diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 8cde8f6fec3..d4d325818e8 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -421,3 +421,5 @@ add_subdirectory (tests)
 add_subdirectory (utils)
 
 include (cmake/print_include_directories.cmake)
+
+include (cmake/sanitize_target_link_libraries.cmake)
diff --git a/cmake/sanitize_target_link_libraries.cmake b/cmake/sanitize_target_link_libraries.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d66ea338a52
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmake/sanitize_target_link_libraries.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+# When you will try to link target with the directory (that exists), cmake will
+# skip this without an error, only the following warning will be reported:
+#
+#     target_link_libraries(main /tmp)
+#
+#     WARNING: Target "main" requests linking to directory "/tmp".  Targets may link only to libraries.  CMake is dropping the item.
+#
+# And there is no cmake policy that controls this.
+# (I guess the reason that it is allowed is because of FRAMEWORK for OSX).
+#
+# So to avoid error-prone cmake rules, this can be sanitized.
+# There are the following ways:
+# - overwrite target_link_libraries()/link_libraries() and check *before*
+#   calling real macro, but this requires duplicate all supported syntax
+#   -- too complex
+# - overwrite target_link_libraries() and check LINK_LIBRARIES property, this
+#   works great
+#   -- but cannot be used with link_libraries()
+# - use BUILDSYSTEM_TARGETS property to get list of all targets and sanitize
+#   -- this will work.
+
+# https://stackoverflow.com/a/62311397/328260
+function (get_all_targets var)
+    set (targets)
+    get_all_targets_recursive (targets ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR})
+    set (${var} ${targets} PARENT_SCOPE)
+endfunction()
+macro (get_all_targets_recursive targets dir)
+    get_property (subdirectories DIRECTORY ${dir} PROPERTY SUBDIRECTORIES)
+    foreach (subdir ${subdirectories})
+        get_all_targets_recursive (${targets} ${subdir})
+    endforeach ()
+    get_property (current_targets DIRECTORY ${dir} PROPERTY BUILDSYSTEM_TARGETS)
+    list (APPEND ${targets} ${current_targets})
+endmacro ()
+
+macro (sanitize_link_libraries target)
+    get_target_property(target_type ${target} TYPE)
+    if (${target_type} STREQUAL "INTERFACE_LIBRARY")
+        get_property(linked_libraries TARGET ${target} PROPERTY INTERFACE_LINK_LIBRARIES)
+    else()
+        get_property(linked_libraries TARGET ${target} PROPERTY LINK_LIBRARIES)
+    endif()
+    foreach (linked_library ${linked_libraries})
+        if (TARGET ${linked_library})
+            # just in case, skip if TARGET
+        elseif (IS_DIRECTORY ${linked_library})
+            message(FATAL_ERROR "${target} requested to link with directory: ${linked_library}")
+        endif()
+    endforeach()
+endmacro()
+
+get_all_targets (all_targets)
+foreach (target ${all_targets})
+    sanitize_link_libraries(${target})
+endforeach()