diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index cf2a4a395..86793541a 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -194,10 +194,8 @@ set(CMAKE_MODULE_PATH
   ${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH}
   ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/viam/cmake
 )
-if (VIAMCPPSDK_BUILD_TESTS OR VIAMCPPSDK_BUILD_EXAMPLES)
-  # We maybe could include this unconditionally, but technically only tests or examples need it
-  include(viamcppsdk_utils)
-endif()
+
+include(viamcppsdk_utils)
 
 
 
diff --git a/conanfile.py b/conanfile.py
index b388f67db..b4fc51bbf 100644
--- a/conanfile.py
+++ b/conanfile.py
@@ -112,13 +112,13 @@ def package_info(self):
             self.cpp_info.components["viamapi"].sharedlinkflags.append(whole_archive)
 
         self.cpp_info.components["viamsdk"].requires.extend([
-            "viamapi",
             "boost::headers",
             "boost::log",
             "grpc::grpc++_reflection",
             "protobuf::libprotobuf",
             "xtensor::xtensor",
 
+            "viamapi",
             "viam_rust_utils",
             "abseil::absl_strings",
         ])
diff --git a/src/viam/cmake/viamcppsdk_utils.cmake b/src/viam/cmake/viamcppsdk_utils.cmake
index 15ef6d223..82957747d 100644
--- a/src/viam/cmake/viamcppsdk_utils.cmake
+++ b/src/viam/cmake/viamcppsdk_utils.cmake
@@ -17,3 +17,11 @@ function(viamcppsdk_add_boost_test SOURCE_FILE_NAME)
       COMMAND ${TEST_EXECUTABLE_NAME} --catch_system_error=yes)
   endforeach()
 endfunction()
+
+function(viamcppsdk_link_viam_api TARGET_LIBRARY)
+  if (BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
+    target_link_libraries(${TARGET_LIBRARY} ${ARGV1} viam-cpp-sdk::viamapi)
+  else()
+    target_link_libraries(${TARGET_LIBRARY} ${ARGV1} "$<LINK_LIBRARY:WHOLE_ARCHIVE,viam-cpp-sdk::viamapi>")
+  endif()
+endfunction()
diff --git a/src/viam/examples/modules/complex/CMakeLists.txt b/src/viam/examples/modules/complex/CMakeLists.txt
index 6ac850332..d8ad9bc5f 100644
--- a/src/viam/examples/modules/complex/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/viam/examples/modules/complex/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -108,6 +108,8 @@ target_link_libraries(complex_module_sources
   viam-cpp-sdk::viamsdk
 )
 
+viamcppsdk_link_viam_api(complex_module_sources)
+
 add_executable(complex_module)
 target_sources(complex_module
   PRIVATE
diff --git a/src/viam/sdk/CMakeLists.txt b/src/viam/sdk/CMakeLists.txt
index fe4d864ab..f1438fcfe 100644
--- a/src/viam/sdk/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/viam/sdk/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ add_library(viam-cpp-sdk::viamsdk ALIAS viamsdk)
 # `BASE_DIRS` below, because otherwise we will pull in the static
 # versions of the proto files even if we are generating dynamically.
 target_include_directories(viamsdk
-  PUBLIC
+  PRIVATE
     "$<BUILD_INTERFACE:$<TARGET_PROPERTY:viam-cpp-sdk::viamapi,INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES>>"
 )
 
@@ -233,11 +233,7 @@ target_link_directories(viamsdk
     "$<INSTALL_INTERFACE:${VIAMCPPSDK_PROTOBUF_LIBRARY_DIRS}>"
 )
 
-if (BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
-  target_link_libraries(viamsdk PUBLIC viam-cpp-sdk::viamapi)
-else()
-  target_link_libraries(viamsdk PUBLIC "$<LINK_LIBRARY:WHOLE_ARCHIVE,viam-cpp-sdk::viamapi>")
-endif()
+viamcppsdk_link_viam_api(viamsdk PRIVATE)
 
 target_link_libraries(viamsdk
   PUBLIC ${VIAMCPPSDK_GRPCXX_LIBRARIES}
diff --git a/src/viam/sdk/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/src/viam/sdk/tests/CMakeLists.txt
index 8c16e0fdc..422b91f4a 100644
--- a/src/viam/sdk/tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/viam/sdk/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -39,10 +39,17 @@ target_sources(viamsdk_test
     test_utils.cpp
 )
 
+target_include_directories(viamsdk_test
+  PUBLIC
+    "$<BUILD_INTERFACE:$<TARGET_PROPERTY:viam-cpp-sdk::viamapi,INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES>>"
+)
+
 target_link_libraries(viamsdk_test
   PUBLIC viam-cpp-sdk::viamsdk
 )
 
+viamcppsdk_link_viam_api(viamsdk_test PUBLIC)
+
 viamcppsdk_add_boost_test(test_arm.cpp)
 viamcppsdk_add_boost_test(test_base.cpp)
 viamcppsdk_add_boost_test(test_board.cpp)