diff --git a/cmake/gz_msgs_generate.cmake b/cmake/gz_msgs_generate.cmake
index 01ee3182..efd430a2 100644
--- a/cmake/gz_msgs_generate.cmake
+++ b/cmake/gz_msgs_generate.cmake
@@ -28,7 +28,9 @@ function(gz_msgs_generate_messages_impl)
   _gz_msgs_proto_pkg_to_string(${generate_messages_PROTO_PACKAGE} gen_dir)
   _gz_msgs_proto_pkg_to_path(${generate_messages_PROTO_PACKAGE} proto_package_dir)
   set(output_directory ${generate_messages_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY})
+
   file(MAKE_DIRECTORY ${output_directory})
+  file(MAKE_DIRECTORY ${output_directory}/${proto_package_dir})
 
   foreach(proto_file ${generate_messages_INPUT_PROTOS})
     gz_msgs_protoc(
@@ -216,7 +218,7 @@ function(gz_msgs_generate_messages_lib)
     OUTPUT_FILENAME "${target_name}.gz_desc"
   )
 
-  add_library(${target_name} SHARED ${gen_sources} ${gen_factory_sources} ${target_name}.gz_desc)
+  add_library(${target_name} SHARED ${generated_sources})
 
   foreach(dep ${generate_messages_DEPENDENCIES})
     add_dependencies(${target_name} ${dep})
@@ -244,8 +246,8 @@ function(gz_msgs_generate_messages_lib)
     RUNTIME DESTINATION ${GZ_BIN_INSTALL_DIR}
     COMPONENT libraries)
 
-  install(FILES ${gen_headers} ${gen_factory_headers} DESTINATION ${GZ_INCLUDE_INSTALL_DIR_FULL}/${proto_package_dir})
-  install(FILES ${gen_detail_headers} DESTINATION ${GZ_INCLUDE_INSTALL_DIR_FULL}/${proto_package_dir}/details)
+  install(FILES ${generated_headers} DESTINATION ${GZ_INCLUDE_INSTALL_DIR_FULL}/${proto_package_dir})
+  install(FILES ${generated_detail_headers} DESTINATION ${GZ_INCLUDE_INSTALL_DIR_FULL}/${proto_package_dir}/details)
   install(FILES ${output_directory}/${target_name}.gz_desc DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_DATAROOTDIR}/gz/protos/)
 
   if (NOT GZ_PYTHON_INSTALL_PATH)
@@ -262,7 +264,7 @@ function(gz_msgs_generate_messages_lib)
       set(GZ_PYTHON_INSTALL_PATH ${GZ_LIB_INSTALL_DIR}/python)
     endif()
   endif()
-  install(FILES ${gen_sources_py} DESTINATION ${GZ_PYTHON_INSTALL_PATH}/gz/msgs${GZ_MSGS_VER})
+  install(FILES ${generated_python} DESTINATION ${GZ_PYTHON_INSTALL_PATH}/gz/msgs${GZ_MSGS_VER})
 
   set(component_name ${generate_messages_TARGET})
   set(component_pkg_name ${target_name})
diff --git a/core/CMakeLists.txt b/core/CMakeLists.txt
index 0558da8f..cfddcc8d 100644
--- a/core/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/core/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ gz_msgs_generate_desc_impl(
   PROTO_PATH ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/proto
   DEPENDENCY_DESCRIPTIONS ${depends_msgs_desc}
   OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/gz_msgs_gen
-  OUTPUT_FILENAME "gz-msgs${PROJECT_VERSION_MAJOR}.gz_desc"
+  OUTPUT_FILENAME gz-msgs${PROJECT_VERSION_MAJOR}.gz_desc
 )
 
 ##################################################
@@ -69,11 +69,21 @@ gz_create_core_library(SOURCES
   src/MessageFactory.cc
   src/DynamicFactory.cc
   ${msgs_sources}
+  gz-msgs${PROJECT_VERSION_MAJOR}.gz_desc
 )
 
 target_include_directories(${PROJECT_LIBRARY_TARGET_NAME} PUBLIC
   "$<BUILD_INTERFACE:${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/gz_msgs_gen>")
 
+set_target_properties(
+  ${PROJECT_LIBRARY_TARGET_NAME}
+    PROPERTIES
+      SOVERSION ${PROJECT_VERSION_MAJOR}
+      VERSION ${PROJECT_VERSION_FULL}
+      GZ_MSGS_DESC_FILE "\$\{_IMPORT_PREFIX\}/share/gz/protos/gz-msgs${PROJECT_VERSION_MAJOR}.gz_desc"
+      )
+set_property(TARGET ${PROJECT_LIBRARY_TARGET_NAME} PROPERTY EXPORT_PROPERTIES "GZ_MSGS_DESC_FILE")
+
 include(GzRelocatableBinaries)
 gz_add_get_install_prefix_impl(GET_INSTALL_PREFIX_FUNCTION gz::msgs::getInstallPrefix
                                GET_INSTALL_PREFIX_HEADER gz/msgs/InstallationDirectories.hh
diff --git a/gz-msgs-extras.cmake.in b/gz-msgs-extras.cmake.in
index 8902f963..e2c656ca 100644
--- a/gz-msgs-extras.cmake.in
+++ b/gz-msgs-extras.cmake.in
@@ -35,11 +35,11 @@ set(@PROJECT_NAME@_FACTORY_GENERATOR_SCRIPT ${@PROJECT_NAME@_INSTALL_PATH}/bin/$
 
 function(gz_msgs_generate_messages)
   set(options "")
-  set(oneValueArgs MSGS_PATH TARGET PROTO_PACKAGE)
+  set(oneValueArgs MSGS_PATH TARGET PROTO_PACKAGE OUTPUT_DIRECTORY)
   set(multiValueArgs MSGS_PROTOS DEPENDENCIES)
 
   cmake_parse_arguments(generate_messages "${options}" "${oneValueArgs}" "${multiValueArgs}" ${ARGN})
-  gz_msgs_generate_messages_impl(
+  gz_msgs_generate_messages_lib(
     MSGS_GEN_SCRIPT
       ${@PROJECT_NAME@_PROTO_GENERATOR_SCRIPT}
     FACTORY_GEN_SCRIPT