diff --git a/example/CMakeLists.txt b/example/CMakeLists.txt
index 33393167f9..9813330b14 100644
--- a/example/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/example/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -56,15 +56,18 @@ add_t8_example( NAME t8_example_geometries              SOURCES geometry/t8_exam
 add_t8_example( NAME t8_cmesh_load_save                 SOURCES IO/cmesh/t8_cmesh_load_save.cxx )
 add_t8_example( NAME t8_read_msh_file                   SOURCES IO/cmesh/gmsh/t8_read_msh_file.cxx )
 add_t8_example( NAME t8_load_and_refine_square_w_hole   SOURCES IO/cmesh/gmsh/t8_load_and_refine_square_w_hole.cxx )
-add_t8_example( NAME t8_write_cmesh_netcdf              SOURCES IO/cmesh/netcdf/t8_write_cmesh_netcdf.cxx )
 add_t8_example( NAME t8_read_tetgen                     SOURCES IO/cmesh/tetgen/t8_read_tetgen_file.cxx )
 add_t8_example( NAME t8_time_tetgen                     SOURCES IO/cmesh/tetgen/t8_time_tetgen_file.cxx )
 add_t8_example( NAME t8_forest_tetgen                   SOURCES IO/cmesh/tetgen/t8_forest_from_tetgen.cxx )
 add_t8_example( NAME t8_read_triangle                   SOURCES IO/cmesh/triangle/t8_read_triangle_file.cxx )
 add_t8_example( NAME t8_cmesh_read_from_vtk             SOURCES IO/cmesh/vtk/t8_cmesh_read_from_vtk.cxx )
 
-add_t8_example( NAME t8_netcdf_compilation_status       SOURCES IO/forest/netcdf/t8_netcdf_status.c )
-add_t8_example( NAME t8_write_forest_netcdf             SOURCES IO/forest/netcdf/t8_write_forest_netcdf.cxx )
+if(T8CODE_ENABLE_NETCDF)
+    add_t8_example( NAME t8_write_cmesh_netcdf              SOURCES IO/cmesh/netcdf/t8_write_cmesh_netcdf.cxx )
+    add_t8_example( NAME t8_netcdf_compilation_status       SOURCES IO/forest/netcdf/t8_netcdf_status.c )
+    add_t8_example( NAME t8_write_forest_netcdf             SOURCES IO/forest/netcdf/t8_write_forest_netcdf.cxx )
+endif()
+
 add_t8_example( NAME t8_gmsh_to_vtk                     SOURCES IO/forest/gmsh/t8_gmsh_to_vtk.cxx )
 
 add_t8_example( NAME t8_example_spheres                 SOURCES remove/t8_example_spheres.cxx )
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 4e842966c6..d34f31c70a 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -34,6 +34,16 @@ if( T8CODE_ENABLE_NETCDF )
   target_compile_definitions(T8 PUBLIC
     T8_WITH_NETCDF
     $<$<AND:$<BOOL:${NETCDF_HAVE_NETCDF_PAR}>,$<BOOL:${T8CODE_ENABLE_MPI}>>:T8_WITH_NETCDF_PAR> )
+  target_sources( T8 PRIVATE
+  t8_netcdf.c
+  t8_cmesh/t8_cmesh_netcdf.c
+  t8_forest/t8_forest_netcdf.cxx
+  )
+  install( FILES
+  t8_cmesh_netcdf.h
+  t8_forest_netcdf.h
+  t8_netcdf.h
+  )
 endif()
 
 set_target_properties( T8 PROPERTIES OUTPUT_NAME t8 )
@@ -89,7 +99,6 @@ target_sources( T8 PRIVATE
     t8_element_shape.c
     t8_element.cxx
     t8_mesh.c
-    t8_netcdf.c 
     t8_refcount.c 
     t8_version.c 
     t8_vtk.c 
@@ -99,7 +108,6 @@ target_sources( T8 PRIVATE
     t8_cmesh/t8_cmesh_stash.c 
     t8_cmesh/t8_cmesh_vtk_reader.cxx 
     t8_cmesh/t8_cmesh_save.cxx 
-    t8_cmesh/t8_cmesh_netcdf.c 
     t8_cmesh/t8_cmesh_trees.cxx 
     t8_cmesh/t8_cmesh_commit.cxx 
     t8_cmesh/t8_cmesh_partition.cxx 
@@ -118,7 +126,6 @@ target_sources( T8 PRIVATE
     t8_forest/t8_forest_ghost.cxx 
     t8_forest/t8_forest_iterate.cxx 
     t8_forest/t8_forest_balance.cxx 
-    t8_forest/t8_forest_netcdf.cxx
     t8_forest/t8_forest_search/t8_forest_search.cxx 
     t8_geometry/t8_geometry.cxx 
     t8_geometry/t8_geometry_helpers.c 
@@ -185,7 +192,6 @@ install( FILES
     t8.h
     t8_cmesh.h
     t8_cmesh.hxx
-    t8_cmesh_netcdf.h
     t8_cmesh_readmshfile.h
     t8_cmesh_tetgen.h
     t8_cmesh_triangle.h
@@ -193,10 +199,8 @@ install( FILES
     t8_eclass.h
     t8_element.h
     t8_element_shape.h
-    t8_forest_netcdf.h
     t8_mat.h
     t8_mesh.h
-    t8_netcdf.h
     t8_refcount.h
     t8_types/t8_vec.hxx
     t8_version.h