diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index fe716c8bde..86ffd931ad 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -191,25 +191,27 @@ else()
   endif()
 endif()
 
-include(TryAddCompileOption)
+include(TryAppendCFlags)
 if(MSVC)
-  try_add_compile_option(/W2)
-  try_add_compile_option(/wd4146)
+  # Keep the following commands ordered lexicographically.
+  try_append_c_flags(/W2) # Moderate warning level.
+  try_append_c_flags(/wd4146) # Disable warning C4146 "unary minus operator applied to unsigned type, result still unsigned".
 else()
-  try_add_compile_option(-pedantic)
-  try_add_compile_option(-Wall)
-  try_add_compile_option(-Wcast-align)
-  try_add_compile_option(-Wcast-align=strict)
-  try_add_compile_option(-Wconditional-uninitialized)
-  try_add_compile_option(-Wextra)
-  try_add_compile_option(-Wnested-externs)
-  try_add_compile_option(-Wno-long-long)
-  try_add_compile_option(-Wno-overlength-strings)
-  try_add_compile_option(-Wno-unused-function)
-  try_add_compile_option(-Wreserved-identifier)
-  try_add_compile_option(-Wshadow)
-  try_add_compile_option(-Wstrict-prototypes)
-  try_add_compile_option(-Wundef)
+  # Keep the following commands ordered lexicographically.
+  try_append_c_flags(-pedantic)
+  try_append_c_flags(-Wall) # GCC >= 2.95 and probably many other compilers.
+  try_append_c_flags(-Wcast-align) # GCC >= 2.95.
+  try_append_c_flags(-Wcast-align=strict) # GCC >= 8.0.
+  try_append_c_flags(-Wconditional-uninitialized) # Clang >= 3.0 only.
+  try_append_c_flags(-Wextra) # GCC >= 3.4, this is the newer name of -W, which we don't use because older GCCs will warn about unused functions.
+  try_append_c_flags(-Wnested-externs)
+  try_append_c_flags(-Wno-long-long) # GCC >= 3.0, -Wlong-long is implied by -pedantic.
+  try_append_c_flags(-Wno-overlength-strings) # GCC >= 4.2, -Woverlength-strings is implied by -pedantic.
+  try_append_c_flags(-Wno-unused-function) # GCC >= 3.0, -Wunused-function is implied by -Wall.
+  try_append_c_flags(-Wreserved-identifier) # Clang >= 13.0 only.
+  try_append_c_flags(-Wshadow)
+  try_append_c_flags(-Wstrict-prototypes)
+  try_append_c_flags(-Wundef)
 endif()
 
 set(CMAKE_C_VISIBILITY_PRESET hidden)
diff --git a/cmake/TryAddCompileOption.cmake b/cmake/TryAddCompileOption.cmake
deleted file mode 100644
index f53c252c2d..0000000000
--- a/cmake/TryAddCompileOption.cmake
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,23 +0,0 @@
-include(CheckCCompilerFlag)
-
-function(try_add_compile_option option)
-  string(MAKE_C_IDENTIFIER ${option} result)
-  string(TOUPPER ${result} result)
-  set(result "C_SUPPORTS${result}")
-  set(CMAKE_TRY_COMPILE_TARGET_TYPE STATIC_LIBRARY)
-  if(NOT MSVC)
-    set(CMAKE_REQUIRED_FLAGS "-Werror")
-  endif()
-  check_c_compiler_flag(${option} ${result})
-  if(${result})
-    get_property(compile_options
-      DIRECTORY "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}"
-      PROPERTY COMPILE_OPTIONS
-    )
-    list(APPEND compile_options "${option}")
-    set_property(
-      DIRECTORY "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}"
-      PROPERTY COMPILE_OPTIONS "${compile_options}"
-    )
-  endif()
-endfunction()
diff --git a/cmake/TryAppendCFlags.cmake b/cmake/TryAppendCFlags.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1d81a9317a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmake/TryAppendCFlags.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+include(CheckCCompilerFlag)
+
+function(secp256k1_check_c_flags_internal flags output)
+  string(MAKE_C_IDENTIFIER "${flags}" result)
+  string(TOUPPER "${result}" result)
+  set(result "C_SUPPORTS_${result}")
+  if(NOT MSVC)
+    set(CMAKE_REQUIRED_FLAGS "-Werror")
+  endif()
+
+  # This avoids running a linker.
+  set(CMAKE_TRY_COMPILE_TARGET_TYPE STATIC_LIBRARY)
+  check_c_compiler_flag("${flags}" ${result})
+
+  set(${output} ${${result}} PARENT_SCOPE)
+endfunction()
+
+# Append flags to the COMPILE_OPTIONS directory property if CC accepts them.
+macro(try_append_c_flags)
+  secp256k1_check_c_flags_internal("${ARGV}" result)
+  if(result)
+    add_compile_options(${ARGV})
+  endif()
+endmacro()