diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 9bcc3693..3274fc8e 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -33,10 +33,6 @@ endif()
 # ... before doing a final find_package to make it available.
 find_package( ecbuild ${MINIMUM_ECBUILD_VERSION} REQUIRED )
 
-# We set the <PNAME>_ECBUILD_COMPILE_FLAGS variable to an empty file. This ensures that we can
-# specify a default set of compilation flags as well as per-file overwrites as part of the CMake config.
-set( ECRAD_ECBUILD_COMPILE_FLAGS ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/ecrad_init_flags.cmake CACHE FILEPATH "")
-
 project( ecrad LANGUAGES Fortran )
 ecbuild_enable_fortran( REQUIRED )
 set( CMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS ON )
diff --git a/cmake/ecrad_compile_flags.cmake b/cmake/ecrad_compile_flags.cmake
index 1a6097ed..2fe767b9 100644
--- a/cmake/ecrad_compile_flags.cmake
+++ b/cmake/ecrad_compile_flags.cmake
@@ -6,11 +6,6 @@
 # granted to it by virtue of its status as an intergovernmental organisation
 # nor does it submit to any jurisdiction.
 
-# Capture ecbuild defaults and/or flags set by a toolchain
-set( ${PNAME}_Fortran_FLAGS "${${PNAME}_Fortran_FLAGS} ${ECBUILD_Fortran_FLAGS}" )
-set( ${PNAME}_Fortran_FLAGS_BIT "${${PNAME}_Fortran_FLAGS_BIT} ${ECBUILD_Fortran_FLAGS_BIT}" )
-set( ${PNAME}_Fortran_FLAGS_DEBUG "${${PNAME}_Fortran_FLAGS_DEBUG} ${ECBUILD_Fortran_FLAGS_DEBUG}" )
-
 if(CMAKE_Fortran_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "Cray")
   set(checkbounds_flags   "-Rb")
   set(fpe_flags           "-Ktrap=fp")
@@ -42,12 +37,11 @@ elseif(CMAKE_Fortran_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "Intel")
 elseif(CMAKE_Fortran_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "PGI|NVHPC")
   set(fpe_flags           "-Ktrap=fp")
   set(vectorization_flags "-O3 -fast")
-  string(REPLACE "-O2" "" ${PNAME}_Fortran_FLAGS_BIT ${${PNAME}_Fortran_FLAGS_BIT})
+  string(REPLACE "-O2" "" CMAKE_Fortran_FLAGS_BIT ${CMAKE_Fortran_FLAGS_BIT})
   set(checkbounds_flags   "-Mbounds")
 
 endif()
 
-ecbuild_add_fortran_flags( "-g -O0"   NAME base_debug BUILD DEBUG )
 if( DEFINED align_flags )
   ecbuild_add_fortran_flags( "${align_flags}"   NAME align )
 endif()
@@ -58,8 +52,7 @@ if( DEFINED convert_flags )
   ecbuild_add_fortran_flags( "${convert_flags}"   NAME convert )
 endif()
 if( DEFINED vectorization_flags )
-  # vectorization flags must be per-sourcefile overrideable, so are set via ${PNAME}_Fortran_FLAGS
-  set( ${PNAME}_Fortran_FLAGS_BIT "${${PNAME}_Fortran_FLAGS_BIT} ${vectorization_flags}" )
+  ecbuild_add_fortran_flags( "${vectorization_flags}" NAME vectorization BUILD BIT )
 endif()
 if( DEFINED fpmodel_flags )
   ecbuild_add_fortran_flags( "${fpmodel_flags}"   NAME fpmodel BUILD BIT )
@@ -68,14 +61,12 @@ if( DEFINED inline_flags )
   ecbuild_add_fortran_flags( "${inline_flags}"   NAME inline BUILD BIT )
 endif()
 
-if( CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE MATCHES "Debug" )
-  foreach( debug_flag    fpe initsnan checkbounds )
-    if( ${debug_flag}_flags )
-      set( ${PNAME}_Fortran_FLAGS_DEBUG "${${PNAME}_Fortran_FLAGS_DEBUG} ${${debug_flag}_flags}" )
-    endif()
-  endforeach()
-  if(CMAKE_Fortran_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "Intel")
-    # In case '-check all' has been added, we need to remove the '-check arg_temp_created' warnings
-    set( ${PNAME}_Fortran_FLAGS_DEBUG "${${PNAME}_Fortran_FLAGS_DEBUG} -check noarg_temp_created" )
+foreach( debug_flag fpe initsnan checkbounds )
+  if( ${debug_flag}_flags )
+    ecbuild_add_fortran_flags( "${${debug_flag}_flags}" NAME ${debug_flag} BUILD DEBUG )
   endif()
+endforeach()
+if(CMAKE_Fortran_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "Intel")
+  # In case '-check all' has been added, we need to remove the '-check arg_temp_created' warnings
+  ecbuild_add_fortran_flags( "-check noarg_temp_created" NAME noarg BUILD DEBUG)
 endif()
diff --git a/cmake/ecrad_init_flags.cmake b/cmake/ecrad_init_flags.cmake
deleted file mode 100644
index 5cf147e6..00000000
--- a/cmake/ecrad_init_flags.cmake
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,9 +0,0 @@
-# (C) Copyright 2014- ECMWF.
-#
-# This software is licensed under the terms of the Apache Licence Version 2.0
-# which can be obtained at http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.
-# In applying this licence, ECMWF does not waive the privileges and immunities
-# granted to it by virtue of its status as an intergovernmental organisation
-# nor does it submit to any jurisdiction.
-
-# Empty file to trigger ecbuild to use ${PNAME}_<LANG>_FLAGS
diff --git a/driver/CMakeLists.txt b/driver/CMakeLists.txt
index 3f92e260..0b92c32c 100644
--- a/driver/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/driver/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -57,17 +57,17 @@ if( CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE MATCHES "Debug" )
     if(CMAKE_Fortran_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "GNU")
         set_source_files_properties(
             "ecrad_ifs_driver_blocked.F90"
-            PROPERTIES COMPILE_FLAGS "-fcheck=no-bounds"
+            PROPERTIES COMPILE_OPTIONS "-fcheck=no-bounds"
         )
     elseif(CMAKE_Fortran_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "Intel")
         set_source_files_properties(
             "ecrad_ifs_driver_blocked.F90"
-            PROPERTIES COMPILE_FLAGS "-check nobounds"
+            PROPERTIES COMPILE_OPTIONS "-check nobounds"
         )
     elseif(CMAKE_Fortran_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "PGI|NVHPC")
         set_source_files_properties(
             "ecrad_ifs_driver_blocked.F90"
-            PROPERTIES COMPILE_FLAGS "-Mnobounds"
+            PROPERTIES COMPILE_OPTIONS "-Mnobounds"
         )
     endif()
 endif()