diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index fe42d9e270..50b81eaaf3 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -70,22 +70,23 @@ if(NOT DEFINED CMAKE_HIP_STANDARD)
 endif()
 
 # remove NDEBUG flag
-string(REPLACE "-DNDEBUG" "" CMAKE_C_FLAGS_RELEASE ${CMAKE_C_FLAGS_RELEASE})
-string(REPLACE "-DNDEBUG" "" CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE ${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE})
+string(REPLACE "-DNDEBUG" "" CMAKE_C_FLAGS_RELEASE "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS_RELEASE}")
+string(REPLACE "-DNDEBUG" "" CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE
+               "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE}")
 string(REPLACE "-DNDEBUG" "" CMAKE_Fortran_FLAGS_RELEASE
-               ${CMAKE_Fortran_FLAGS_RELEASE})
+               "${CMAKE_Fortran_FLAGS_RELEASE}")
 string(REPLACE "-DNDEBUG" "" CMAKE_C_FLAGS_RELWITHDEBINFO
-               ${CMAKE_C_FLAGS_RELWITHDEBINFO})
+               "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS_RELWITHDEBINFO}")
 string(REPLACE "-DNDEBUG" "" CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELWITHDEBINFO
-               ${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELWITHDEBINFO})
+               "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELWITHDEBINFO}")
 string(REPLACE "-DNDEBUG" "" CMAKE_Fortran_FLAGS_RELWITHDEBINFO
-               ${CMAKE_Fortran_FLAGS_RELWITHDEBINFO})
+               "${CMAKE_Fortran_FLAGS_RELWITHDEBINFO}")
 string(REPLACE "-DNDEBUG" "" CMAKE_C_FLAGS_MINSIZEREL
-               ${CMAKE_C_FLAGS_MINSIZEREL})
+               "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS_MINSIZEREL}")
 string(REPLACE "-DNDEBUG" "" CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_MINSIZEREL
-               ${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_MINSIZEREL})
+               "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_MINSIZEREL}")
 string(REPLACE "-DNDEBUG" "" CMAKE_Fortran_FLAGS_MINSIZEREL
-               ${CMAKE_Fortran_FLAGS_MINSIZEREL})
+               "${CMAKE_Fortran_FLAGS_MINSIZEREL}")
 
 find_package(PkgConfig)
 
diff --git a/cmake/CompilerConfiguration.cmake b/cmake/CompilerConfiguration.cmake
index 16e25fbf6d..f00dcad34c 100644
--- a/cmake/CompilerConfiguration.cmake
+++ b/cmake/CompilerConfiguration.cmake
@@ -38,11 +38,11 @@ add_compile_options(
   "$<$<COMPILE_LANG_AND_ID:C,GNU>:-march=native;-mtune=native>"
   "$<$<COMPILE_LANG_AND_ID:Fortran,GNU>:-march=native;-mtune=native;-fbacktrace;-ffree-line-length-none;-ffree-form;-std=f2008;-fimplicit-none;-Werror=aliasing;-Werror=ampersand;-Werror=c-binding-type;-Werror=conversion;-Werror=intrinsic-shadow;-Werror=intrinsics-std;-Werror=line-truncation;-Werror=tabs;-Werror=target-lifetime;-Werror=underflow;-Werror=unused-but-set-variable;-Werror=unused-variable>"
   "$<$<AND:$<COMPILE_LANG_AND_ID:Fortran,GNU>,$<VERSION_GREATER_EQUAL:${CMAKE_Fortran_COMPILER_VERSION},11>>:-fallow-argument-mismatch>"
-  "$<$<COMPILE_LANG_AND_ID:Fortran,Intel>:-free -stand=f18 -fpp -heap-arrays>"
-  "$<$<COMPILE_LANG_AND_ID:Fortran,PGI>:-Mfreeform -Mextend -Mallocatable=03>"
-  "$<$<COMPILE_LANG_AND_ID:Fortran,NAG>:-f2008 -free -Warn=reallocation -Warn=subnormal>"
-  "$<$<COMPILE_LANG_AND_ID:C,Cray>:-hnoacc -h nomessage=1234>"
-  "$<$<COMPILE_LANG_AND_ID:Fortran,Cray>:-f free -M3105 -ME7212  -hnoacc -M1234>"
+  "$<$<COMPILE_LANG_AND_ID:Fortran,Intel>:-free;-stand=f18;-fpp;-heap-arrays>"
+  "$<$<COMPILE_LANG_AND_ID:Fortran,PGI>:-Mfreeform;-Mextend;-Mallocatable=03>"
+  "$<$<COMPILE_LANG_AND_ID:Fortran,NAG>:-f2008;-free;-Warn=reallocation;-Warn=subnormal>"
+  "$<$<COMPILE_LANG_AND_ID:C,Cray>:-hnoacc;-h;nomessage=1234>"
+  "$<$<COMPILE_LANG_AND_ID:Fortran,Cray>:-f;free;-M3105;-ME7212;-hnoacc;-M1234>"
 )
 
 add_compile_options(
@@ -80,8 +80,8 @@ add_compile_options(
   "$<$<AND:$<CONFIG:COVERAGE>,$<COMPILE_LANG_AND_ID:C,GNU>>:-O0;-g;--coverage;-Wall>"
 )
 
-if(NOT CP2K_USE_MPI OR NOT "${MPI_Fortran_LIBRARY_VERSION_STRING}" MATCHES "Open
-  MPI")
+if(NOT CP2K_USE_MPI OR NOT "${MPI_Fortran_LIBRARY_VERSION_STRING}" MATCHES
+                       "Open MPI")
   add_compile_options(
     "$<$<AND:$<CONFIG:COVERAGE>,$<COMPILE_LANG_AND_ID:Fortran,GNU>>:-fsanitize=leak>"
     "$<$<AND:$<CONFIG:COVERAGE>,$<COMPILE_LANG_AND_ID:C,GNU>>:-O0;-g;--coverage;-Wall>"