diff --git a/examples/szip/CMakeLists.txt b/examples/szip/CMakeLists.txt
index 447c71d152..c5a5b0a91b 100644
--- a/examples/szip/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/examples/szip/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -14,4 +14,4 @@ hunter_add_package(szip)
 find_package(szip REQUIRED)
 
 add_executable(foo foo.cpp)
-target_link_libraries(foo szip::szip)
+target_link_libraries(foo PRIVATE szip::szip)
diff --git a/examples/szip/foo.cpp b/examples/szip/foo.cpp
index aa5926a073..0785793f85 100644
--- a/examples/szip/foo.cpp
+++ b/examples/szip/foo.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,14 @@
+#include <cstddef> // szlib.h uses size_t, but doesn't include stddef.h, workaround that
+extern "C" {
+// szlib.h is a C-library, but the header doesn't handle C++, so do it for the lib
+// otherwise the functions (for example SZ_encoder_enabled()) will not be found
 #include <szlib.h>
+}
+#include <iostream>
 
 int main()
 {
+   std::cout << "SZLIB_VERSION: " << SZLIB_VERSION << std::endl;
+   std::cout << "SZ_encoder_eabled: " << SZ_encoder_enabled() << std::endl;
    return 0;
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}