diff --git a/cmake/VISPUtils.cmake b/cmake/VISPUtils.cmake
index 0b10ab4cec..6207c74f0f 100644
--- a/cmake/VISPUtils.cmake
+++ b/cmake/VISPUtils.cmake
@@ -342,15 +342,6 @@ macro(vp_list_filterout lst regex)
   endforeach()
 endmacro()
 
-# remove all matching elements from the list
-macro(vp_list_filterout lst regex)
-  foreach(item ${${lst}})
-    if(item MATCHES "${regex}")
-      list(REMOVE_ITEM ${lst} "${item}")
-    endif()
-  endforeach()
-endmacro()
-
 # stable & safe duplicates removal macro
 macro(vp_list_unique __lst)
   if(${__lst})
@@ -372,6 +363,17 @@ macro(vp_list_remove_empty __lst)
   endif()
 endmacro()
 
+# list directory elements removal macro
+macro(vp_list_remove_directory lst)
+  if(${lst})
+    foreach(item ${${lst}})
+      if(IS_DIRECTORY ${item})
+        list(REMOVE_ITEM ${lst} "${item}")
+      endif()
+    endforeach()
+  endif()
+endmacro()
+
 # needed by visp-java
 if(CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_LESS "3.2")
   macro(vp_cmake_byproducts var_name)
@@ -1391,12 +1393,16 @@ macro(vp_get_interface_link_libraries libs link_libraries)
   set(__imported_libs ${${libs}})
   set(__libs ${${libs}})
   foreach(lib_ ${${libs}})
-#    message("lib_: ${lib_}")
     if(TARGET ${lib_})
       get_target_property(imported_libs_ ${lib_} INTERFACE_LINK_LIBRARIES)
       if(imported_libs_)
-        list(APPEND __imported_libs ${imported_libs_})
-        list(APPEND __libs ${lib_})
+        foreach(imp_ ${imported_libs_})
+          if(NOT imp_ MATCHES "^\\$<")
+            list(APPEND __imported_libs ${imported_libs_})
+            list(APPEND __libs ${lib_})
+          endif()
+        endforeach()
+
       else()
         list(APPEND __libs ${lib_})
       endif()
@@ -1404,45 +1410,35 @@ macro(vp_get_interface_link_libraries libs link_libraries)
       list(APPEND __libs ${lib_})
     endif()
   endforeach()
-#  message("__imported_libs: ${__imported_libs}")
-#  message("__libs: ${__libs}")
   vp_list_unique(__imported_libs)
   vp_list_unique(__libs)
-#  message("fin __imported_libs: ${__imported_libs}")
-#  message("fin __libs: ${__libs}")
 
   while(__imported_libs)
-#    message("begin while __imported_libs: ${__imported_libs}")
     vp_list_pop_front(__imported_libs elt)
-#    message("Process elt: ${elt}")
     if(TARGET ${elt} AND NOT elt MATCHES "^-framework") # to avoid precessing -framework ApplicationServices -framework CoreServices
-#      message("elt is a target and not framework: ${elt}")
       get_target_property(imported_libs_ ${elt} INTERFACE_LINK_LIBRARIES)
       if(imported_libs_)
         list(APPEND __imported_libs ${imported_libs_})
       else()
         list(APPEND __libs ${elt})
       endif()
-    else()
+    elseif(NOT elt MATCHES "^\\$<")
       list(APPEND __libs ${elt})
     endif()
+
     vp_list_unique(__imported_libs)
   endwhile()
   vp_list_unique(__libs)
-#  message("fin2 __imported_libs: ${__imported_libs}")
-#  message("fin2 __libs: ${__libs}")
 
   set(__config "RELEASE" "DEBUG")
   foreach(config_ ${__config})
     foreach(lib_ ${__libs})
-#      message("lib_: ${lib_}")
       if(TARGET ${lib_})
 
         get_target_property(imported_libs_ ${lib_} IMPORTED_IMPLIB_${config_})
         if(NOT EXISTS ${imported_libs_})
           get_target_property(lib_location_ ${lib_} IMPORTED_LOCATION_${config_})
         endif()
-  #      message("lib_location_: ${lib_location_}")
         if(WIN32 AND EXISTS "${lib_location_}" AND "${config_}" MATCHES "RELEASE") # also valid for RELEASEWITHDEBINFO
           list(APPEND ${link_libraries} optimized "${lib_location_}")
         elseif(WIN32 AND EXISTS "${lib_location_}" AND "${config_}" MATCHES "DEBUG")
@@ -1452,7 +1448,6 @@ macro(vp_get_interface_link_libraries libs link_libraries)
         endif()
 
         get_target_property(lib_deps_ ${lib_} IMPORTED_LINK_INTERFACE_LIBRARIES_${config_})
-  #      message("lib_deps_ ---------: ${lib_deps_}")
         if(lib_deps_)
           foreach(deps_ ${lib_deps_})
             get_target_property(deps_location_ ${deps_} IMPORTED_LOCATION_${config_})
@@ -1486,6 +1481,8 @@ macro(vp_get_interface_link_libraries libs link_libraries)
     endforeach()
   endforeach()
   vp_list_unique(${link_libraries})
+  # Additional check to remove directories like /usr/X11R6/lib that can be exported by VTK
+  vp_list_remove_directory(${link_libraries})
 #  message("link_libraries: ${link_libraries}")
 
 endmacro()