diff --git a/modules/build_info.cmake b/modules/build_info.cmake
index 8e8abba..fdfe2b0 100644
--- a/modules/build_info.cmake
+++ b/modules/build_info.cmake
@@ -1,6 +1,15 @@
 # Copyright (c) 2015 by Radovan Bast and Jonas Juselius
 # see https://github.com/scisoft/autocmake/blob/master/LICENSE
 
+# generated cmake files will be written to this path
+# only build info is generated
+# everything else is static for the user
+file(MAKE_DIRECTORY ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/generated_by_cmake)
+set(CMAKE_MODULE_PATH
+    ${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH}
+    ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/generated_by_cmake
+    )
+
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 function(get_git_info
diff --git a/modules/safe_guards.cmake b/modules/safe_guards.cmake
index bf6688d..f8c9098 100644
--- a/modules/safe_guards.cmake
+++ b/modules/safe_guards.cmake
@@ -15,5 +15,9 @@ function(guard_against_bad_build_types in_build_type)
     endif()
 endfunction()
 
+if(NOT CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE)
+    set(CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE "Debug")
+endif()
+
 guard_against_in_source(${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR} ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR})
 guard_against_bad_build_types(${CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE})
diff --git a/modules/version.cmake b/modules/version.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..06d118e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/version.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+# determine program version from file, example: "14.1"
+# the reason why this information is stored
+# in a file and not as cmake variable
+# is that cmake-unaware programs can
+# parse and use it (e.g. Sphinx)
+if(EXISTS "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/VERSION")
+    file(READ "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/VERSION" PROGRAM_VERSION)
+    string(STRIP "${PROGRAM_VERSION}" PROGRAM_VERSION)
+endif()
diff --git a/update.py b/update.py
index 054b65a..9142c30 100755
--- a/update.py
+++ b/update.py
@@ -166,42 +166,15 @@ def gen_cmakelists(config, relative_path, list_of_modules):
     s.append('# do not rebuild if rules (compiler flags) change')
     s.append('set(CMAKE_SKIP_RULE_DEPENDENCY TRUE)')
 
-    s.append('\n')
-    s.append('# directory which holds enabled cmake modules')
-    s.append('set(CMAKE_MODULE_PATH ${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH}')
-    s.append('    ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/%s)' % os.path.join(relative_path, 'modules'))
-
-    s.append('\n')
-    s.append('# guards against in-source builds and bad build types')
-    s.append('if(NOT CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE)')
-    s.append('    set(CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE "Debug")')
-    s.append('endif()')
-
     s.append('\n')
     s.append('# python interpreter is required at many')
     s.append('# places during configuration and build')
     s.append('find_package(PythonInterp REQUIRED)')
 
     s.append('\n')
-    s.append('# determine program version from file, example: "14.1"')
-    s.append('# the reason why this information is stored')
-    s.append('# in a file and not as cmake variable')
-    s.append('# is that cmake-unaware programs can')
-    s.append('# parse and use it (e.g. Sphinx)')
-    s.append('if(EXISTS "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/VERSION")')
-    s.append('    file(READ "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/VERSION" PROGRAM_VERSION)')
-    s.append('    string(STRIP "${PROGRAM_VERSION}" PROGRAM_VERSION)')
-    s.append('endif()')
-
-    s.append('\n')
-    s.append('# generated cmake files will be written to this path')
-    s.append('# only build info is generated')
-    s.append('# everything else is static for the user')
-    s.append('file(MAKE_DIRECTORY ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/generated_by_cmake)')
-    s.append('set(CMAKE_MODULE_PATH')
-    s.append('    ${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH}')
-    s.append('    ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/generated_by_cmake')
-    s.append('    )')
+    s.append('# directory which holds enabled cmake modules')
+    s.append('set(CMAKE_MODULE_PATH ${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH}')
+    s.append('    ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/%s)' % os.path.join(relative_path, 'modules'))
 
     s.append('\n')
     s.append('# included cmake modules')