diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 49d345d48..730fe709b 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@ set(LIBP_DEFINES "-DUSE_NULL_PROJECTION=1" CACHE STRING
   "Preprocessor macros for libparanumal")
 
 set(OCCA_CXX "${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER}" CACHE STRING "C++ compiler for OCCA JIT compile")
-set(OCCA_CXXFLAGS "" CACHE STRING "C++ flags for OCCA JIT compile")
+set(OCCA_CXXFLAGS "-O2 -ftree-vectorize -funroll-loops -march=native -mtune=native"
+        CACHE STRING "C++ flags for OCCA JIT compile")
 
 set(OCCA_TAG "main" CACHE STRING "Git branch, tag, or hash for cloning OCCA")
 set(NEK5000_TAG "master" CACHE STRING "Git branch, tag, or hash for cloning Nek5000")
@@ -97,6 +98,23 @@ set (CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 14)
 ###############################################################################
 # Set compiler flags                                                          #
 ###############################################################################
+
+set(CMAKE_POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE on)
+
+# For CMake targets, CMAKE_<LANG>_FLAGS and CMAKE_<LANG>_FLAGS_<CONFIG> are
+# both included automatically, based on the current <CONFIG>.  However, for
+# external projects, we need to explicitly include both sets of flags
+
+function(set_external_flags lang)
+  string(TOUPPER "${CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE}" mode)
+  set(EXTERNAL_${lang}_FLAGS "${CMAKE_${lang}_FLAGS} ${CMAKE_${lang}_FLAGS_${mode}}"
+          PARENT_SCOPE)
+endfunction()
+
+set_external_flags("C")
+set_external_flags("CXX")
+set_external_flags("Fortran")
+
 find_package(OpenMP)
 if (OPENMP_FOUND)
   set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} ${OpenMP_C_FLAGS}")
@@ -104,8 +122,6 @@ if (OPENMP_FOUND)
   set(CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS "${CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS} ${OpenMP_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS}")
 endif()
 
-set(CMAKE_POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE on)
-
 ###############################################################################
 # Generate nekrs.conf                                                       #
 ###############################################################################
@@ -249,8 +265,9 @@ install(DIRECTORY src/nekInterface/ DESTINATION nekInterface REGEX "\.hpp$|\.cpp
 
 # Examples will follow a different policy -- only copy if source tree is newer than install tree
 file(GLOB_RECURSE EXAMPLE_FILES ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/examples/*)
-configure_file(config/examples_manifest.cmake.in examples_manifest.cmake @ONLY)
-install(SCRIPT config/install_examples.cmake)
+configure_file(${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/config/install_examples.cmake.in
+        ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/install_examples.cmake @ONLY)
+install(SCRIPT ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/install_examples.cmake)
 
 #################################################################################
 # Uninstall
diff --git a/config/examples_manifest.cmake.in b/config/examples_manifest.cmake.in
deleted file mode 100644
index 4bd513df9..000000000
--- a/config/examples_manifest.cmake.in
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-set(EXAMPLE_FILES @EXAMPLE_FILES@)
-set(CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR @CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR@)
-set(CURRENT_LIST_DIR @CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR@)
-set(INSTALL_PREFIX @CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@)
diff --git a/config/gslib.cmake b/config/gslib.cmake
index db77ed938..15f069dd3 100644
--- a/config/gslib.cmake
+++ b/config/gslib.cmake
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ ExternalProject_Add(
         BUILD_COMMAND 
           ${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/run_gs_install.sh
           "CC=${CMAKE_C_COMPILER}"
-          "CFLAGS=-fPIC ${CMAKE_C_FLAGS}"
+          "CFLAGS=-fPIC ${EXTERNAL_C_FLAGS}"
         INSTALL_COMMAND ""
         USES_TERMINAL_BUILD on
 )
@@ -73,7 +73,3 @@ install(DIRECTORY
         DESTINATION gatherScatter
         FILES_MATCHING REGEX ${file_pattern})
 install(FILES ${OGS_SOURCE_DIR}/ogs.hpp DESTINATION gatherScatter)
-
-
-
-
diff --git a/config/install_examples.cmake b/config/install_examples.cmake.in
similarity index 69%
rename from config/install_examples.cmake
rename to config/install_examples.cmake.in
index d17a15d0f..a63391c94 100644
--- a/config/install_examples.cmake
+++ b/config/install_examples.cmake.in
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
-include(examples_manifest.cmake)
+set(EXAMPLE_FILES @EXAMPLE_FILES@)
+set(CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR @CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR@)
+set(CURRENT_LIST_DIR @CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR@)
+set(INSTALL_PREFIX @CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@)
 
 foreach(F IN LISTS EXAMPLE_FILES)
     FILE(RELATIVE_PATH REL_F ${CURRENT_LIST_DIR} ${F})
diff --git a/config/nek5000.cmake b/config/nek5000.cmake
index 77ac1ef2c..cf55dfc20 100644
--- a/config/nek5000.cmake
+++ b/config/nek5000.cmake
@@ -110,9 +110,9 @@ ExternalProject_Add(
   BUILD_COMMAND 
     ${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/run_nekconfig.sh 
     "CC=${CMAKE_C_COMPILER}" 
-    "CFLAGS=${CMAKE_C_FLAGS}" 
+    "CFLAGS=${EXTERNAL_C_FLAGS}"
     "FC=${CMAKE_Fortran_COMPILER}"
-    "FFLAGS=${CMAKE_Fortran_FLAGS}"
+    "FFLAGS=${EXTERNAL_Fortran_FLAGS}"
     "NEK5000_SOURCE_DIR=${NEK5000_SOURCE_DIR}"
     "PPLIST=${NEK5000_PPLIST}"
   INSTALL_COMMAND ""
diff --git a/config/nekrs.conf.in b/config/nekrs.conf.in
index bcafd41ef..cea1772cc 100644
--- a/config/nekrs.conf.in
+++ b/config/nekrs.conf.in
@@ -3,9 +3,9 @@
 CXX = @CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER@
 CC = @CMAKE_C_COMPILER@
 FC = @CMAKE_Fortran_COMPILER@
-CXXFLAGS = @CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS@
-CFLAGS = @CMAKE_C_FLAGS@
-FFLAGS = @CMAKE_Fortran_FLAGS@
+CXXFLAGS = @EXTERNAL_CXX_FLAGS@
+CFLAGS = @EXTERNAL_C_FLAGS@
+FFLAGS = @EXTERNAL_Fortran_FLAGS@
 
 NEK5000_PPLIST = @NEK5000_PPLIST@
 LIBP_DEFINES = @LIBP_DEFINES@