diff --git a/build/cmake/functions.cmake b/build/cmake/functions.cmake
index 230df3dd63..741358f633 100644
--- a/build/cmake/functions.cmake
+++ b/build/cmake/functions.cmake
@@ -791,7 +791,9 @@ endfunction()
 
 # Link libraries to a sample
 function(wx_link_sample_libraries name)
-    target_link_libraries(${name} ${ARGN})
+    if(TARGET ${name})
+        target_link_libraries(${name} PUBLIC ${ARGN})
+    endif()
 endfunction()
 
 # Add a option and mark is as advanced if it starts with wxUSE_
diff --git a/build/cmake/samples/CMakeLists.txt b/build/cmake/samples/CMakeLists.txt
index a5c003da4e..fcf11fb681 100644
--- a/build/cmake/samples/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/build/cmake/samples/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -262,10 +262,12 @@ if(WIN32)
         if(NOT wxBUILD_SHARED)
             # this test only makes sense with statically built wx, otherwise
             # the same copy of wx would be used
-            wx_add_sample(dll wx_exe.cpp my_dll.h NAME wx_exe FOLDER dll LIBRARIES my_dll)
+            wx_add_sample(dll wx_exe.cpp my_dll.h NAME wx_exe FOLDER dll)
+            wx_link_sample_libraries(wx_exe my_dll)
         endif()
 
-        wx_add_sample(dll sdk_exe.cpp my_dll.h NAME sdk_exe FOLDER dll LIBRARIES my_dll)
+        wx_add_sample(dll sdk_exe.cpp my_dll.h NAME sdk_exe FOLDER dll)
+        wx_link_sample_libraries(sdk_exe my_dll)
     endif()
 
     wx_add_sample(regtest RES regtest.rc DEPENDS wxUSE_REGKEY)