diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 3422e3185..0cf3a0090 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -159,6 +159,10 @@ endif()
 if(CORENRN_ENABLE_MPI)
   find_package(MPI REQUIRED)
   add_definitions("-DNRNMPI=1")
+  # avoid linking to C++ bindings
+  add_definitions("-DMPI_NO_CPPBIND=1")
+  add_definitions("-DOMPI_SKIP_MPICXX=1")
+  add_definitions("-DMPICH_SKIP_MPICXX=1")
 else()
   add_definitions("-DNRNMPI=0")
   add_definitions("-DNRN_MULTISEND=0")
@@ -369,6 +373,8 @@ if(cmake_generator_tolower MATCHES "makefile")
   message(STATUS " Build option       | Status")
   message(STATUS "--------------------+--------------------------------------------------------")
 
+  message(STATUS "C COMPILER          | ${CMAKE_C_COMPILER}")
+  message(STATUS "CXX COMPILER        | ${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER}")
   message(STATUS "COMPILE FLAGS       | ${COMPILER_FLAGS} ${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS}")
   message(STATUS "Build Type          | ${COMPILE_LIBRARY_TYPE}")
   message(STATUS "MPI                 | ${CORENRN_ENABLE_MPI}")
diff --git a/coreneuron/CMakeLists.txt b/coreneuron/CMakeLists.txt
index 4bd61de46..810bc57f8 100644
--- a/coreneuron/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/coreneuron/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ add_library(corenrnmech ${COMPILE_LIBRARY_TYPE} ${CORENEURON_HEADER_FILES} ${ENG
 
 target_link_libraries(
   coreneuron
-  ${MPI_CXX_LIBRARIES}
+  ${MPI_C_LIBRARIES}
   ${reportinglib_LIBRARY}
   ${sonatareport_LIBRARY}
   ${link_cudacoreneuron}
@@ -207,8 +207,7 @@ add_dependencies(coreneuron scopmath)
 include_directories(${CORENEURON_PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR})
 add_executable(nrniv-core "apps/coreneuron.cpp")
 
-target_link_libraries(nrniv-core corenrnmech ${reportinglib_LIBRARY} ${sonatareport_LIBRARY}
-                      ${MPI_C_LIBRARIES} ${MPI_CXX_LIBRARIES})
+target_link_libraries(nrniv-core corenrnmech ${reportinglib_LIBRARY} ${sonatareport_LIBRARY})
 
 set_target_properties(nrniv-core PROPERTIES RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/bin)