diff --git a/cmake/AddPreprocessTarget.cmake b/cmake/AddPreprocessTarget.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..203a8e3be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmake/AddPreprocessTarget.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+# AddPreprocessTarget.cmake
+# CMake module to add a target for preprocessing Fortran source files
+
+# Function to add a preprocess target to a CMake project
+# Usage: add_preprocess_target(TARGET_NAME SOURCE_FILES [EXCLUDE_PATTERN pattern])
+function(add_preprocess_target TARGET_NAME SOURCE_FILES)
+    # Parse additional arguments
+    set(options "")
+    set(oneValueArgs EXCLUDE_PATTERN)
+    set(multiValueArgs "")
+    cmake_parse_arguments(ARG "${options}" "${oneValueArgs}" "${multiValueArgs}" ${ARGN})
+
+    # Create a list of source files to preprocess
+    set(preprocess_sources ${SOURCE_FILES})
+    
+    # If an exclude pattern is provided, filter out matching files
+    if(DEFINED ARG_EXCLUDE_PATTERN)
+        list(FILTER preprocess_sources EXCLUDE REGEX "${ARG_EXCLUDE_PATTERN}")
+    endif()
+
+    # Add custom target for preprocessing
+    add_custom_target(${TARGET_NAME}
+        COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E make_directory ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/preprocessed
+        COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E echo "Preprocessing Fortran sources to ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/preprocessed"
+        COMMENT "Preprocessing Fortran source files"
+    )
+
+    # Get all compile definitions from the main target
+    get_target_property(TARGET_COMPILE_DEFS ${PROJECT_NAME} COMPILE_DEFINITIONS)
+
+    # Get all compile options from the main target
+    get_target_property(TARGET_COMPILE_OPTIONS ${PROJECT_NAME} COMPILE_OPTIONS)
+
+    # Add custom command for each Fortran source file
+    foreach(source_file ${preprocess_sources})
+        get_filename_component(fname ${source_file} NAME)
+        
+        # Build the command with proper arguments based on compiler type
+        if(${CMAKE_Fortran_COMPILER_ID} STREQUAL "GNU")
+            set(preprocess_cmd ${CMAKE_Fortran_COMPILER} -cpp -E)
+        elseif(${CMAKE_Fortran_COMPILER_ID} STREQUAL "Intel" OR ${CMAKE_Fortran_COMPILER_ID} STREQUAL "IntelLLVM")
+            set(preprocess_cmd ${CMAKE_Fortran_COMPILER} -fpp -E)
+        elseif(${CMAKE_Fortran_COMPILER_ID} STREQUAL "NVHPC" OR ${CMAKE_Fortran_COMPILER_ID} STREQUAL "PGI")
+            set(preprocess_cmd ${CMAKE_Fortran_COMPILER} -Mpreprocess -E)
+        else()
+            # Default to GNU syntax
+            set(preprocess_cmd ${CMAKE_Fortran_COMPILER} -cpp -E)
+        endif()
+        
+        # Add compile definitions
+        if(TARGET_COMPILE_DEFS)
+            foreach(def ${TARGET_COMPILE_DEFS})
+                list(APPEND preprocess_cmd -D${def})
+            endforeach()
+        endif()
+        
+        # Add compile options (filtering out ones that might cause issues)
+        if(TARGET_COMPILE_OPTIONS)
+            foreach(opt ${TARGET_COMPILE_OPTIONS})
+                if(NOT opt MATCHES "-O[0-3]" AND NOT opt MATCHES "-g" AND NOT opt MATCHES "-march" AND NOT opt MATCHES "-mtune")
+                    list(APPEND preprocess_cmd ${opt})
+                endif()
+            endforeach()
+        endif()
+        
+        # Add source file and output file
+        list(APPEND preprocess_cmd ${source_file} -o ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/preprocessed/${fname})
+        
+        add_custom_command(
+            TARGET ${TARGET_NAME}
+            COMMAND ${preprocess_cmd}
+            DEPENDS ${source_file}
+        )
+    endforeach()
+
+endfunction()
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 083bab1ff..81ab80850 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -441,6 +441,17 @@ get_target_property(FLAGS ${PROJECT_NAME} COMPILE_OPTIONS)
 message(STATUS " --> Final Compile options for ${PROJECT_NAME}: ${FLAGS}")
 
 
+# Include the AddPreprocessTarget module
+include(${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/../cmake/AddPreprocessTarget.cmake)
+
+# Add preprocess target to output preprocessed source files
+# Usage: cd build; cmake --build . --target preprocess-sources
+add_preprocess_target(
+    preprocess-sources
+    "${sources_Fortran}"
+    EXCLUDE_PATTERN "fesom_version_info-generated.F90"
+)
+
 ### Export and installation
 
 fesom_export(TARGETS ${PROJECT_NAME} fesom.x)
diff --git a/src/gen_modules_partitioning.F90 b/src/gen_modules_partitioning.F90
index 5ea2938d0..d8aebddf3 100644
--- a/src/gen_modules_partitioning.F90
+++ b/src/gen_modules_partitioning.F90
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ subroutine par_ex(COMM, mype, abort)       ! finalizes MPI
      call  MPI_Finalize(error)
   endif
 
-#else ! 
+#else 
 ! TODO logic below is convoluted, COMM that is passed should be used for MPI_ABORT
 ! changes are easy but need to be tested with coupled configurations 
 ! From here on the two coupled options