diff --git a/ports/esp32/main/CMakeLists.txt b/ports/esp32/main/CMakeLists.txt
index 1f4bb3175b..2bfc09558e 100644
--- a/ports/esp32/main/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/ports/esp32/main/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ idf_component_register(
         ${MICROPY_SOURCE_DRIVERS}
         ${MICROPY_SOURCE_PORT}
     INCLUDE_DIRS
-        ${MICROPY_DIR}
+        ${MICROPY_INC_CORE}
         ${MICROPY_INC_USERMOD}
         ${MICROPY_PORT_DIR}
         ${MICROPY_BOARD_DIR}
diff --git a/ports/rp2/CMakeLists.txt b/ports/rp2/CMakeLists.txt
index 5f3cdebd87..100a834090 100644
--- a/ports/rp2/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/ports/rp2/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -148,9 +148,9 @@ target_sources(${MICROPY_TARGET} PRIVATE
 target_link_libraries(${MICROPY_TARGET} usermod)
 
 target_include_directories(${MICROPY_TARGET} PRIVATE
+    ${MICROPY_INC_CORE}
     ${MICROPY_INC_USERMOD}
     "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}"
-    "${MICROPY_DIR}"
     "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}"
 )
 
diff --git a/ports/zephyr/CMakeLists.txt b/ports/zephyr/CMakeLists.txt
index 08868d716d..716642979a 100644
--- a/ports/zephyr/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/ports/zephyr/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ set(MICROPY_CPP_FLAGS_EXTRA ${includes} ${system_includes} ${definitions} ${opti
 zephyr_library_named(${MICROPY_TARGET})
 
 zephyr_library_include_directories(
-    ${MICROPY_DIR}
+    ${MICROPY_INC_CORE}
     ${MICROPY_PORT_DIR}
     ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}
 )
diff --git a/py/py.cmake b/py/py.cmake
index be5deca251..2b5d437b57 100644
--- a/py/py.cmake
+++ b/py/py.cmake
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 set(MICROPY_PY_DIR "${MICROPY_DIR}/py")
 
+list(APPEND MICROPY_INC_CORE "${MICROPY_DIR}")
+
 # All py/ source files
 set(MICROPY_SOURCE_PY
     ${MICROPY_PY_DIR}/argcheck.c