diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index f749649..45b2b16 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -4,27 +4,28 @@
 # redeclaration bug (map.go vs linkname_swiss.go conflict).
 export GOEXPERIMENT=noswissmap
 
-BUILD_DIR  := build
-TEST_BIN   := $(BUILD_DIR)/test/c/Test
-BENCH_LIGHT := $(BUILD_DIR)/src/benchmark/Benchmark_LIGHT
-BENCH_FULL  := $(BUILD_DIR)/src/benchmark/Benchmark_FULL
+BUILD_DIR   := build
+BENCH_DIR   := $(BUILD_DIR)/src/benchmark
+
+BUILD_INPUTS := $(shell find src test/c cmake -type f \( \
+	-name '*.c' -o -name '*.h' -o -name '*.cpp' -o \
+	-name '*.cmake' -o -name 'CMakeLists.txt' \))
+BUILD_INPUTS += $(wildcard *.go) go.mod go.sum CMakeLists.txt Makefile build.sh \
+	setup.py test/python/requirements.txt
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Build targets
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 # Stamp file: touched by build.sh on success to track freshness.
-$(BUILD_DIR)/.built: $(shell find src -name '*.c' -o -name '*.h' -o -name '*.cpp') \
-                     ethash.go ethashc.go compat.go go.mod CMakeLists.txt
+$(BUILD_DIR)/.built: $(BUILD_INPUTS)
 	./build.sh
-	@touch $(BUILD_DIR)/.built
 
 build: $(BUILD_DIR)/.built
+	@test -n "$$(find $(BUILD_DIR)/test/c -type f \( -name Test -o -name Test.exe \) -print 2>/dev/null | head -n 1)" || { echo "Required C test binary is missing under $(BUILD_DIR)/test/c" >&2; exit 1; }
 
-$(BENCH_LIGHT) $(BENCH_FULL): $(BUILD_DIR)/.built
-	cd $(BUILD_DIR) && make Benchmark_LIGHT Benchmark_FULL
-
-build-bench: $(BENCH_LIGHT) $(BENCH_FULL)
+build-bench: $(BUILD_DIR)/.built
+	cmake --build $(BUILD_DIR) --config Release --target Benchmark_LIGHT Benchmark_FULL
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Test targets  (each depends only on the build it actually needs)
@@ -46,11 +47,17 @@ test-all: $(BUILD_DIR)/.built
 # Benchmark targets
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-bench-light: $(BENCH_LIGHT)
-	cd $(BUILD_DIR) && ./src/benchmark/Benchmark_LIGHT
-
-bench-full: $(BENCH_FULL)
-	cd $(BUILD_DIR) && ./src/benchmark/Benchmark_FULL
+bench-light: build-bench
+	@BENCH_BIN="$$(find "$(abspath $(BENCH_DIR))" -type f \( -name Benchmark_LIGHT -o -name Benchmark_LIGHT.exe \) -path '*/Release/*' -print -quit)"; \
+	[ -n "$$BENCH_BIN" ] || BENCH_BIN="$$(find "$(abspath $(BENCH_DIR))" -type f \( -name Benchmark_LIGHT -o -name Benchmark_LIGHT.exe \) -print -quit)"; \
+	[ -n "$$BENCH_BIN" ] || { echo "Benchmark_LIGHT is missing under $(BENCH_DIR)" >&2; exit 1; }; \
+	cd $(BUILD_DIR) && "$$BENCH_BIN"
+
+bench-full: build-bench
+	@BENCH_BIN="$$(find "$(abspath $(BENCH_DIR))" -type f \( -name Benchmark_FULL -o -name Benchmark_FULL.exe \) -path '*/Release/*' -print -quit)"; \
+	[ -n "$$BENCH_BIN" ] || BENCH_BIN="$$(find "$(abspath $(BENCH_DIR))" -type f \( -name Benchmark_FULL -o -name Benchmark_FULL.exe \) -print -quit)"; \
+	[ -n "$$BENCH_BIN" ] || { echo "Benchmark_FULL is missing under $(BENCH_DIR)" >&2; exit 1; }; \
+	cd $(BUILD_DIR) && "$$BENCH_BIN"
 
 bench: bench-light bench-full
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 2b2c3b5..aec3a10 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -6,6 +6,39 @@
 For details on this project, please see the Ethereum wiki:
 https://github.com/ethereum/wiki/wiki/Ethash
 
+## Building
+
+The C test suite requires CMake, a C/C++ compiler, and the Boost filesystem,
+system, and unit test framework components. Missing components cause the build
+to fail during CMake configuration rather than silently skipping the tests.
+
+On Ubuntu/Debian:
+
+```sh
+sudo apt update
+sudo apt install -y cmake build-essential libboost-test-dev \
+    libboost-filesystem-dev libboost-system-dev python3-venv python3-dev
+```
+
+On macOS with Homebrew:
+
+```sh
+brew install cmake boost python@3.13
+```
+
+If using a versioned, keg-only Boost formula, expose its prefix to CMake:
+
+```sh
+export BOOST_ROOT="$(brew --prefix boost@1.85)"
+```
+
+Then build and run all tests:
+
+```sh
+make rebuild
+make test-all
+```
+
 ### Coding Style for C++ code:
 
 Follow the same exact style as in [cpp-ethereum](https://github.com/ethereum/cpp-ethereum/blob/develop/CodingStandards.txt)
diff --git a/build.sh b/build.sh
index 22ef5eb..d410ed1 100755
--- a/build.sh
+++ b/build.sh
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ fi
 # C/C++ build (cmake → libethash.a + Test binary + Python extension)
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 mkdir -p "$BUILD_DIR"
+# Never leave a stale success marker after a failed rebuild.
+rm -f "$BUILD_DIR/.built"
 cd "$BUILD_DIR"
 
 cmake "$REPO_ROOT" -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release > /dev/null 2>&1 || {
@@ -44,13 +46,22 @@ if grep -q "microsoft\|WSL" /proc/version 2>/dev/null; then
     touch "$REPO_ROOT/src/python/core.c"
 fi
 
-make
+# Test is a required build artifact. Build it explicitly so a missing CMake
+# target fails this script before the success stamp is written. Use CMake's
+# build command so this also works with Ninja and non-Makefile generators.
+cmake --build "$BUILD_DIR" --config Release --target Test
+
+TEST_BIN="$(find "$BUILD_DIR/test/c" -type f \( -name Test -o -name Test.exe \) -print 2>/dev/null | head -n 1 || true)"
+if [[ -z "$TEST_BIN" ]]; then
+    echo "[build/c] Required C test binary was not generated under $BUILD_DIR/test/c" >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
 echo "[build/c] Done — binaries in $BUILD_DIR"
 
 # Build benchmark binaries if --bench flag is passed
 if [[ "$DO_BENCH" -eq 1 ]]; then
     echo "[build/bench] Building benchmark binaries..."
-    make Benchmark_LIGHT Benchmark_FULL
+    cmake --build "$BUILD_DIR" --config Release --target Benchmark_LIGHT Benchmark_FULL
     echo "[build/bench] Done — binaries in $BUILD_DIR/src/benchmark/"
 fi
 
@@ -74,8 +85,6 @@ else
     echo "[build/go] vet passed"
 fi
 
-touch "$BUILD_DIR/.built"
-
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Python extension build (compiles src/python/core.c via pip editable install)
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -93,4 +102,5 @@ pip install -e "$REPO_ROOT" -q --no-build-isolation
 deactivate
 echo "[build/python] Done"
 
+touch "$BUILD_DIR/.built"
 echo "[build] All done"
diff --git a/test/c/CMakeLists.txt b/test/c/CMakeLists.txt
index 8b1c593..9a14a2e 100644
--- a/test/c/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/c/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,54 +1,52 @@
-if (MSVC)
-    if (NOT BOOST_ROOT)
-        set (BOOST_ROOT "$ENV{BOOST_ROOT}")
-    endif()
-    set (CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH BOOST_ROOT)
+if (NOT BOOST_ROOT AND DEFINED ENV{BOOST_ROOT})
+    set(BOOST_ROOT "$ENV{BOOST_ROOT}")
+endif()
+if (BOOST_ROOT)
+    set(CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH "${BOOST_ROOT};${CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH}")
 endif()
 
-IF( NOT Boost_FOUND )
-    # use multithreaded boost libraries, with -mt suffix
-    set(Boost_USE_MULTITHREADED ON)
-
-    if (MSVC)
-        # TODO handle other msvc versions or it will fail find them
-        set(Boost_COMPILER -vc120)
-        # use static boost libraries *.lib
-        set(Boost_USE_STATIC_LIBS ON)
-    elseif (APPLE)
-
-        # use static boost libraries *.a
-        set(Boost_USE_STATIC_LIBS ON)
-
-    elseif (UNIX)
-        # use dynamic boost libraries .dll
-        set(Boost_USE_STATIC_LIBS OFF)
-
-    endif()
-    find_package(Boost 1.48.0 COMPONENTS unit_test_framework system filesystem)
-ENDIF()
-
-IF (Boost_FOUND)
-    message(STATUS "boost header: ${Boost_INCLUDE_DIRS}")
-    message(STATUS "boost libs  : ${Boost_LIBRARIES}")
-
-    include_directories( ${Boost_INCLUDE_DIR} )
-    include_directories(../../src)
+# The C test suite is required by the build, so fail during configuration when
+# any of its Boost components are unavailable instead of omitting Test.
+# use multithreaded boost libraries, with -mt suffix
+set(Boost_USE_MULTITHREADED ON)
 
-    link_directories(${Boost_LIBRARY_DIRS})
-    file(GLOB HEADERS "*.h")
-    if ((NOT MSVC) AND (NOT APPLE))
-        ADD_DEFINITIONS(-DBOOST_TEST_DYN_LINK)
-    endif()
-   if (NOT MSVC)
-        set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS  "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -std=c++11 ")
-   endif()
+if (MSVC)
+    # use static boost libraries *.lib
+    set(Boost_USE_STATIC_LIBS ON)
+elseif (APPLE)
+    # use static boost libraries *.a
+    set(Boost_USE_STATIC_LIBS ON)
+elseif (UNIX)
+    # use shared boost libraries
+    set(Boost_USE_STATIC_LIBS OFF)
+endif()
 
-    add_executable (Test "./test.cpp" ${HEADERS})
-    target_link_libraries(Test ${ETHHASH_LIBS})
-    target_link_libraries(Test ${Boost_FILESYSTEM_LIBRARIES})
-    target_link_libraries(Test ${Boost_SYSTEM_LIBRARIES})
-    target_link_libraries(Test ${Boost_UNIT_TEST_FRAMEWORK_LIBRARIES})
+# Prefer the package configuration shipped by modern Boost distributions (for
+# example Homebrew on macOS), then fall back to CMake's legacy FindBoost module
+# for system packages that do not ship BoostConfig.cmake.
+find_package(Boost 1.48.0 CONFIG QUIET COMPONENTS unit_test_framework system filesystem)
+if (NOT Boost_FOUND)
+    find_package(Boost 1.48.0 MODULE REQUIRED COMPONENTS unit_test_framework system filesystem)
+endif()
 
-    enable_testing ()
-    add_test(NAME ethash COMMAND Test)
-ENDIF()
+file(GLOB HEADERS "*.h")
+
+add_executable(Test "./test.cpp" ${HEADERS})
+set_target_properties(Test PROPERTIES
+    CXX_STANDARD 11
+    CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED YES
+    CXX_EXTENSIONS NO
+)
+target_include_directories(Test PRIVATE ../../src)
+if ((NOT MSVC) AND (NOT APPLE))
+    target_compile_definitions(Test PRIVATE BOOST_TEST_DYN_LINK)
+endif()
+target_link_libraries(Test PRIVATE
+    ${ETHHASH_LIBS}
+    Boost::filesystem
+    Boost::system
+    Boost::unit_test_framework
+)
+
+enable_testing()
+add_test(NAME ethash COMMAND Test)
diff --git a/test/c/test.sh b/test/c/test.sh
index b0ef731..47ff48d 100755
--- a/test/c/test.sh
+++ b/test/c/test.sh
@@ -27,6 +27,15 @@ if [ ! -f "$BUILD_DIR/.built" ]; then
     "$REPO_ROOT/build.sh"
 fi
 
+if [ ! -f "$TEST_BIN" ]; then
+    TEST_BIN="$(find "$BUILD_DIR/test/c" -type f \( -name Test -o -name Test.exe \) -print 2>/dev/null | head -n 1 || true)"
+    if [ -z "$TEST_BIN" ]; then
+        echo "[test/c] Required C test binary is missing under $BUILD_DIR/test/c" >&2
+        echo "[test/c] Run 'make rebuild' after installing the required Boost components." >&2
+        exit 1
+    fi
+fi
+
 echo "[test/c] Running $TEST_BIN"
 
 # mmap(MAP_SHARED) on NTFS via WSL DrvFs (/mnt/d/...) does not properly flush