diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index b039e24e8b..94119e2396 100755
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ endif()
 
 option(BUILD_MQT_CORE_MLIR "Build the MLIR submodule of the MQT Core project" OFF)
 if(BUILD_MQT_CORE_MLIR)
+  include(SetupMLIR)
   add_subdirectory(mlir)
 endif()
 
diff --git a/cmake/SetupMLIR.cmake b/cmake/SetupMLIR.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..45a39682d7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmake/SetupMLIR.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+# Copyright (c) 2023 - 2025 Chair for Design Automation, TUM
+# Copyright (c) 2025 Munich Quantum Software Company GmbH
+# All rights reserved.
+#
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+#
+# Licensed under the MIT License
+
+# set the include directory for the build tree
+set(MQT_MLIR_INCLUDE_BUILD_DIR "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/mlir/include")
+set(MQT_MLIR_MIN_VERSION 19.0)
+
+# MLIR must be installed on the system
+find_package(MLIR REQUIRED CONFIG)
+if(MLIR_VERSION VERSION_LESS MQT_MLIR_MIN_VERSION)
+  message(FATAL_ERROR "MLIR version must be at least ${MQT_MLIR_MIN_VERSION}")
+endif()
+message(STATUS "Using MLIRConfig.cmake in: ${MLIR_DIR}")
+message(STATUS "Using LLVMConfig.cmake in: ${LLVM_DIR}")
+
+# Add the paths to the MLIR and LLVM CMake modules.
+list(APPEND CMAKE_MODULE_PATH "${MLIR_CMAKE_DIR}")
+list(APPEND CMAKE_MODULE_PATH "${LLVM_CMAKE_DIR}")
+
+# Include the TableGen, LLVM and MLIR CMake modules.
+include(TableGen)
+include(AddLLVM)
+include(AddMLIR)
+include(HandleLLVMOptions)
+
+include_directories(${LLVM_INCLUDE_DIRS})
+include_directories(${MLIR_INCLUDE_DIRS})
+include_directories(${MQT_MLIR_INCLUDE_BUILD_DIR})
+include_directories(${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/mlir/include)
+link_directories(${LLVM_BUILD_LIBRARY_DIR})
+add_definitions(${LLVM_DEFINITIONS})
+
+string(REPLACE "." ";" MLIR_VERSION_COMPONENTS ${MLIR_VERSION})
+list(GET MLIR_VERSION_COMPONENTS 0 MLIR_VERSION_MAJOR)
+add_compile_definitions(MLIR_VERSION_MAJOR=${MLIR_VERSION_MAJOR})
+
+# set the binary directory for the build tree such that, e.g., docs can be generated in the build
+# tree
+set(MLIR_BINARY_DIR ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR})
diff --git a/mlir/CMakeLists.txt b/mlir/CMakeLists.txt
index 91e4de8d00..f74a4ad202 100644
--- a/mlir/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/mlir/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -6,43 +6,6 @@
 #
 # Licensed under the MIT License
 
-# set the include directory for the build tree
-set(MQT_MLIR_INCLUDE_BUILD_DIR "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/include")
-set(MQT_MLIR_MIN_VERSION 19.0)
-
-# MLIR must be installed on the system
-find_package(MLIR REQUIRED CONFIG)
-if(MLIR_VERSION VERSION_LESS MQT_MLIR_MIN_VERSION)
-  message(FATAL_ERROR "MLIR version must be at least ${MQT_MLIR_MIN_VERSION}")
-endif()
-message(STATUS "Using MLIRConfig.cmake in: ${MLIR_DIR}")
-message(STATUS "Using LLVMConfig.cmake in: ${LLVM_DIR}")
-
-# Add the paths to the MLIR and LLVM CMake modules.
-list(APPEND CMAKE_MODULE_PATH "${MLIR_CMAKE_DIR}")
-list(APPEND CMAKE_MODULE_PATH "${LLVM_CMAKE_DIR}")
-
-string(REPLACE "." ";" MLIR_VERSION_COMPONENTS ${MLIR_VERSION})
-list(GET MLIR_VERSION_COMPONENTS 0 MLIR_VERSION_MAJOR)
-add_compile_definitions(MLIR_VERSION_MAJOR=${MLIR_VERSION_MAJOR})
-
-# Include the TableGen, LLVM and MLIR CMake modules.
-include(TableGen)
-include(AddLLVM)
-include(AddMLIR)
-include(HandleLLVMOptions)
-
-include_directories(${LLVM_INCLUDE_DIRS})
-include_directories(${MLIR_INCLUDE_DIRS})
-include_directories(${MQT_MLIR_INCLUDE_BUILD_DIR})
-include_directories(${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/include)
-link_directories(${LLVM_BUILD_LIBRARY_DIR})
-add_definitions(${LLVM_DEFINITIONS})
-
-# set the binary directory for the build tree such that, e.g., docs can be generated in the build
-# tree
-set(MLIR_BINARY_DIR ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR})
-
 # add a compile feature for C++17
 set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 17)