diff --git a/cmake/EkatConfig.cmake.in b/cmake/EkatConfig.cmake.in
index 62c00aff..63cec160 100644
--- a/cmake/EkatConfig.cmake.in
+++ b/cmake/EkatConfig.cmake.in
@@ -26,21 +26,35 @@ endif()
 
 # yaml-cpp
 if (@EKAT_ENABLE_YAML_PARSER@)
-  if (@EKAT_BUILDS_YAMLCPP@)
-    # We're installing yaml-cpp alongside ekat
-    find_dependency(yaml-cpp REQUIRED QUIET HINTS @CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@)
-  else()
-    find_dependency(yaml-cpp REQUIRED QUIET HINTS @yaml-cpp_DIR@)
+  if (NOT TARGET yaml-cpp::yaml-cpp AND NOT TARGET yaml-cpp)
+    if (@EKAT_BUILDS_YAMLCPP@)
+      # We're installing yaml-cpp alongside ekat
+      find_dependency(yaml-cpp REQUIRED QUIET HINTS @CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@)
+    else()
+      find_dependency(yaml-cpp REQUIRED QUIET HINTS @yaml-cpp_DIR@)
+    endif()
+  endif()
+
+  # Ensure the namespaced target exists for downstream consumers even if we created it on the fly
+  if (TARGET yaml-cpp AND NOT TARGET yaml-cpp::yaml-cpp)
+    add_library(yaml-cpp::yaml-cpp ALIAS yaml-cpp)
   endif()
 endif()
 
 if (@EKAT_ENABLE_LOGGING@)
   # spdlog
-  if (@EKAT_BUILDS_SPDLOG@)
-    # We're installing yaml-cpp alongside ekat
-    find_dependency(spdlog REQUIRED QUIET HINTS @CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@)
-  else()
-    find_dependency(spdlog REQUIRED QUIET HINTS @spdlog_DIR@)
+  if (NOT TARGET spdlog::spdlog AND NOT TARGET spdlog)
+    if (@EKAT_BUILDS_SPDLOG@)
+      # We're installing spdlog alongside ekat
+      find_dependency(spdlog REQUIRED QUIET HINTS @CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@)
+    else()
+      find_dependency(spdlog REQUIRED QUIET HINTS @spdlog_DIR@)
+    endif()
+  endif()
+
+  # Ensure the namespaced target exists for downstream consumers even if we created it on the fly
+  if (TARGET spdlog AND NOT TARGET spdlog::spdlog)
+    add_library(spdlog::spdlog ALIAS spdlog)
   endif()
 endif()
 
@@ -51,10 +65,16 @@ if (@EKAT_ENABLE_BOOST_STACKTRACE@)
 endif()
 
 # Catch2 testing system
-if (@EKAT_BUILDS_CATCH2@)
-  find_dependency (Catch2 REQUIRED QUIET HINTS @CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@)
-else()
-  find_dependency (Catch2 REQUIRED QUIET HINTS @Catch2_DIR@)
+if (NOT TARGET Catch2::Catch2 AND NOT TARGET Catch2)
+  if (@EKAT_BUILDS_CATCH2@)
+    find_dependency (Catch2 REQUIRED QUIET HINTS @CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@)
+  else()
+    find_dependency (Catch2 REQUIRED QUIET HINTS @Catch2_DIR@)
+  endif()
+endif()
+# Ensure the namespaced target exists for downstream consumers even if we created it on the fly
+if (TARGET Catch2 AND NOT TARGET Catch2::Catch2)
+  add_library(Catch2::Catch2 ALIAS Catch2)
 endif()
 
 include (${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/EkatTargets.cmake)
diff --git a/src/logging/CMakeLists.txt b/src/logging/CMakeLists.txt
index 9211a94b..d2a594d0 100644
--- a/src/logging/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/logging/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,20 +1,39 @@
-include(GNUInstallDirs)
-
 # spdlog is a REQUIRED dep of this package
 
+set (spdlog_FOUND FALSE)
+if (TARGET spdlog::spdlog OR TARGET spdlog)
+  set(spdlog_FOUND TRUE)
+  message(STATUS "EKAT: Using spdlog provided by parent project")
+endif()
+
 option (EKAT_SKIP_FIND_SPDLOG "Skip find_package for spdlog, and fetch via FetchContent" OFF)
-if (NOT EKAT_SKIP_FIND_SPDLOG)
+if (NOT spdlog_FOUND AND NOT EKAT_SKIP_FIND_SPDLOG)
   message (STATUS "Looking for spdlog ...")
   find_package(spdlog QUIET NO_DEFAULT_PATH)
   if (spdlog_FOUND)
     message (STATUS "Looking for spdlog ... FOUND")
     message (STATUS "  spdlog_DIR: ${spdlog_DIR}")
+    # It is possible that the installation provides the spdlog target, but not the spdlog::spdlog target. If so, define the alias target
+    if (NOT TARGET spdlog::spdlog)
+      if (NOT TARGET spdlog)
+        message (FATAL_ERROR "Neither spdlog nor spdlog::spdlog targets were found")
+      endif()
+      add_library (spdlog::spdlog ALIAS spdlog)
+    endif()
   else()
     message (STATUS "Looking for spdlog ... NOT FOUND")
   endif()
 endif()
 
-if (NOT TARGET spdlog)
+# If we found spdlog (via find_package or as an existing tgt)
+# ensure it provides the scoped target
+if (spdlog_FOUND)
+  if (TARGET spdlog AND NOT TARGET spdlog::spdlog)
+    add_library(spdlog::spdlog ALIAS spdlog)
+  endif()
+endif()
+
+if (NOT spdlog_FOUND)
   include(EkatBuildSpdlog)
   set (EKAT_BUILDS_SPDLOG ON CACHE BOOL "Whether Ekat builds spdlog" FORCE)
 else()
diff --git a/src/parser/CMakeLists.txt b/src/parser/CMakeLists.txt
index bda0e0cf..857e45bf 100644
--- a/src/parser/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/parser/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,8 +1,14 @@
 # yaml-cpp is a REQUIRED dep of this package
 
+set (yaml-cpp_FOUND FALSE)
+if (TARGET yaml-cpp::yaml-cpp OR TARGET yaml-cpp)
+  set(yaml-cpp_FOUND TRUE)
+  message(STATUS "EKAT: Using yaml-cpp provided by parent project")
+endif()
+
 option (EKAT_SKIP_FIND_YAML_CPP
   "Skip find_package for yaml-cpp, and fetch via FetchContent" OFF)
-if (NOT EKAT_SKIP_FIND_YAML_CPP)
+if (NOT yaml-cpp_FOUND AND NOT EKAT_SKIP_FIND_YAML_CPP)
   # I am having issues getting the env var YAML_CPP_ROOT being picked up
   # by cmake. I suspect this has to do with the presence of the hyphen
   # CMake *should* convert '-' to '_' when forming the cmake/env var name,
@@ -17,19 +23,22 @@ if (NOT EKAT_SKIP_FIND_YAML_CPP)
   if (yaml-cpp_FOUND)
     message (STATUS "Looking for yaml-cpp ... FOUND")
     message (STATUS "  yaml-cpp_DIR: ${yaml-cpp_DIR}")
-    # It is possible that the installation provides the yaml-cpp target, but not the yaml-cpp::yaml-cpp target. If so, define the alias target
-    if (NOT TARGET yaml-cpp::yaml-cpp)
-      if (NOT TARGET yaml-cpp)
-        message (FATAL_ERROR "Neither yaml-cpp nor yaml-cpp::yaml-cpp targets were found")
-      endif()
-      add_library (yaml-cpp::yaml-cpp ALIAS yaml-cpp)
+    if (NOT TARGET yaml-cpp AND NOT TARGET yaml-cpp::yaml-cpp)
     endif()
   else()
     message (STATUS "Looking for yaml-cpp ... NOT FOUND")
   endif()
 endif()
 
-if (NOT TARGET yaml-cpp)
+# If we found yaml-cpp (via find_package or as an existing tgt)
+# ensure it provides the scoped target
+if (yaml-cpp_FOUND)
+  if (TARGET yaml-cpp AND NOT TARGET yaml-cpp::yaml-cpp)
+    add_library(yaml-cpp::yaml-cpp ALIAS yaml-cpp)
+  endif()
+endif()
+
+if (NOT yaml-cpp_FOUND)
   include(EkatBuildYamlCpp)
   set (EKAT_BUILDS_YAMLCPP ON CACHE BOOL "Whether Ekat builds yaml-cpp" FORCE)
 else()
diff --git a/src/testing-support/CMakeLists.txt b/src/testing-support/CMakeLists.txt
index cab9589d..d09cd246 100644
--- a/src/testing-support/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/testing-support/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,10 +1,14 @@
-include(GNUInstallDirs)
-
 ### CATCH MAIN ###
 
+set (Catch2_FOUND FALSE)
+if (TARGET Catch2::Catch2 OR TARGET Catch2)
+  set(Catch2_FOUND TRUE)
+  message(STATUS "EKAT: Using Catch2 provided by parent project")
+endif()
+
 # Catch2 is a REQUIRED dep of this package
 option (EKAT_SKIP_FIND_CATCH2 "Skip find_package for Catch2, and fetch via FetchContent" OFF)
-if (NOT EKAT_SKIP_FIND_CATCH2)
+if (NOT Catch2_FOUND AND NOT EKAT_SKIP_FIND_CATCH2)
   message (STATUS "Looking for Catch2 ...")
   find_package(Catch2 QUIET NO_DEFAULT_PATH)
   if (Catch2_FOUND)
@@ -15,7 +19,15 @@ if (NOT EKAT_SKIP_FIND_CATCH2)
   endif()
 endif()
 
-if (NOT TARGET Catch2::Catch2)
+# If we found Catch2 (via find_package or as an existing tgt)
+# ensure it provides the scoped target
+if (Catch2_FOUND)
+  if (TARGET Catch2 AND NOT TARGET Catch2::Catch2)
+    add_library(Catch2::Catch2 ALIAS Catch2)
+  endif()
+endif()
+
+if (NOT Catch2_FOUND)
   set (EKAT_BUILDS_CATCH2 ON CACHE BOOL "Whether Ekat builds Catch2" FORCE)
   include (EkatBuildCatch2)
 else()