diff --git a/cmake/OpenCVFindMKL.cmake b/cmake/OpenCVFindMKL.cmake
index 0f5462acd2..fd95dcb446 100644
--- a/cmake/OpenCVFindMKL.cmake
+++ b/cmake/OpenCVFindMKL.cmake
@@ -96,9 +96,7 @@ if(${MKL_VERSION_STR} VERSION_GREATER "11.3.0" OR ${MKL_VERSION_STR} VERSION_EQU
         ${MKL_ROOT_DIR}/lib
         ${MKL_ROOT_DIR}/lib/${MKL_ARCH} ${MKL_ROOT_DIR}/../tbb/lib/${MKL_ARCH})
 
-    set(mkl_lib_list
-        mkl_core
-        mkl_intel_${MKL_ARCH_SUFFIX})
+    set(mkl_lib_list "mkl_intel_${MKL_ARCH_SUFFIX}")
 
     if(MKL_WITH_TBB)
         list(APPEND mkl_lib_list mkl_tbb_thread tbb)
@@ -111,6 +109,8 @@ if(${MKL_VERSION_STR} VERSION_GREATER "11.3.0" OR ${MKL_VERSION_STR} VERSION_EQU
     else()
         list(APPEND mkl_lib_list mkl_sequential)
     endif()
+
+    list(APPEND mkl_lib_list mkl_core)
 else()
     message(STATUS "MKL version ${MKL_VERSION_STR} is not supported")
     mkl_fail()
diff --git a/modules/core/CMakeLists.txt b/modules/core/CMakeLists.txt
index 41da825457..01b272e97e 100644
--- a/modules/core/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/modules/core/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 set(the_description "The Core Functionality")
 ocv_add_module(core
                "${OPENCV_HAL_LINKER_LIBS}"
-               PRIVATE_REQUIRED ${ZLIB_LIBRARIES} "${OPENCL_LIBRARIES}" "${VA_LIBRARIES}" "${LAPACK_LIBRARIES}"
                OPTIONAL opencv_cudev
                WRAP java python)
 
@@ -33,5 +32,7 @@ ocv_glob_module_sources(SOURCES "${OPENCV_MODULE_opencv_core_BINARY_DIR}/version
 ocv_module_include_directories(${the_module} ${ZLIB_INCLUDE_DIRS} ${OPENCL_INCLUDE_DIRS})
 ocv_create_module(${extra_libs})
 
+ocv_target_link_libraries(${the_module} ${ZLIB_LIBRARIES} "${OPENCL_LIBRARIES}" "${VA_LIBRARIES}" "${LAPACK_LIBRARIES}")
+
 ocv_add_accuracy_tests()
 ocv_add_perf_tests()