diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index fa8554065..d477532be 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1083,10 +1083,19 @@ katie_string_unwrap("${KATIE_COMPONENTS}" KATIE_COMPONENTS "Kt")
 katie_string_unwrap("${KATIE_TOOLS}" KATIE_TOOLS)
 
 # custom install targets to make packaging easier
-add_custom_target(install-devel
-    COMMAND "${CMAKE_COMMAND}" -DCMAKE_INSTALL_COMPONENT=Devel -P cmake_install.cmake
-    WORKING_DIRECTORY "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}"
-)
+if(KATIE_UNIFDEF)
+    add_custom_target(install-devel
+        COMMAND "${CMAKE_COMMAND}" -DCMAKE_INSTALL_COMPONENT=Devel -P cmake_install.cmake
+        WORKING_DIRECTORY "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}"
+        # installing from script does not execute other scripts
+        COMMAND "${CMAKE_COMMAND}" -DUNIFDEF_EXECUTABLE="${KATIE_UNIFDEF}" -DHEADERS_DIRECTORY="${KATIE_HEADERS_PATH}" -P "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/modules/OptimizeHeaders.cmake"
+    )
+else()
+    add_custom_target(install-devel
+        COMMAND "${CMAKE_COMMAND}" -DCMAKE_INSTALL_COMPONENT=Devel -P cmake_install.cmake
+        WORKING_DIRECTORY "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}"
+    )
+endif()
 
 add_custom_target(install-runtime
     DEPENDS ${KATIE_COMPONENTS}
diff --git a/cmake/modules/KatieBuildMacros.cmake b/cmake/modules/KatieBuildMacros.cmake
index 7e25598f0..0d4d18b28 100644
--- a/cmake/modules/KatieBuildMacros.cmake
+++ b/cmake/modules/KatieBuildMacros.cmake
@@ -308,7 +308,6 @@ macro(KATIE_OPTIMIZE_HEADERS DIR)
         install(
             CODE "set(UNIFDEF_EXECUTABLE \"${KATIE_UNIFDEF}\")"
             CODE "set(HEADERS_DIRECTORY \"${DIR}\")"
-            CODE "set(HEADERS_DEFINITIONS \"${ARGN}\")"
             SCRIPT "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/modules/OptimizeHeaders.cmake"
         )
     endif()
diff --git a/cmake/modules/OptimizeHeaders.cmake b/cmake/modules/OptimizeHeaders.cmake
index 6ae226bb7..8cc602a82 100644
--- a/cmake/modules/OptimizeHeaders.cmake
+++ b/cmake/modules/OptimizeHeaders.cmake
@@ -1,16 +1,16 @@
 # Copyright (C) 2015, Ivailo Monev, <xakepa10@gmail.com>
 # Redistribution and use is allowed according to the terms of the BSD license.
 
-# UNIFDEF_EXECUTABLE, HEADERS_DIRECTORY and HEADERS_DEFINITIONS origin from the macro call
+# UNIFDEF_EXECUTABLE and HEADERS_DIRECTORY origin from the macro call
 
-file(GLOB headers "$ENV{DESTDIR}/${HEADERS_DIRECTORY}/*.h")
+set(headers_directory "$ENV{DESTDIR}/${HEADERS_DIRECTORY}")
+file(GLOB_RECURSE headers "${headers_directory}/*.h")
 
-set(bootstrap
+set(unifdef_arguments
+    # bootstrap
     -UQT_BOOTSTRAPPED
     -UQT_MOC
-)
-
-set(notsupported
+    # not supported
     -UQT_NO_QOBJECT
     -UQT_NO_COMPRESS
     -UQT_NO_THREAD
@@ -32,9 +32,9 @@ set(notsupported
     -UQT_NO_TEXTCODEC
 )
 
-message(STATUS "Optimizing header in: $ENV{DESTDIR}/${HEADERS_DIRECTORY}")
+message(STATUS "Optimizing header in: ${headers_directory}")
 execute_process(
-    COMMAND ${UNIFDEF_EXECUTABLE} -m ${bootstrap} ${notsupported} ${HEADERS_DEFINITIONS} ${headers}
+    COMMAND ${UNIFDEF_EXECUTABLE} -m ${unifdef_arguments} ${headers}
     RESULT_VARIABLE unifdef_result
     ERROR_VARIABLE unifdef_output
     OUTPUT_VARIABLE unifdef_output