diff --git a/cmake/modules/ExternalDependenciesVersions.cmake b/cmake/modules/ExternalDependenciesVersions.cmake
index 1e6dd1fef..8d763f5db 100644
--- a/cmake/modules/ExternalDependenciesVersions.cmake
+++ b/cmake/modules/ExternalDependenciesVersions.cmake
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 # need Boost.CallableTraits (header only, part of Boost 1.66 released in Dec 2017) for wrap.h to work
 set(TTG_TRACKED_BOOST_VERSION 1.66)
-set(TTG_TRACKED_CATCH2_VERSION 2.13.1)
+set(TTG_TRACKED_CATCH2_VERSION 3.5.0)
 set(TTG_TRACKED_CEREAL_VERSION 1.3.0)
 set(TTG_TRACKED_MADNESS_TAG cb195817d7807c4aead10ba200cd20649036cbae)
 set(TTG_TRACKED_PARSEC_TAG 25d1931e863b6741e453112d2117d85ad32e7fba)
diff --git a/tests/unit/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/unit/CMakeLists.txt
index 154f03183..6b524010f 100644
--- a/tests/unit/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/unit/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -20,12 +20,14 @@ set(ut_libs Catch2::Catch2)
 add_ttg_executable(core-unittests-ttg "${ut_src}" LINK_LIBRARIES "${ut_libs}" COMPILE_DEFINITIONS "CATCH_CONFIG_NO_POSIX_SIGNALS=1" )
 
 # serialization test: probes serialization via all supported serialization methods (MADNESS, Boost::serialization, cereal) that are available
-add_executable(serialization "serialization.cc;unit_main.cpp")
-target_link_libraries(serialization "Catch2::Catch2;ttg-serialization")
-if (TARGET BTAS::BTAS)
-    target_link_libraries(serialization BTAS::BTAS)
-    target_compile_definitions(serialization PRIVATE TTG_HAS_BTAS=1)
-endif (TARGET BTAS::BTAS)
+add_ttg_executable(serialization serialization.cc unit_main.cpp
+                   LINK_LIBRARIES Catch2::Catch2 ttg-serialization  $<TARGET_NAME_IF_EXISTS:BTAS::BTAS>
+                   COMPILE_DEFINITIONS $<$<TARGET_EXISTS:BTAS::BTAS>:TTG_HAS_BTAS=1>)
+#target_link_libraries(serialization "Catch2::Catch2;ttg-serialization")
+#if (TARGET BTAS::BTAS)
+#    target_link_libraries(serialization BTAS::BTAS)
+#    target_compile_definitions(serialization PRIVATE TTG_HAS_BTAS=1)
+#endif (TARGET BTAS::BTAS)
 
 # TODO: convert into unit test
 #if (TARGET MADworld)
@@ -33,4 +35,5 @@ endif (TARGET BTAS::BTAS)
 #endif(TARGET MADworld)
 
 
-catch_discover_tests(serialization TEST_PREFIX "ttg/test/unit/")
+catch_discover_tests(serialization-parsec TEST_PREFIX "ttg/test/unit/")
+catch_discover_tests(serialization-mad TEST_PREFIX "ttg/test/unit/")
diff --git a/tests/unit/serialization.cc b/tests/unit/serialization.cc
index 647f7d1ec..0c14cfaca 100644
--- a/tests/unit/serialization.cc
+++ b/tests/unit/serialization.cc
@@ -463,7 +463,7 @@ namespace freestanding::symmetric::bc_v {
 
 #include "ttg/serialization/data_descriptor.h"
 
-#include <catch2/catch.hpp>
+#include <catch2/catch_all.hpp>
 
 static_assert(ttg::detail::is_madness_buffer_serializable_v<int>);
 static_assert(!ttg::detail::is_madness_user_buffer_serializable_v<int>);
diff --git a/tests/unit/unit_main.cpp b/tests/unit/unit_main.cpp
index 7ca861716..e4a923cd3 100644
--- a/tests/unit/unit_main.cpp
+++ b/tests/unit/unit_main.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #define CATCH_CONFIG_RUNNER
 
-#include <catch2/catch.hpp>
+#include <catch2/catch_all.hpp>
 
 #include <clocale>
 #include <iostream>