diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 96322637..3a3939b3 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,11 +1,9 @@
-cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.13)
+cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.18)
 
 set (EKAT_CMAKE_PATH ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake CACHE INTERNAL "")
 
 # Do not ignore <PackageName_ROOT> env vars in find_package() calls
-if(${CMAKE_VERSION} VERSION_GREATER_EQUAL "3.12.0")
-    cmake_policy (SET CMP0074 NEW)
-endif(${CMAKE_VERSION} VERSION_GREATER_EQUAL "3.12.0")
+cmake_policy (SET CMP0074 NEW)
 
 # Add our own cmake goodies to cmake module search path
 list(APPEND CMAKE_MODULE_PATH
@@ -29,9 +27,9 @@ endif()
 include(EkatUtils)
 IsDebugBuild(EKAT_IS_DEBUG_BUILD)
 
-set (EKAT_VERSION_MAJOR 1)
+set (EKAT_VERSION_MAJOR 2)
 set (EKAT_VERSION_MINOR 0)
-set (EKAT_VERSION_PATCH 1)
+set (EKAT_VERSION_PATCH 0)
 
 message(STATUS "EKAT version: ${EKAT_VERSION_MAJOR}.${EKAT_VERSION_MINOR}.${EKAT_VERSION_PATCH}")
 
diff --git a/cmake/EkatCreateUnitTest.cmake b/cmake/EkatCreateUnitTest.cmake
index 047adc2f..96cfe558 100644
--- a/cmake/EkatCreateUnitTest.cmake
+++ b/cmake/EkatCreateUnitTest.cmake
@@ -57,19 +57,17 @@ function(EkatCreateUnitTestExec exec_name exec_srcs)
   #   Create the executable and set its properties  #
   #-------------------------------------------------#
 
-  # Set link directories (must be done BEFORE add_executable is called)
-  # NOTE: CMake 3.15 adds 'target_link_directories', which is superior (does not pollute other targets).
-  #       We should switch to that as soon as we can assume CMAKE_VERSION >= 3.15.
   set(target_name ${exec_name})
-  if (ecute_LIBS_DIRS)
-    link_directories("${ecute_LIBS_DIRS}")
-  endif()
   add_executable(${target_name} ${exec_srcs})
 
   #---------------------------#
   # Set all target properties #
   #---------------------------#
 
+  if (ecute_LIBS_DIRS)
+    target_link_directories(${target_name} PRIVATE "${ecute_LIBS_DIRS}")
+  endif()
+
   target_link_libraries (${exec_name} PUBLIC Catch2::Catch2)
 
   # Include dirs
diff --git a/cmake/EkatUtils.cmake b/cmake/EkatUtils.cmake
index 46c72351..8ef74a62 100644
--- a/cmake/EkatUtils.cmake
+++ b/cmake/EkatUtils.cmake
@@ -126,13 +126,8 @@ macro (EkatDisableAllWarning targetName)
     $<$<COMPILE_LANGUAGE:C>:$<$<C_COMPILER_ID:GNU>:-w> $<$<C_COMPILER_ID:Intel>: -w>>)
   target_compile_options (${targetName} PRIVATE
     $<$<COMPILE_LANGUAGE:CXX>:$<$<CXX_COMPILER_ID:GNU>:-w -fcompare-debug-second> $<$<CXX_COMPILER_ID:Intel>: -w>>)
-  if (${CMAKE_VERSION} VERSION_LESS "3.14.0")
-    target_compile_options (${targetName} PRIVATE
-      $<$<COMPILE_LANGUAGE:Fortran>:$<$<STREQUAL:"${CMAKE_Fortran_COMPILER_ID}","GNU">:-w> $<$<STREQUAL:"${CMAKE_Fortran_COMPILER_ID}","Intel">: -w>>)
-  else ()
-    target_compile_options (${targetName} PRIVATE
-      $<$<COMPILE_LANGUAGE:Fortran>:$<$<Fortran_COMPILER_ID:GNU>:-w> $<$<Fortran_COMPILER_ID:Intel>: -w>>)
-  endif()
+  target_compile_options (${targetName} PRIVATE
+    $<$<COMPILE_LANGUAGE:Fortran>:$<$<Fortran_COMPILER_ID:GNU>:-w> $<$<Fortran_COMPILER_ID:Intel>: -w>>)
 endmacro (EkatDisableAllWarning)
 
 function(separate_cut_arguments prefix options oneValueArgs multiValueArgs return_varname)
diff --git a/cmake/tpls/EkatBuildCatch2.cmake b/cmake/tpls/EkatBuildCatch2.cmake
index 7c5cf8f6..6bf7e358 100644
--- a/cmake/tpls/EkatBuildCatch2.cmake
+++ b/cmake/tpls/EkatBuildCatch2.cmake
@@ -16,15 +16,4 @@ FetchContent_Declare(Catch2
   BINARY_DIR     ${EKAT_BINARY_DIR}/extern/Catch2
 )
 
-# MakeAvailable is better, but we need CMake>=3.14...
-if(CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_LESS "3.14")
-  # Legacy path for CMake 3.11 - 3.13
-  FetchContent_GetProperties(Catch2)
-  if(NOT catch2_POPULATED)
-    FetchContent_Populate(Catch2)
-    add_subdirectory(${catch2_SOURCE_DIR} ${catch2_BINARY_DIR})
-  endif()
-else()
-  # Modern path for 3.14+ (Silences CMP0169 in 3.30+)
-  FetchContent_MakeAvailable(Catch2)
-endif()
+FetchContent_MakeAvailable(Catch2)
diff --git a/cmake/tpls/EkatBuildSpdlog.cmake b/cmake/tpls/EkatBuildSpdlog.cmake
index 33b08217..0acbed6d 100644
--- a/cmake/tpls/EkatBuildSpdlog.cmake
+++ b/cmake/tpls/EkatBuildSpdlog.cmake
@@ -15,18 +15,7 @@ FetchContent_Declare(spdlog
   BINARY_DIR     ${EKAT_BINARY_DIR}/extern/spdlog
 )
 
-# MakeAvailable is better, but we need CMake>=3.14...
-if(CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_LESS "3.14")
-  # Legacy path for CMake 3.11 - 3.13
-  FetchContent_GetProperties(spdlog)
-  if(NOT spdlog_POPULATED)
-    FetchContent_Populate(spdlog)
-    add_subdirectory (${spdlog_SOURCE_DIR} ${spdlog_BINARY_DIR})
-  endif()
-else()
-  # Modern path for 3.14+ (Silences CMP0169 in 3.30+)
-  FetchContent_MakeAvailable(spdlog)
-endif()
+FetchContent_MakeAvailable(spdlog)
 
 if (EKAT_DISABLE_TPL_WARNINGS)
   include (EkatUtils)
diff --git a/cmake/tpls/EkatBuildYamlCpp.cmake b/cmake/tpls/EkatBuildYamlCpp.cmake
index eecf197a..3d02d5f3 100644
--- a/cmake/tpls/EkatBuildYamlCpp.cmake
+++ b/cmake/tpls/EkatBuildYamlCpp.cmake
@@ -14,18 +14,7 @@ FetchContent_Declare(yaml-cpp
   BINARY_DIR     ${EKAT_BINARY_DIR}/extern/yaml-cpp
 )
 
-# MakeAvailable is better, but we need CMake>=3.14...
-if(CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_LESS "3.14")
-  # Legacy path for CMake 3.11 - 3.13
-  FetchContent_GetProperties(yaml-cpp)
-  if(NOT yaml-cpp_POPULATED)
-    FetchContent_Populate(yaml-cpp)
-    add_subdirectory (${yaml-cpp_SOURCE_DIR} ${yaml-cpp_BINARY_DIR})
-  endif()
-else()
-  # Modern path for 3.14+ (Silences CMP0169 in 3.30+)
-  FetchContent_MakeAvailable(yaml-cpp)
-endif()
+FetchContent_MakeAvailable(yaml-cpp)
 
 if (EKAT_DISABLE_TPL_WARNINGS)
   include (EkatUtils)