(TARGETS indentlog_ex1 DESTINATION bin/indentlog/example)
+    install(TARGETS indentlog_ex2 DESTINATION bin/indentlog/example)
+    install(TARGETS indentlog_ex3 DESTINATION bin/indentlog/example)
+    install(TARGETS indentlog_ex4 DESTINATION bin/indentlog/example)
+endif()
+
+# end CMakeLists.txt
diff --git a/example/ex1/CMakeLists.txt b/example/ex1/CMakeLists.txt
index f42c56d..69f49e1 100644
--- a/example/ex1/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/example/ex1/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,2 +1,4 @@
-add_executable(indentlog_ex1 ex1.cpp)
-xo_include_options2(indentlog_ex1)
+if (XO_ENABLE_EXAMPLES)
+    add_executable(indentlog_ex1 ex1.cpp)
+    xo_include_options2(indentlog_ex1)
+endif()
diff --git a/example/ex2/CMakeLists.txt b/example/ex2/CMakeLists.txt
index 2dc3919..4b7f82d 100644
--- a/example/ex2/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/example/ex2/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 # NOTE: need target names to be globally unique within the xo umbrella
 
-add_executable(indentlog_ex2 ex2.cpp)
-xo_include_options2(indentlog_ex2)
+if (XO_ENABLE_EXAMPLES)
+    add_executable(indentlog_ex2 ex2.cpp)
+    xo_include_options2(indentlog_ex2)
+endif()
diff --git a/example/ex3/CMakeLists.txt b/example/ex3/CMakeLists.txt
index bb5110c..a15b03b 100644
--- a/example/ex3/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/example/ex3/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,2 +1,4 @@
-add_executable(indentlog_ex3 ex3.cpp)
-xo_include_options2(indentlog_ex3)
+if (XO_ENABLE_EXAMPLES)
+    add_executable(indentlog_ex3 ex3.cpp)
+    xo_include_options2(indentlog_ex3)
+endif()
diff --git a/example/ex4/CMakeLists.txt b/example/ex4/CMakeLists.txt
index 6ff720f..9daba55 100644
--- a/example/ex4/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/example/ex4/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,2 +1,4 @@
-add_executable(indentlog_ex4 ex4.cpp)
-xo_include_options2(indentlog_ex4)
+if (XO_ENABLE_EXAMPLES)
+    add_executable(indentlog_ex4 ex4.cpp)
+    xo_include_options2(indentlog_ex4)
+endif()
diff --git a/example/hello/CMakeLists.txt b/example/hello/CMakeLists.txt
index 1ff2300..14806f7 100644
--- a/example/hello/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/example/hello/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,2 +1,4 @@
-add_executable(hello hello.cpp)
-xo_include_options2(hello)
+if (XO_ENABLE_EXAMPLES)
+    add_executable(hello hello.cpp)
+    xo_include_options2(hello)
+endif()