--- a/scripts/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/scripts/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -69,13 +69,9 @@
 
 if (DO_PYTHON_BINDINGS)
 
-    include_directories(
-        ${PYTHON_INCLUDE_PATH}
-    )
-
     if(RUN_SWIG)
       add_custom_command(OUTPUT ${openbabel_SOURCE_DIR}/scripts/python/openbabel/openbabel-python.cpp ${openbabel_SOURCE_DIR}/scripts/python/openbabel/openbabel.py
-      COMMAND ${SWIG_EXECUTABLE} -python -c++ ${doxygen_switch} -small -O -templatereduce -naturalvar -I${openbabel_SOURCE_DIR}/include -I${openbabel_BINARY_DIR}/include -o ${openbabel_SOURCE_DIR}/scripts/python/openbabel/openbabel-python.cpp ${eigen_define} -outdir ${openbabel_SOURCE_DIR}/scripts/python/openbabel ${openbabel_SOURCE_DIR}/scripts/openbabel-python.i
+	      COMMAND ${SWIG_EXECUTABLE} -python -c++ ${doxygen_switch} -small -O -templatereduce -naturalvar -I${PYTHON_INCLUDE_PATH} -I${openbabel_SOURCE_DIR}/include -I${openbabel_BINARY_DIR}/include -o ${openbabel_SOURCE_DIR}/scripts/python/openbabel/openbabel-python.cpp ${eigen_define} -outdir ${openbabel_SOURCE_DIR}/scripts/python/openbabel ${openbabel_SOURCE_DIR}/scripts/openbabel-python.i
               MAIN_DEPENDENCY openbabel-python.i
               VERBATIM
               )
@@ -84,6 +80,7 @@
     configure_file(${openbabel_SOURCE_DIR}/scripts/python/openbabel/__init__.py.in
                    ${openbabel_SOURCE_DIR}/scripts/python/openbabel/__init__.py)
     add_library(bindings_python MODULE ${openbabel_SOURCE_DIR}/scripts/python/openbabel/openbabel-python.cpp)
+    target_include_directories(bindings_python PRIVATE ${PYTHON_INCLUDE_PATH})
 
     if(APPLE)
       # Don't link against Python library on Mac