diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 71df5c0..65576c3 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -38,9 +38,12 @@ set(_nwflaim_common_defs
 if(CMAKE_SIZEOF_VOID_P EQUAL 8)
     list(APPEND _nwflaim_common_defs FLM_64BIT)
 endif()
-if(NWFLAIM_USE_NICI)
-    list(APPEND _nwflaim_common_defs FLM_USE_NICI)
-endif()
+# FLM_USE_NICI is intentionally not part of the global/default define set.
+# Classic FLAIM and its own tools use the NICI/CCS encrypted-storage path,
+# but XFLAIM has a separate NICI implementation with a different historical
+# API surface.  Enabling FLM_USE_NICI globally makes xflaim/src/f_nici.cpp
+# compile against the classic compatibility headers and breaks the default
+# mars-nwe build.
 
 find_package(Threads REQUIRED)
 find_library(NWFLAIM_RT_LIBRARY rt)
@@ -367,6 +370,16 @@ set(NWFLAIM_XFLAIM_SOURCES
     xflaim/src/scache.cpp
     xflaim/src/translog.cpp)
 
+
+function(nwflaim_enable_classic_nici target_name)
+    if(NWFLAIM_USE_NICI AND TARGET ${target_name})
+        target_compile_definitions(${target_name} PRIVATE FLM_USE_NICI)
+        if(NOT NWFLAIM_NICI_INCLUDE_DIR STREQUAL "")
+            target_include_directories(${target_name} PRIVATE "${NWFLAIM_NICI_INCLUDE_DIR}")
+        endif()
+    endif()
+endfunction()
+
 function(nwflaim_common_target target_name public_include_dir install_include_dir)
     target_compile_features(${target_name} PUBLIC cxx_std_98)
     target_compile_definitions(${target_name} PRIVATE ${_nwflaim_common_defs})
@@ -379,9 +392,6 @@ function(nwflaim_common_target target_name public_include_dir install_include_di
             "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/flaim/src"
             "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/sql/src"
             "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/xflaim/src")
-    if(NWFLAIM_USE_NICI AND NOT NWFLAIM_NICI_INCLUDE_DIR STREQUAL "")
-        target_include_directories(${target_name} PRIVATE "${NWFLAIM_NICI_INCLUDE_DIR}")
-    endif()
     target_link_libraries(${target_name} PUBLIC Threads::Threads)
     if(CURSES_INCLUDE_DIRS)
         target_include_directories(${target_name} PRIVATE ${CURSES_INCLUDE_DIRS})
@@ -411,9 +421,6 @@ function(nwflaim_common_private_target target_name)
             "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/sql/src"
             "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/xflaim/src"
             "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/xflaim/util")
-    if(NWFLAIM_USE_NICI AND NOT NWFLAIM_NICI_INCLUDE_DIR STREQUAL "")
-        target_include_directories(${target_name} PRIVATE "${NWFLAIM_NICI_INCLUDE_DIR}")
-    endif()
     target_link_libraries(${target_name} PRIVATE Threads::Threads)
     if(CURSES_INCLUDE_DIRS)
         target_include_directories(${target_name} PRIVATE ${CURSES_INCLUDE_DIRS})
@@ -478,9 +485,11 @@ endif()
 nwflaim_add_library(flaim flaim flaim/src "${CMAKE_INSTALL_INCLUDEDIR}/nwflaim" "${NWFLAIM_FLAIM_LIBRARY_VERSION}" "${NWFLAIM_FLAIM_LIBRARY_SOVERSION}" ${NWFLAIM_FLAIM_SOURCES})
 if(TARGET flaim)
     target_link_libraries(flaim PUBLIC flaimtk)
+    nwflaim_enable_classic_nici(flaim)
 endif()
 if(TARGET flaim_static)
     target_link_libraries(flaim_static PUBLIC flaimtk_static)
+    nwflaim_enable_classic_nici(flaim_static)
 endif()
 
 if(NWFLAIM_BUILD_SQL)
@@ -510,17 +519,21 @@ if(NWFLAIM_BUILD_TOOLS)
         flaim/util/flm_lutl.cpp
         flaim/util/sharutil.cpp)
     nwflaim_common_private_target(flaim_util_objects)
+    nwflaim_enable_classic_nici(flaim_util_objects)
     target_include_directories(flaim_util_objects PRIVATE "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/flaim/util")
 
     nwflaim_add_tool(flmcheckdb_tool nwflmcheckdb flaim
         flaim/util/checkdb.cpp
         $<TARGET_OBJECTS:flaim_util_objects>)
+    nwflaim_enable_classic_nici(flmcheckdb_tool)
     nwflaim_add_tool(flmrebuild_tool nwflmrebuild flaim
         flaim/util/rebuild.cpp
         $<TARGET_OBJECTS:flaim_util_objects>)
+    nwflaim_enable_classic_nici(flmrebuild_tool)
     nwflaim_add_tool(flmgigatest_tool nwflmgigatest flaim
         flaim/util/gigatest.cpp
         $<TARGET_OBJECTS:flaim_util_objects>)
+    nwflaim_enable_classic_nici(flmgigatest_tool)
     nwflaim_add_tool(flmview_tool nwflmview flaim
         flaim/util/viewblk.cpp
         flaim/util/view.cpp
@@ -532,10 +545,12 @@ if(NWFLAIM_BUILD_TOOLS)
         flaim/util/viewmenu.cpp
         flaim/util/viewsrch.cpp
         $<TARGET_OBJECTS:flaim_util_objects>)
+    nwflaim_enable_classic_nici(flmview_tool)
     nwflaim_add_tool(flmdbshell_tool nwflmdbshell flaim
         flaim/util/dbshell.cpp
         flaim/util/flm_edit.cpp
         $<TARGET_OBJECTS:flaim_util_objects>)
+    nwflaim_enable_classic_nici(flmdbshell_tool)
 
     if(NWFLAIM_BUILD_XFLAIM)
         add_library(xflaim_util_objects OBJECT