diff --git a/Source/CMakeLists.txt b/Source/CMakeLists.txt
index 71ed5876c5..a16b31cb20 100644
--- a/Source/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/Source/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ endif()
 add_definitions(-D__STDC_LIMIT_MACROS)
 add_definitions(-D__STDC_CONSTANT_MACROS)
 
+# DEPRECATED: When introducing new libraries, do it explicitly.
 macro(add_dolphin_library lib srcs libs)
   add_library(${lib} STATIC ${srcs})
   target_link_libraries(${lib} PUBLIC ${libs})
diff --git a/Source/Core/Core/CMakeLists.txt b/Source/Core/Core/CMakeLists.txt
index d7e25bc915..141d305887 100644
--- a/Source/Core/Core/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/Source/Core/Core/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-set(SRCS
+add_library(core
   ActionReplay.cpp
   Analytics.cpp
   ARDecrypt.cpp
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ set(SRCS
 )
 
 if(_M_X86)
-  set(SRCS ${SRCS}
+  target_sources(core PRIVATE
     PowerPC/Jit64/FPURegCache.cpp
     PowerPC/Jit64/GPRRegCache.cpp
     PowerPC/Jit64/Jit64_Tables.cpp
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ if(_M_X86)
     PowerPC/Jit64Common/TrampolineCache.cpp
   )
 elseif(_M_ARM_64)
-  set(SRCS ${SRCS}
+  target_sources(core PRIVATE
     PowerPC/JitArm64/Jit.cpp
     PowerPC/JitArm64/JitAsm.cpp
     PowerPC/JitArm64/JitArm64Cache.cpp
@@ -271,7 +271,8 @@ elseif(_M_ARM_64)
   )
 endif()
 
-set(LIBS
+target_link_libraries(core
+PUBLIC
   audiocommon
   bdisasm
   common
@@ -280,6 +281,7 @@ set(LIBS
   enet
   inputcommon
   ${LZO}
+  ${MBEDTLS_LIBRARIES}
   pugixml
   sfml-network
   sfml-system
@@ -291,33 +293,37 @@ set(LIBS
 
 if(LIBUSB_FOUND)
   # Using shared LibUSB
-  set(LIBS ${LIBS} ${LIBUSB_LIBRARIES})
-  set(SRCS ${SRCS}
+  target_link_libraries(core PUBLIC ${LIBUSB_LIBRARIES})
+  target_sources(core PRIVATE
     IOS/USB/LibusbDevice.cpp
     IOS/USB/Bluetooth/BTReal.cpp
   )
 endif()
 
 if(NOT APPLE)
-  set(LIBS ${LIBS} videovulkan)
+  target_link_libraries(core PUBLIC videovulkan)
 endif()
 
-set(LIBS ${LIBS} ${MBEDTLS_LIBRARIES})
-
 if(WIN32)
-  set(SRCS ${SRCS} HW/EXI/BBA-TAP/TAP_Win32.cpp HW/WiimoteReal/IOWin.cpp)
-  list(APPEND LIBS
+  target_sources(core PRIVATE
+    HW/EXI/BBA-TAP/TAP_Win32.cpp
+    HW/WiimoteReal/IOWin.cpp
+  )
+  target_link_libraries(core PUBLIC
     videod3d
     setupapi.lib
     iphlpapi.lib
   )
 elseif(APPLE)
-  set(SRCS ${SRCS} HW/EXI/BBA-TAP/TAP_Apple.cpp HW/WiimoteReal/IOdarwin.mm)
-  set(LIBS ${LIBS} ${IOB_LIBRARY})
+  target_sources(core PRIVATE
+    HW/EXI/BBA-TAP/TAP_Apple.cpp
+    HW/WiimoteReal/IOdarwin.mm
+  )
+  target_link_libraries(core PUBLIC ${IOB_LIBRARY})
 elseif(UNIX)
-  set(SRCS ${SRCS} HW/EXI/BBA-TAP/TAP_Unix.cpp)
+  target_sources(core PRIVATE HW/EXI/BBA-TAP/TAP_Unix.cpp)
   if(ANDROID)
-    set(SRCS ${SRCS} HW/WiimoteReal/IOAndroid.cpp)
+    target_sources(core PRIVATE HW/WiimoteReal/IOAndroid.cpp)
   endif()
 endif()
 
@@ -328,9 +334,9 @@ if(CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME MATCHES "Linux")
     find_package(BlueZ)
     if(BLUEZ_FOUND)
       message(STATUS "BlueZ found, enabling bluetooth support")
-      set(SRCS ${SRCS} HW/WiimoteReal/IOLinux.cpp)
-      set(LIBS ${LIBS} BlueZ::BlueZ)
-      add_definitions(-DHAVE_BLUEZ=1)
+      target_sources(core PRIVATE HW/WiimoteReal/IOLinux.cpp)
+      target_link_libraries(core PUBLIC BlueZ::BlueZ)
+      target_compile_definitions(core PRIVATE -DHAVE_BLUEZ=1)
     else()
       message(STATUS "BlueZ NOT found, disabling bluetooth support")
     endif()
@@ -340,17 +346,15 @@ if(CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME MATCHES "Linux")
 endif()
 
 if(TARGET Hidapi::Hidapi)
-  set(SRCS ${SRCS} HW/WiimoteReal/IOhidapi.cpp)
-  list(APPEND LIBS Hidapi::Hidapi)
-  add_definitions(-DHAVE_HIDAPI=1)
+  target_sources(core PRIVATE HW/WiimoteReal/IOhidapi.cpp)
+  target_link_libraries(core PUBLIC Hidapi::Hidapi)
+  target_compile_definitions(core PRIVATE -DHAVE_HIDAPI=1)
 endif()
 
 if(GDBSTUB)
-  set(SRCS ${SRCS} PowerPC/GDBStub.cpp)
+  target_sources(core PRIVATE PowerPC/GDBStub.cpp)
 endif()
 
 if(UNIX)
-  set(SRCS ${SRCS} MemoryWatcher.cpp)
+  target_sources(core PRIVATE MemoryWatcher.cpp)
 endif()
-
-add_dolphin_library(core "${SRCS}" "${LIBS}")