diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 4b0a0998614..377072b4014 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -366,6 +366,8 @@ add_custom_command(TARGET clang_links POST_BUILD
 )
 
 # install certain LLVM libraries needed by HIP
+# TODO: why HIP needs this random soup is unclear; the HC specific passes are
+#       definitely not "certain LLVM libraries needed by HIP".
 install(PROGRAMS $<TARGET_FILE:LLVMAMDGPUDesc>
                  $<TARGET_FILE:LLVMAMDGPUUtils>
                  $<TARGET_FILE:LLVMMC>
@@ -374,7 +376,6 @@ install(PROGRAMS $<TARGET_FILE:LLVMAMDGPUDesc>
                  $<TARGET_FILE:LLVMPromotePointerKernArgsToGlobal>
                  $<TARGET_FILE:LLVMSelectAcceleratorCode>
                  $<TARGET_FILE:LLVMUndefineGlobalsInAcceleratorCode>
-                 $<TARGET_FILE:LLVMHello>
         DESTINATION lib
         COMPONENT compiler
 )
diff --git a/include/hc.hpp b/include/hc.hpp
index f1800d431e6..fbb15ff0585 100644
--- a/include/hc.hpp
+++ b/include/hc.hpp
@@ -12,6 +12,10 @@
 
 #pragma once
 
+#if !defined(__HIPCC__)
+  #warning "This header is only intended for HIP usage, and not for direct inclusion."
+#endif
+
 #include "hc_defines.h"
 #include "kalmar_exception.h"
 #include "kalmar_runtime.h"
diff --git a/include/hc_am.hpp b/include/hc_am.hpp
index 592efa6e59c..8f86d54c6b8 100644
--- a/include/hc_am.hpp
+++ b/include/hc_am.hpp
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 #pragma once
 
+#if !defined(__HIPCC__)
+  #warning "This header is only intended for HIP usage, and not for direct inclusion."
+#endif
+
 #include "hc.hpp"
 #include <cstddef>
 #include <mutex>
diff --git a/include/hc_am_internal.hpp b/include/hc_am_internal.hpp
index 029d420e6b5..2341e23261f 100644
--- a/include/hc_am_internal.hpp
+++ b/include/hc_am_internal.hpp
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 #pragma once
 
+#if !defined(__HIPCC__)
+  #warning "This header is only intended for HIP usage, and not for direct inclusion."
+#endif
+
 #include "hc_am.hpp"
 
 namespace hc {
diff --git a/include/hc_defines.h b/include/hc_defines.h
index 23a092c667a..721af248b74 100644
--- a/include/hc_defines.h
+++ b/include/hc_defines.h
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 #pragma once
 
+#if !defined(__HIPCC__)
+  #warning "This header is only intended for HIP usage, and not for direct inclusion."
+#endif
+
 // C++ headers
 #include <algorithm>
 #include <cassert>
diff --git a/include/hc_math.hpp b/include/hc_math.hpp
index f27dd4ee76b..5f320879f51 100644
--- a/include/hc_math.hpp
+++ b/include/hc_math.hpp
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 #pragma once
 
+#if !defined(__HIPCC__)
+  #warning "This header is only intended for HIP usage, and not for direct inclusion."
+#endif
+
 #include "hc.hpp"
 #include <cmath>
 
diff --git a/include/hc_printf.hpp b/include/hc_printf.hpp
index b03e645da5c..ecbd8e32e15 100644
--- a/include/hc_printf.hpp
+++ b/include/hc_printf.hpp
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 #pragma once
 
+#if !defined(__HIPCC__)
+  #warning "This header is only intended for HIP usage, and not for direct inclusion."
+#endif
+
 #include <type_traits>
 #include <cstdlib>
 #include <cstdio>
diff --git a/include/hc_rt_debug.h b/include/hc_rt_debug.h
index e5c624ba3ad..182fee92df0 100644
--- a/include/hc_rt_debug.h
+++ b/include/hc_rt_debug.h
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 #pragma once
 
+#if !defined(__HIPCC__)
+  #warning "This header is only intended for HIP usage, and not for direct inclusion."
+#endif
+
 #include <cstdlib>
 #include <cstdio>
 #ifndef USE_LIBCXX
diff --git a/include/hcc_features.hpp b/include/hcc_features.hpp
index 4191f79cbae..9e620716395 100644
--- a/include/hcc_features.hpp
+++ b/include/hcc_features.hpp
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@
 //
 #pragma once
 
+#if !defined(__HIPCC__)
+  #warning "This header is only intended for HIP usage, and not for direct inclusion."
+#endif
+
 //
 // If set, am_memtracker_update API accepts appPtr parm
 #define __HCC_HAS_EXTENDED_AM_MEMTRACKER_UPDATE (1)
diff --git a/include/kalmar_aligned_alloc.h b/include/kalmar_aligned_alloc.h
index 81bb0cee790..4cb5d27c218 100644
--- a/include/kalmar_aligned_alloc.h
+++ b/include/kalmar_aligned_alloc.h
@@ -7,6 +7,10 @@
 
 #pragma once
 
+#if !defined(__HIPCC__)
+  #warning "This header is only intended for HIP usage, and not for direct inclusion."
+#endif
+
 #include <cassert>
 #include <memory>
 #include <stdlib.h>
diff --git a/include/kalmar_exception.h b/include/kalmar_exception.h
index b865540f9fc..227c1f6a08a 100644
--- a/include/kalmar_exception.h
+++ b/include/kalmar_exception.h
@@ -7,6 +7,10 @@
 
 #pragma once
 
+#if !defined(__HIPCC__)
+  #warning "This header is only intended for HIP usage, and not for direct inclusion."
+#endif
+
 #include <string>
 #include <exception>
 
diff --git a/include/kalmar_runtime.h b/include/kalmar_runtime.h
index 1da2df5046a..d881b8591cf 100644
--- a/include/kalmar_runtime.h
+++ b/include/kalmar_runtime.h
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 #pragma once
 
+#if !defined(__HIPCC__)
+  #warning "This header is only intended for HIP usage, and not for direct inclusion."
+#endif
+
 #include "hc_defines.h"
 #include "kalmar_aligned_alloc.h"