diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index fa50e0f08..9f89f74d5 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -24,10 +24,10 @@ target_include_directories (ibex PUBLIC "$<BUILD_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINAR
 # source files from interval_lib and lp_lib wrappers
 target_sources (ibex PRIVATE ${IBEX_SRC})
 
-# Caveat: operators must be done before symbolic
+# Note: operators subdir is handled by CMakeLists.txt from symbolic
 foreach (subdir arithmetic bisector combinatorial contractor data function
-                numeric operators parser predicate set solver strategy symbolic
-                system tools)
+                numeric parser predicate set solver strategy symbolic system
+                tools)
   add_subdirectory (${subdir})
 endforeach()
 
@@ -73,7 +73,9 @@ target_include_directories (ibex PUBLIC
 get_target_property (IBEX_SRC ibex SOURCES)
 list_filter (IBEX_HDR "\\.(h|hpp)$" ${IBEX_SRC})
 list_filter (IBEX_OPS_HDR "operators/.*\\.h" ${IBEX_SRC})
-list (REMOVE_ITEM IBEX_HDR ${IBEX_OPS_HDR}) # remove operators headers
+if (IBEX_OPS_HDR)
+  list (REMOVE_ITEM IBEX_HDR ${IBEX_OPS_HDR}) # remove operators headers
+endif ()
 
 # Generate ibex.h
 set (IBEX_MAIN_HEADER ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/ibex.h)
diff --git a/src/operators/CMakeLists.txt b/src/operators/CMakeLists.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index 9b1944df9..000000000
--- a/src/operators/CMakeLists.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,53 +0,0 @@
-# see arithmetic/CMakeLists.txt for comments
-
-set (OPERATORS_LIST atanhc atanhccc crossproduct sinc trace)
-
-foreach (op ${OPERATORS_LIST})
-  set (hdr "ibex_${op}.h")
-  set (cpp "ibex_${op}.cpp")
-
-  # Handles includes
-  string (CONCAT OPERATORS_INCLUDES ${OPERATORS_INCLUDES} "#include \"${hdr}\"\n")
-  target_sources (ibex PRIVATE ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/${cpp}
-                               ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/${hdr})
-  
-  # Parse header
-  file (STRINGS ${hdr} line REGEX "^class [BU]i?naryOperator<" LIMIT_COUNT 1)
-  if (NOT line)
-    message (FATAL_ERROR "Error while parsing ${hdr}: no class line")
-  endif ()
-  string(REGEX MATCH " (.*)Operator<([^,]*),([^,]*),([^,]*),?(.*)>" _ ${line})
-
-  if (CMAKE_MATCH_1 STREQUAL "Unary")
-    set (_t "${CMAKE_MATCH_2},${CMAKE_MATCH_3},${CMAKE_MATCH_4}")
-    string (CONCAT OPERATORS_MACRO_UNARY "${OPERATORS_MACRO_UNARY}"
-                                              "ADD_UNARY_OPERATOR(${_t});\n")
-    set (inline_pre "inline ${CMAKE_MATCH_4} ")
-    set (inline_post "(const ${CMAKE_MATCH_3}& x) { return UnaryOperator<${_t}>::fwd(x); }\n")
-  else () # Binary
-    set (_t "${CMAKE_MATCH_2},${CMAKE_MATCH_3},${CMAKE_MATCH_4},${CMAKE_MATCH_5}")
-    string (CONCAT OPERATORS_MACRO_BINARY "${OPERATORS_MACRO_BINARY}"
-                                              "ADD_BINARY_OPERATOR(${_t});\n")
-    set (inline_pre "inline ${CMAKE_MATCH_5} ")
-    set (inline_post "(const ${CMAKE_MATCH_3}& x1, const ${CMAKE_MATCH_4}& x2) { return BinaryOperator<${_t}>::fwd(x1,x2); }\n")
-  endif ()
-  set (OP_VARNAME ${CMAKE_MATCH_2})
-
-  # Parse source file
-  file (STRINGS ${cpp} line REGEX "^extern const char .*;$" LIMIT_COUNT 1)
-  if (NOT line)
-    message (FATAL_ERROR "Error while parsing ${cpp}: no const char line")
-  endif ()
-  string(REGEX MATCH " const char ${OP_VARNAME}\\[\\] = \"(.*)\";$" _ ${line})
-  string (CONCAT OPERATORS_FCT_DEF "${OPERATORS_FCT_DEF}"
-                                "${inline_pre}${CMAKE_MATCH_1}${inline_post}")
-endforeach()
-
-target_include_directories (ibex PUBLIC
-                              "$<BUILD_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}>")
-
-# Propagate new values to parent scope
-set (OPERATORS_INCLUDES "${OPERATORS_INCLUDES}" PARENT_SCOPE)
-set (OPERATORS_MACRO_UNARY "${OPERATORS_MACRO_UNARY}" PARENT_SCOPE)
-set (OPERATORS_MACRO_BINARY "${OPERATORS_MACRO_BINARY}" PARENT_SCOPE)
-set (OPERATORS_FCT_DEF "${OPERATORS_FCT_DEF}" PARENT_SCOPE)
diff --git a/src/symbolic/CMakeLists.txt b/src/symbolic/CMakeLists.txt
index 325bba3d1..5aa43883f 100644
--- a/src/symbolic/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/symbolic/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,8 +1,56 @@
 # see arithmetic/CMakeLists.txt for comments
 
+################################################################################
+# Deal with files in src/operators and set OPERATORS_* variables
+################################################################################
+set (OPERATORS_LIST atanhc atanhccc crossproduct sinc trace)
+
+foreach (op ${OPERATORS_LIST})
+  set (hdr "ibex_${op}.h")
+  set (hdrfile "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/../operators/ibex_${op}.h")
+  #set (cpp "ibex_${op}.cpp")
+  set (cppfile "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/../operators/ibex_${op}.cpp")
+
+  # Handles includes
+  string (APPEND OPERATORS_INCLUDES "#include \"${hdr}\"\n")
+  target_sources (ibex PRIVATE ${hdrfile} ${cppfile})
+
+  # Parse header
+  file (STRINGS ${hdrfile} line REGEX "^class [BU]i?naryOperator<" LIMIT_COUNT 1)
+  if (NOT line)
+    message (FATAL_ERROR "Error while parsing ${hdr}: no class line")
+  endif ()
+  string(REGEX MATCH " (.*)Operator<([^,]*),([^,]*),([^,]*),?(.*)>" _ ${line})
+
+  if (CMAKE_MATCH_1 STREQUAL "Unary")
+    set (_t "${CMAKE_MATCH_2},${CMAKE_MATCH_3},${CMAKE_MATCH_4}")
+    string (APPEND OPERATORS_MACRO_UNARY "ADD_UNARY_OPERATOR(${_t});\n")
+    set (inline_pre "inline ${CMAKE_MATCH_4} ")
+    set (inline_post "(const ${CMAKE_MATCH_3}& x) { return UnaryOperator<${_t}>::fwd(x); }\n")
+  else () # Binary
+    set (_t "${CMAKE_MATCH_2},${CMAKE_MATCH_3},${CMAKE_MATCH_4},${CMAKE_MATCH_5}")
+    string (APPEND OPERATORS_MACRO_BINARY "ADD_BINARY_OPERATOR(${_t});\n")
+    set (inline_pre "inline ${CMAKE_MATCH_5} ")
+    set (inline_post "(const ${CMAKE_MATCH_3}& x1, const ${CMAKE_MATCH_4}& x2) { return BinaryOperator<${_t}>::fwd(x1,x2); }\n")
+  endif ()
+  set (OP_VARNAME ${CMAKE_MATCH_2})
+
+  # Parse source file
+  file (STRINGS ${cppfile} line REGEX "^extern const char .*;$" LIMIT_COUNT 1)
+  if (NOT line)
+    message (FATAL_ERROR "Error while parsing ${cpp}: no const char line")
+  endif ()
+  string (REGEX MATCH " const char ${OP_VARNAME}\\[\\] = \"(.*)\";$" _ ${line})
+  string (APPEND OPERATORS_FCT_DEF "${inline_pre}${CMAKE_MATCH_1}${inline_post}")
+endforeach()
+
+################################################################################
+# configure files with OPERATORS_* variables
+################################################################################
 configure_file (ibex_ExprOperators.cpp.in ibex_ExprOperators.cpp)
 configure_file (ibex_ExprOperators.h.in ibex_ExprOperators.h)
 
+################################################################################
 target_sources (ibex PRIVATE
   ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/ibex_CmpOp.cpp
   ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/ibex_CmpOp.h
@@ -39,4 +87,5 @@ target_sources (ibex PRIVATE
 
 target_include_directories (ibex PUBLIC
                               "$<BUILD_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}>"
-                              "$<BUILD_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}>")
+                              "$<BUILD_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}>"
+                  "$<BUILD_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/../operators>")