diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 139dce9c6..beccd08a6 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -62,9 +62,6 @@ elseif(CONFIG_STACK_CHECK_ALL)
     list(APPEND compile_options "-fstack-protector-all")
 endif()
 
-# All targets built under this scope is with the ESP-IDF build system
-set(ESP_PLATFORM 1)
-list(APPEND compile_definitions "-DESP_PLATFORM")
 
 idf_build_set_property(COMPILE_OPTIONS "${compile_options}" APPEND)
 idf_build_set_property(C_COMPILE_OPTIONS "${c_compile_options}" APPEND)
diff --git a/tools/cmake/build.cmake b/tools/cmake/build.cmake
index bd2184977..2371c9462 100644
--- a/tools/cmake/build.cmake
+++ b/tools/cmake/build.cmake
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ function(__build_set_default_build_specifications)
     unset(c_compile_options)
     unset(cxx_compile_options)
 
-    list(APPEND compile_definitions "-DHAVE_CONFIG_H")
+    list(APPEND compile_definitions "-DHAVE_CONFIG_H" "-D_GNU_SOURCE")
 
     list(APPEND compile_options     "-ffunction-sections"
                                     "-fdata-sections"
@@ -147,7 +147,10 @@ function(__build_init idf_path)
     file(GLOB component_dirs ${idf_path}/components/*)
     foreach(component_dir ${component_dirs})
         get_filename_component(component_dir ${component_dir} ABSOLUTE)
-        __component_add(${component_dir} ${prefix})
+        __component_dir_quick_check(is_component ${component_dir})
+        if(is_component)
+            __component_add(${component_dir} ${prefix})
+        endif()
     endforeach()
 
     # Set components required by all other components in the build
@@ -439,12 +442,18 @@ macro(idf_build_process target)
         idf_build_set_property(___COMPONENT_REQUIRES_COMMON ${lib} APPEND)
     endforeach()
 
+    # All targets built under this scope is with the ESP-IDF build system
+    set(ESP_PLATFORM 1)
+    idf_build_set_property(COMPILE_DEFINITIONS "-DESP_PLATFORM" APPEND)
+
     __build_process_project_includes()
 
     # Perform component processing (inclusion of project_include.cmake, adding component
     # subdirectories, creating library targets, linking libraries, etc.)
     idf_build_get_property(idf_path IDF_PATH)
     add_subdirectory(${idf_path} ${build_dir}/esp-idf)
+
+    unset(ESP_PLATFORM)
 endmacro()
 
 # idf_build_executable
diff --git a/tools/cmake/component.cmake b/tools/cmake/component.cmake
index 2f65dca2e..b3dd460c8 100644
--- a/tools/cmake/component.cmake
+++ b/tools/cmake/component.cmake
@@ -95,6 +95,36 @@ macro(__component_set_properties)
     __component_set_property(${component_target} REQUIRED_IDF_TARGETS "${__REQUIRED_IDF_TARGETS}")
 endmacro()
 
+#
+# Perform a quick check if given component dir satisfies basic requirements.
+#
+function(__component_dir_quick_check var component_dir)
+    set(res 1)
+    get_filename_component(abs_dir ${component_dir} ABSOLUTE)
+
+    # Check this is really a directory and that a CMakeLists.txt file for this component exists
+    # - warn and skip anything which isn't valid looking (probably cruft)
+    if(NOT IS_DIRECTORY "${abs_dir}")
+        message(STATUS "Unexpected file in components directory: ${abs_dir}")
+        set(res 0)
+    endif()
+
+    get_filename_component(base_dir ${abs_dir} NAME)
+    string(SUBSTRING "${base_dir}" 0 1 first_char)
+
+    if(NOT first_char STREQUAL ".")
+        if(NOT EXISTS "${abs_dir}/CMakeLists.txt")
+            message(STATUS "Component directory ${abs_dir} does not contain a CMakeLists.txt file. "
+                "No component will be added")
+            set(res 0)
+        endif()
+    else()
+        set(res 0) # quietly ignore dot-folders
+    endif()
+
+    set(${var} ${res} PARENT_SCOPE)
+endfunction()
+
 #
 # Add a component to process in the build. The components are keeped tracked of in property
 # __COMPONENT_TARGETS in component target form.
@@ -112,16 +142,8 @@ function(__component_add component_dir prefix)
     get_filename_component(abs_dir ${component_dir} ABSOLUTE)
     get_filename_component(base_dir ${abs_dir} NAME)
 
-    # Check this is really a directory and that a CMakeLists.txt file for this component exists
-    # - warn and skip anything which isn't valid looking (probably cruft)
-    if(NOT IS_DIRECTORY "${abs_dir}")
-        message(WARNING "Unexpected file in components directory: ${abs_dir}")
-        return()
-    endif()
     if(NOT EXISTS "${abs_dir}/CMakeLists.txt")
-        message(WARNING "Component directory ${abs_dir} does not contain a CMakeLists.txt file. "
-            "No component will be added")
-        return()
+        message(FATAL_ERROR "Directory '${component_dir}' does not contain a component.")
     endif()
 
     set(component_name ${base_dir})
diff --git a/tools/cmake/project.cmake b/tools/cmake/project.cmake
index d7bf90f05..3726fa0fb 100644
--- a/tools/cmake/project.cmake
+++ b/tools/cmake/project.cmake
@@ -148,7 +148,11 @@ function(__project_init components_var test_components_var)
             file(GLOB component_dirs ${component_dir}/*)
             foreach(component_dir ${component_dirs})
                 if(EXISTS ${component_dir}/CMakeLists.txt)
-                    idf_build_component(${component_dir})
+                    get_filename_component(base_dir ${component_dir} NAME)
+                    __component_dir_quick_check(is_component ${component_dir})
+                    if(is_component)
+                        idf_build_component(${component_dir})
+                    endif()
                 endif()
             endforeach()
         endif()
@@ -397,15 +401,4 @@ macro(project project_name)
     idf_build_executable(${project_elf})
 
     __project_info("${test_components}")
-
-    # Make build variables and config variables available after project call (of course the value
-    # of these variables can be accessed via idf_build_get_property or idf_build_get_config)
-    idf_build_get_property(sdkconfig_cmake SDKCONFIG_CMAKE)
-    include(${sdkconfig_cmake})
-
-    idf_build_get_property(build_properties __BUILD_PROPERTIES)
-    foreach(build_property ${build_properties})
-        idf_build_get_property(val ${build_property})
-        set(${build_property} "${val}")
-    endforeach()
 endmacro()