diff --git a/Modules/CetTest.cmake b/Modules/CetTest.cmake
index 21451220..13494dc7 100644
--- a/Modules/CetTest.cmake
+++ b/Modules/CetTest.cmake
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ include(CetMake)
 include(CetPackagePath)
 # May need to escape a string to avoid misinterpretation as regex
 include(CetRegexEscape)
+# Need to specify transitive BINARY_DIR paths for COMPILE_ONLY tests
+include(CetTransitivePaths)
 
 ##################
 # Programs and Modules
@@ -688,8 +690,8 @@ test ${test} must be defined already to be specified as a fixture for ${CET_TARG
         endif()
       endif()
       if (CET_COMPILE_ONLY)
-        _transitive_binary_directories(${CETMODULES_CURRENT_PROJECT_NAME})
-        list(JOIN TRANSITIVE_BINARY_DIRS ":" DIRS_FOR_PREFIX_PATH)
+        cet_transitive_paths(BINARY_DIR IN_TREE)
+        list(JOIN TRANSITIVE_PATHS_WITH_BINARY_DIR ":" DIRS_FOR_PREFIX_PATH)
         set(TEST_CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH "CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=path_list_prepend:${DIRS_FOR_PREFIX_PATH}")
         get_test_property(${target} ENVIRONMENT_MODIFICATION CET_TEST_ENV_TMP)
         if (CET_TEST_ENV_TMP)
@@ -1100,15 +1102,3 @@ function(_update_defined_test_groups)
     FORCE
     )
 endfunction()
-
-function(_transitive_binary_directories PKG)
-  set(TRANSITIVE_BINARY_DIRS_TMP ${${PKG}_BINARY_DIR})
-  foreach(DEP IN LISTS CETMODULES_FIND_DEPS_PNAMES_PROJECT_${PKG})
-    if (${DEP}_IN_TREE)
-      _transitive_binary_directories(${DEP})
-      list(APPEND TRANSITIVE_BINARY_DIRS_TMP ${TRANSITIVE_BINARY_DIRS})
-    endif()
-  endforeach()
-  list(REMOVE_DUPLICATES TRANSITIVE_BINARY_DIRS_TMP)
-  set(TRANSITIVE_BINARY_DIRS ${TRANSITIVE_BINARY_DIRS_TMP} PARENT_SCOPE)
-endfunction()
diff --git a/Modules/CetTransitivePaths.cmake b/Modules/CetTransitivePaths.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..315b7a71
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Modules/CetTransitivePaths.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+#[================================================================[.rst:
+CetTransitivePaths
+------------------
+
+Defines the function :commmand:`cet_transitive_paths`.
+
+#]================================================================]
+
+include_guard()
+
+#[================================================================[.rst:
+.. command:: cet_transitive_paths
+
+
+   Get a list of path values for all transitive dependencies of the
+   given project name.  For a given path name, the dependency tree of
+   the given project is searched according to the dependencies
+   specified via ``find_package``.
+
+   For example, if the path name ``"MY_PATH"`` is supplied, the
+   function will traverse the dependency structure and collect all
+   values of the path name ``"<project-or-dependency name>_MY_PATH"``.
+   The result can be accessed via the variable
+   ``"TRANSITIVE_PATHS_WITH_MY_PATH"``.
+
+   .. code-block:: cmake
+
+      cet_transitive_paths(<path-name> [<project-variable localization options>] [IN_TREE] [PROJECT <project-name>])
+
+   Options
+   ^^^^^^^
+
+   ``[PROJECT] <project-name>``
+     The top-level project from which the transitive dependency
+     traversal occurs.  (default
+     :variable:`${CETMODULES_CURRENT_PROJECT_NAME}
+     <CETMODULES_CURRENT_PROJECT_NAME>`).
+
+   ``IN_TREE``
+     Include paths only from projects that are included in the build tree.
+
+   Non-option arguments
+   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+
+   ``[<path-name>]``
+     The variable in which the value(s) of project variable
+     ``<var-name>`` in project ``<project-name>`` shall be returned. If
+     not specified, the property's values shall be returned in a
+     variable in caller's scope whose name is ``<property>``.
+
+#]================================================================]
+
+function(cet_transitive_paths PATH)
+  cmake_parse_arguments(PARSE_ARGV 1 CTP "IN_TREE;BINARY;SOURCE;TRY_BINARY" "PROJECT" "")
+  cet_passthrough(FLAG APPEND CTP_BINARY clpv_args)
+  cet_passthrough(FLAG APPEND CTP_SOURCE clpv_args)
+  cet_passthrough(FLAG APPEND CTP_TRY_BINARY clpv_args)
+
+  set(PKG ${CETMODULES_CURRENT_PROJECT_NAME})
+  if (CTP_PROJECT)
+    set(PKG ${CTP_PROJECT})
+  endif()
+
+  _cet_transitive_project_names(${PKG} PNAMES_RESULT CTP_IN_TREE)
+  foreach(DEP IN LISTS PNAMES_RESULT)
+    if (DEFINED CACHE{CETMODULES_${PATH}_PROPERTIES_PROJECT_${DEP}})
+      cet_localize_pv(${DEP} ${PATH} ${clpv_args})
+    endif()
+    list(APPEND TRANSITIVE_PATHS_TMP ${${DEP}_${PATH}})
+  endforeach()
+  set(TRANSITIVE_PATHS_WITH_${PATH} ${TRANSITIVE_PATHS_TMP} PARENT_SCOPE)
+
+endfunction()
+
+function(_cet_transitive_project_names PKG RESULT_LIST)
+  set(RESULT_LIST_TMP ${${RESULT_LIST}})
+  foreach(DEP IN LISTS CETMODULES_FIND_DEPS_PNAMES_PROJECT_${PKG})
+    if (PKG STREQUAL DEP OR
+        (ARGN STREQUAL "IN_TREE" AND NOT ${DEP}_IN_TREE))
+      continue()
+    endif()
+    if (NOT "${DEP}" IN_LIST RESULT_LIST_TMP)
+      _cet_transitive_project_names("${DEP}" RESULT_LIST_TMP ${ARGN})
+    endif()
+  endforeach()
+  list(PREPEND RESULT_LIST_TMP ${PKG})
+  set(${RESULT_LIST} ${RESULT_LIST_TMP} PARENT_SCOPE)
+endfunction()