diff --git a/server/core/CMakeLists.txt b/server/core/CMakeLists.txt
index 25c221525..9a4e6f2f7 100644
--- a/server/core/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/server/core/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ endif()
 
 # Using initial-exec instead of the default global-dynamic tls-model
 # reduces the cost of using thread-local variables in dynamic libraries.
-target_compile_options(maxscale-common PUBLIC "-ftls-model=initial-exec")
+target_compile_options(maxscale-common PRIVATE "-ftls-model=initial-exec")
 
 add_dependencies(maxscale-common pcre2 connector-c libmicrohttpd jansson maxbase)
 set_target_properties(maxscale-common PROPERTIES VERSION "1.0.0")