diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 0ae8bb54f4..f31d310610 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -280,14 +280,16 @@ if(SECP256K1_BUILD_BENCHMARK OR SECP256K1_BUILD_TESTS OR SECP256K1_BUILD_EXHAUST
   enable_testing()
 endif()
 
-set(SECP256K1_LATE_CFLAGS "" CACHE STRING "Compiler flags that are added to the command line after all other flags added by the build system.")
-include(AllTargetsCompileOptions)
+set(SECP256K1_APPEND_CFLAGS "" CACHE STRING "Compiler flags that are appended to the command line after all other flags added by the build system. This variable is intended for debugging and special builds.")
+if(SECP256K1_APPEND_CFLAGS)
+  # Appending to this low-level rule variable is the only way to
+  # guarantee that the flags appear at the end of the command line.
+  string(APPEND CMAKE_C_COMPILE_OBJECT " ${SECP256K1_APPEND_CFLAGS}")
+endif()
 
 add_subdirectory(src)
-all_targets_compile_options(src "${SECP256K1_LATE_CFLAGS}")
 if(SECP256K1_BUILD_EXAMPLES)
   add_subdirectory(examples)
-  all_targets_compile_options(examples "${SECP256K1_LATE_CFLAGS}")
 endif()
 
 message("\n")
@@ -361,8 +363,8 @@ else()
   message(" - LDFLAGS for executables ............ ${CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS_DEBUG}")
   message(" - LDFLAGS for shared libraries ....... ${CMAKE_SHARED_LINKER_FLAGS_DEBUG}")
 endif()
-if(SECP256K1_LATE_CFLAGS)
-  message("SECP256K1_LATE_CFLAGS ................. ${SECP256K1_LATE_CFLAGS}")
+if(SECP256K1_APPEND_CFLAGS)
+  message("SECP256K1_APPEND_CFLAGS ............... ${SECP256K1_APPEND_CFLAGS}")
 endif()
 message("")
 if(print_msan_notice)
diff --git a/cmake/AllTargetsCompileOptions.cmake b/cmake/AllTargetsCompileOptions.cmake
deleted file mode 100644
index 6e420e0fde..0000000000
--- a/cmake/AllTargetsCompileOptions.cmake
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
-# Add compile options to all targets added in the subdirectory.
-function(all_targets_compile_options dir options)
-  get_directory_property(targets DIRECTORY ${dir} BUILDSYSTEM_TARGETS)
-  separate_arguments(options)
-  set(compiled_target_types STATIC_LIBRARY SHARED_LIBRARY OBJECT_LIBRARY EXECUTABLE)
-  foreach(target ${targets})
-    get_target_property(type ${target} TYPE)
-    if(type IN_LIST compiled_target_types)
-      target_compile_options(${target} PRIVATE ${options})
-    endif()
-  endforeach()
-endfunction()