diff --git a/backends/p4tools/CMakeLists.txt b/backends/p4tools/CMakeLists.txt
index 4ae76cf153..2fec824d11 100644
--- a/backends/p4tools/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/backends/p4tools/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -34,6 +34,19 @@ project(P4TOOLS VERSION ${P4C_SEM_VERSION_STRING})
 # inherit FindLibGc.
 list(APPEND CMAKE_MODULE_PATH "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake")
 
+# We need a fairly recent version of Z3.
+set(Z3_MIN_VERSION "4.8.14")
+# But 4.12+ is currently broken with libGC
+set(Z3_MAX_VERSION_EXCL "4.12")
+find_package(Z3 ${Z3_MIN_VERSION} REQUIRED)
+
+if(NOT DEFINED Z3_VERSION_STRING OR ${Z3_VERSION_STRING} VERSION_LESS ${Z3_MIN_VERSION})
+  message(FATAL_ERROR "The minimum required Z3 version is ${Z3_MIN_VERSION}. Has ${Z3_VERSION_STRING}.")
+endif()
+if (${Z3_VERSION_STRING} VERSION_GREATER_EQUAL ${Z3_MAX_VERSION_EXCL})
+  message(FATAL_ERROR "The Z3 version has to be lower than ${Z3_MAX_VERSION_EXCL} (the latter currently does no work with libGC). Has ${Z3_VERSION_STRING}.")
+endif()
+
 # GSL-lite is needed for testgen.
 add_subdirectory(submodules/gsl-lite EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL)
 
diff --git a/backends/p4tools/cmake/FindZ3.cmake b/backends/p4tools/cmake/FindZ3.cmake
index 0895d85258..d73a2944ad 100644
--- a/backends/p4tools/cmake/FindZ3.cmake
+++ b/backends/p4tools/cmake/FindZ3.cmake
@@ -6,12 +6,14 @@ find_path(
   NAMES z3++.h
   HINTS ${PC_Z3_INCLUDEDIR} ${PC_Z3_INCLUDE_DIRS}
   PATH_SUFFIXES z3 Z3
+  DOC "A path to the directory that contain Z3 include files (e.g. z3.h & z3++.h)."
 )
 
 find_library(
   Z3_LIBRARY
   NAMES z3
   HINTS ${PC_Z3_LIBDIR} ${PC_Z3_LIBRARY_DIRS}
+  DOC "A path to the library file of Z3 (i.e. libz3). This can be dynamic or static library."
 )
 
 find_program(
@@ -51,7 +53,7 @@ if(Z3_FOUND)
 endif()
 
 message(STATUS "Z3 version: ${Z3_VERSION_STRING}")
-message(STATUS "Z3 lib dir: ${Z3_LIBRARY}")
+message(STATUS "Z3 library: ${Z3_LIBRARY}")
 message(STATUS "Z3 include dir: ${Z3_INCLUDE_DIR}")
 
 # create imported target z3::z3
diff --git a/backends/p4tools/common/CMakeLists.txt b/backends/p4tools/common/CMakeLists.txt
index e071df2abe..857c68ae2a 100644
--- a/backends/p4tools/common/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/backends/p4tools/common/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -5,14 +5,6 @@ include(common)
 
 project(p4tools-common)
 
-# We need a fairly recent version of Z3.
-set(Z3_MIN_VERSION "4.8.14")
-find_package(Z3 ${Z3_MIN_VERSION} REQUIRED)
-
-if(NOT DEFINED Z3_VERSION_STRING OR ${Z3_VERSION_STRING} VERSION_LESS ${Z3_MIN_VERSION})
-  message(FATAL_ERROR "The minimum required Z3 version is ${Z3_MIN_VERSION}. Has ${Z3_VERSION_STRING}.")
-endif()
-
 # Boost filesystem is required for path handling.
 set(THREADS_PREFER_PTHREAD_FLAG ON)
 find_package(Threads REQUIRED)
@@ -64,7 +56,7 @@ target_link_libraries(
   PUBLIC gsl-lite
   PUBLIC ${Boost_SYSTEM_LIBRARY}
   PUBLIC ${Boost_FILESYSTEM_LIBRARY}
-  PUBLIC ${Z3_LIBRARY}
+  PUBLIC z3::z3
 )
 
 target_include_directories(