diff --git a/.github/workflows/clang-tidy.yml b/.github/workflows/clang-tidy.yml
index 94231301..0037fe48 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/clang-tidy.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/clang-tidy.yml
@@ -191,9 +191,6 @@ jobs:
 
     - name: Install fftw3
       run: sudo apt-get install -yq libfftw3-dev pkg-config
-
-    - name: Install Bear
-      run: sudo apt-get install -yq bear
     
     - name: configure pcms
       run : |
@@ -219,27 +216,12 @@ jobs:
                   -DKokkosKernels_DIR=${{ runner.temp }}/build-kokkos-kernels-openmpi/install/lib/cmake/KokkosKernels/ \
                   -DPCMS_TEST_DATA_DIR=$PWD/pcms_testcases
     
-    - name: Configure pcms with Bear
-      run: |
-        cd ${{ runner.temp }}/build-pcms
-        bear -- make
-    
     - name: Install clang-tidy
       run: |
         sudo apt-get update
         sudo apt-get install -yq clang-tidy-18
     
+    # TODO need to capture the error code from this
     - name: Run clang-tidy
       run: |
-        EXIT_CODE=0
-        while read file; do
-          if ! clang-tidy -p ${{ runner.temp }}/build-pcms "$file" --quiet; then
-            echo "$file has clang-tidy issues"
-            EXIT_CODE=1
-          fi
-        done < <(find src -name "*.cpp" -o -name "*.hpp" -o -name "*.c" -o -name "*.h" -o -name "*.cc" -o -name "*.cxx" | grep -v 'src/pcms/capi/' | grep -v 'src/pcms/fortranapi/')
-        if [ $EXIT_CODE -eq 1 ]; then
-          echo "Some C/C++ files have clang-tidy issues. Please fix them with clang-tidy-18."
-          exit 1
-        fi
-        echo "All C/C++ files pass clang-tidy checks"
+        cmake --build ${{ runner.temp }}/build-pcms -t run-clang-tidy
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index d9c519ca..3cf5fa68 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -18,6 +18,28 @@ if(PCMS_ENABLE_ASAN AND CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUCXX MATCHES 1)
   set(PCMS_HAS_ASAN ON)
 endif()
 
+# based on Professional CMake: A Practical Guide
+# this approach works around some issues with CMakes internal handling using co-compilation
+# this approach affords a separate clang-tidy run step in the CI
+if(PROJECT_IS_TOP_LEVEL)
+  set(CMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS TRUE)
+
+  find_program(CLANG_TIDY_EXECUTABLE clang-tidy REQUIRED)
+  find_program(RUN_CLANG_TIDY_EXECUTABLE run-clang-tidy REQUIRED)
+
+  set(CLANG_TIDY_CONFIG_FILE ${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/.clang-tidy)
+
+  message(STATUS "CLANG_TIDY_EXECUTABLE=${CLANG_TIDY_EXECUTABLE}")
+  message(STATUS "RUN_CLANG_TIDY_EXECUTABLE= ${RUN_CLANG_TIDY_EXECUTABLE}")
+  message(STATUS "CLANG_TIDY_CONFIG_FILE=${CLANG_TIDY_CONFIG_FILE}")
+  add_custom_target(run-clang-tidy
+          COMMAND ${RUN_CLANG_TIDY_EXECUTABLE}
+          -clang-tidy-binary ${CLANG_TIDY_EXECUTABLE}
+          -p ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}
+          -config-file ${CLANG_TIDY_CONFIG_FILE}
+  )
+endif()
+
 option(PCMS_ENABLE_SERVER "enable the coupling server implementation" ON)
 option(PCMS_ENABLE_CLIENT "enable the coupling client implementation" ON)