diff --git a/src/ssh/CMakeLists.txt b/src/ssh/CMakeLists.txt
index a975836a3b..6138bb6ef8 100644
--- a/src/ssh/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/ssh/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -14,8 +14,6 @@
 #
 
 function(add_ssh_target TARGET_NAME)
-  add_definitions(-DWITH_SERVER)
-
   add_library(${TARGET_NAME} STATIC
     libssh_scope_guard.cpp
     openssh_key_provider.cpp
@@ -24,6 +22,8 @@ function(add_ssh_target TARGET_NAME)
     plain_ssh_session.cpp
     ssh_client_key_provider.cpp)
 
+  target_compile_definitions(${TARGET_NAME} PRIVATE WITH_SERVER)
+
   target_link_libraries(${TARGET_NAME}
     fmt::fmt-header-only
     ssh
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ function(add_sftp_client_target TARGET_NAME)
     sftp_utils.cpp
     plain_ssh_session.cpp)
 
+  target_compile_definitions(${TARGET_NAME} PRIVATE WITH_SERVER)
+
   target_link_libraries(${TARGET_NAME}
     fmt::fmt-header-only
     ssh
@@ -60,6 +62,8 @@ function(add_ssh_client_target TARGET_NAME)
     ssh_client.cpp
     plain_ssh_session.cpp)
 
+  target_compile_definitions(${TARGET_NAME} PRIVATE WITH_SERVER)
+
   target_link_libraries(${TARGET_NAME}
     console
     fmt::fmt-header-only
diff --git a/src/sshfs_mount/CMakeLists.txt b/src/sshfs_mount/CMakeLists.txt
index 0d9e771b2e..6659ae6112 100644
--- a/src/sshfs_mount/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/sshfs_mount/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -14,8 +14,6 @@
 
 set(CMAKE_AUTOMOC ON)
 function(add_sshfs_mount_target TARGET_NAME)
-  add_definitions(-DWITH_SERVER)
-
   add_library(${TARGET_NAME} STATIC
     sshfs_mount.cpp
     sshfs_mount_handler.cpp
@@ -24,6 +22,8 @@ function(add_sshfs_mount_target TARGET_NAME)
     sshfs_mount.h
     ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/include/multipass/sshfs_mount/sshfs_mount_handler.h)
 
+  target_compile_definitions(${TARGET_NAME} PRIVATE WITH_SERVER)
+
   target_link_libraries(${TARGET_NAME}
     fmt::fmt-header-only
     logger
diff --git a/tests/unit/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/unit/CMakeLists.txt
index f38c04b573..b6e9289b57 100644
--- a/tests/unit/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/unit/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ target_include_directories(multipass_cpp_tests
   PRIVATE ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src/platform/backends
 )
 
-add_definitions(-DWITH_SERVER)
+target_compile_definitions(multipass_cpp_tests PRIVATE WITH_SERVER)
 target_compile_definitions(ssh_test PRIVATE
   ${c_mock_defines})
 target_compile_definitions(sshfs_mount_test PRIVATE