# CMP0038

Targets may not link directly to themselves.

CMake 2.8.12 and lower allowed a build target to link to itself directly with a `target_link_libraries()` call. This is an indicator of a bug in user code.

The `OLD` behavior for this policy is to ignore targets which list themselves in their own link implementation. The `NEW` behavior for this policy is to report an error if a target attempts to link to itself.

This policy was introduced in CMake version 3.0. CMake version 3.16.3 warns when the policy is not set and uses `OLD` behavior. Use the `cmake_policy()` command to set it to `OLD` or `NEW` explicitly.

Note

The `OLD` behavior of a policy is `deprecated by definition` and may be removed in a future version of CMake.