diff --git a/cmake/nestlog.cmake b/cmake/nestlog.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..30736007
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmake/nestlog.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------
+# use this in subdirs that compile c++ code
+#
+macro(xo_include_options target)
+    # ----------------------------------------------------------------
+    # PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR:
+    #   so we can for example write
+    #     #include "nestlog/scope.hpp"
+    #   from anywhere in the project
+    # PROJECT_BINARY_DIR:
+    #   since generated version file will be in build directory,
+    #   need that build directory to also appear in
+    #   compiler's include path
+    #
+    target_include_directories(
+      ${target} PUBLIC
+      ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/include
+      ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}
+    )
+
+    # ----------------------------------------------------------------
+    # make standard directories for std:: includes explicit
+    # so that
+    # (1) they appear in compile_commands.json.
+    # (2) clangd (run from emacs lsp-mode) can find them
+    #
+    if(CMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS)
+      set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES
+      ${CMAKE_CXX_IMPLICIT_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES})
+    endif()
+endmacro()