diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 23f6b90b10453..43418679c479c 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -659,9 +659,6 @@ if(NOT CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR STREQUAL CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX)
     cmake/modules/RootMacros.cmake
     cmake/modules/RootTestDriver.cmake
     DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_CMAKEDIR})
-  install(FILES
-    "cmake/modules/FindVdt.cmake"
-    DESTINATION "${CMAKE_INSTALL_CMAKEDIR}/modules")
 endif()
 
 #---Add configuration files for kernel and jupyter----------------------------------------------
diff --git a/builtins/vdt/CMakeLists.txt b/builtins/vdt/CMakeLists.txt
index a05772b0abaac..b5feb8e6b345d 100644
--- a/builtins/vdt/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/builtins/vdt/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
+set(VDT_INSTALL_DIR ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/builtins/vdt/install/)
 set(ROOT_VDT_VERSION 0.4.6)
 set(VDT_FOUND True)
-set(VDT_LIBRARIES "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/lib/${CMAKE_STATIC_LIBRARY_PREFIX}vdt${CMAKE_SHARED_LIBRARY_SUFFIX}")
+set(VDT_LIBRARIES "${VDT_INSTALL_DIR}/lib/${CMAKE_STATIC_LIBRARY_PREFIX}vdt${CMAKE_SHARED_LIBRARY_SUFFIX}")
 ExternalProject_Add(
   BUILTIN_VDT
   URL ${lcgpackages}/vdt-${ROOT_VDT_VERSION}.tar.gz
   URL_HASH SHA256=1820feae446780763ec8bbb60a0dbcf3ae1ee548bdd01415b1fb905fd4f90c54
-  INSTALL_DIR ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}
+  INSTALL_DIR ${VDT_INSTALL_DIR}
   CMAKE_ARGS
     -DCMAKE_POLICY_VERSION_MINIMUM=3.5
     -DSSE=OFF # breaks on ARM without this
@@ -19,24 +20,14 @@ ExternalProject_Add(
   BUILD_BYPRODUCTS ${VDT_LIBRARIES}
   TIMEOUT 600
 )
-ExternalProject_Add_Step(
-   BUILTIN_VDT copy2externals
-   COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E copy_directory ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/include/vdt ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/ginclude/vdt
-   DEPENDEES install
-)
-set(VDT_INCLUDE_DIR ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/ginclude)
-set(VDT_INCLUDE_DIRS ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/ginclude)
+set(VDT_INCLUDE_DIR ${VDT_INSTALL_DIR}/include)
+set(VDT_INCLUDE_DIRS ${VDT_INSTALL_DIR}/include)
 
-add_library(VDT::VDT SHARED IMPORTED GLOBAL)
+file(MAKE_DIRECTORY ${VDT_INCLUDE_DIR})
+# Try to use VDT header only, and only PRIVATE. This will simplify installing it
+add_library(VDT::VDT INTERFACE IMPORTED GLOBAL)
 add_dependencies(VDT::VDT BUILTIN_VDT)
-set_target_properties(VDT::VDT PROPERTIES IMPORTED_LOCATION ${VDT_LIBRARIES})
-target_include_directories(VDT::VDT INTERFACE $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${VDT_INCLUDE_DIR}> $<INSTALL_INTERFACE:include/>)
-
-install(FILES ${VDT_LIBRARIES}
-        DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR} COMPONENT libraries)
-install(DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/include/vdt
-        DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_INCLUDEDIR} COMPONENT extra-headers)
-set_property(GLOBAL APPEND PROPERTY ROOT_BUILTIN_TARGETS VDT::VDT)
+target_include_directories(VDT::VDT INTERFACE $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${VDT_INCLUDE_DIR}>)
 
 set(VDT_VERSION ${ROOT_VDT_VERSION} PARENT_SCOPE)
 set(VDT_FOUND ${VDT_FOUND} PARENT_SCOPE)
diff --git a/cmake/scripts/ROOTConfig.cmake.in b/cmake/scripts/ROOTConfig.cmake.in
index cf6b139a5d467..4ae2c2d371afa 100644
--- a/cmake/scripts/ROOTConfig.cmake.in
+++ b/cmake/scripts/ROOTConfig.cmake.in
@@ -129,18 +129,6 @@ if(ROOT_minuit2_omp_FOUND)
   find_dependency(OpenMP)
   find_dependency(Threads)
 endif()
-if(ROOT_vdt_FOUND AND NOT TARGET VDT::VDT)
-  if(ROOT_builtin_vdt_FOUND)
-    function(find_builtin_vdt)
-      # the function is to create a scope (could use block() but requires CMake>=3.25)
-      set(CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH ${ROOT_INCLUDE_DIRS} ${ROOT_LIBRARY_DIR})
-      find_dependency(Vdt)
-    endfunction()
-    find_builtin_vdt()
-  else()
-    find_dependency(Vdt)
-  endif()
-endif()
 
 #----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Now set them to ROOT_LIBRARIES
diff --git a/math/vecops/CMakeLists.txt b/math/vecops/CMakeLists.txt
index d5745865745ce..f9623f1ea0be7 100644
--- a/math/vecops/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/math/vecops/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ ROOT_STANDARD_LIBRARY_PACKAGE(ROOTVecOps
 )
 
 if(builtin_vdt OR vdt)
-  target_link_libraries(ROOTVecOps PUBLIC VDT::VDT)
+  target_link_libraries(ROOTVecOps PRIVATE VDT::VDT)
 endif()
 
 include(CheckCXXSymbolExists)
diff --git a/math/vecops/inc/ROOT/RVec.hxx b/math/vecops/inc/ROOT/RVec.hxx
index 4630b75d74ff6..eb50279bd2f30 100644
--- a/math/vecops/inc/ROOT/RVec.hxx
+++ b/math/vecops/inc/ROOT/RVec.hxx
@@ -36,9 +36,8 @@
 #include <iterator> // for std::make_move_iterator
 #include <limits> // for numeric_limits
 #include <memory> // uninitialized_value_construct
-#include <new>
 #include <numeric> // for inner_product
-#include <sstream>
+#include <ostream>
 #include <stdexcept>
 #include <string>
 #include <tuple>
@@ -46,11 +45,6 @@
 #include <utility>
 #include <vector>
 
-#ifdef R__HAS_VDT
-#include <vdt/vdtMath.h>
-#endif
-
-
 namespace ROOT {
 
 namespace VecOps {
@@ -1867,26 +1861,24 @@ RVEC_STD_UNARY_FUNCTION(tgamma)
 ///@{
 
 #ifdef R__HAS_VDT
-#define RVEC_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(F) RVEC_UNARY_FUNCTION(F, vdt::F)
-
-RVEC_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(fast_expf)
-RVEC_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(fast_logf)
-RVEC_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(fast_sinf)
-RVEC_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(fast_cosf)
-RVEC_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(fast_tanf)
-RVEC_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(fast_asinf)
-RVEC_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(fast_acosf)
-RVEC_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(fast_atanf)
-
-RVEC_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(fast_exp)
-RVEC_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(fast_log)
-RVEC_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(fast_sin)
-RVEC_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(fast_cos)
-RVEC_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(fast_tan)
-RVEC_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(fast_asin)
-RVEC_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(fast_acos)
-RVEC_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(fast_atan)
-#undef RVEC_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION
+
+RVec<float> fast_expf(const RVec<float> &v);
+RVec<float> fast_logf(const RVec<float> &v);
+RVec<float> fast_sinf(const RVec<float> &v);
+RVec<float> fast_cosf(const RVec<float> &v);
+RVec<float> fast_tanf(const RVec<float> &v);
+RVec<float> fast_asinf(const RVec<float> &v);
+RVec<float> fast_acosf(const RVec<float> &v);
+RVec<float> fast_atanf(const RVec<float> &v);
+
+RVec<double> fast_exp(const RVec<double> &v);
+RVec<double> fast_log(const RVec<double> &v);
+RVec<double> fast_sin(const RVec<double> &v);
+RVec<double> fast_cos(const RVec<double> &v);
+RVec<double> fast_tan(const RVec<double> &v);
+RVec<double> fast_asin(const RVec<double> &v);
+RVec<double> fast_acos(const RVec<double> &v);
+RVec<double> fast_atan(const RVec<double> &v);
 
 #endif // R__HAS_VDT
 
@@ -3742,30 +3734,6 @@ RVEC_EXTERN_STD_FUNCTIONS(double)
 #undef RVEC_EXTERN_STD_BINARY_FUNCTION
 #undef RVEC_EXTERN_STD_UNARY_FUNCTIONS
 
-#ifdef R__HAS_VDT
-
-#define RVEC_EXTERN_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(T, F) RVEC_EXTERN_UNARY_FUNCTION(T, F, vdt::F)
-
-RVEC_EXTERN_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(float, fast_expf)
-RVEC_EXTERN_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(float, fast_logf)
-RVEC_EXTERN_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(float, fast_sinf)
-RVEC_EXTERN_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(float, fast_cosf)
-RVEC_EXTERN_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(float, fast_tanf)
-RVEC_EXTERN_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(float, fast_asinf)
-RVEC_EXTERN_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(float, fast_acosf)
-RVEC_EXTERN_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(float, fast_atanf)
-
-RVEC_EXTERN_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(double, fast_exp)
-RVEC_EXTERN_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(double, fast_log)
-RVEC_EXTERN_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(double, fast_sin)
-RVEC_EXTERN_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(double, fast_cos)
-RVEC_EXTERN_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(double, fast_tan)
-RVEC_EXTERN_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(double, fast_asin)
-RVEC_EXTERN_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(double, fast_acos)
-RVEC_EXTERN_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(double, fast_atan)
-
-#endif // R__HAS_VDT
-
 #endif // _VECOPS_USE_EXTERN_TEMPLATES
 
 /** @} */ // end of Doxygen group vecops
diff --git a/math/vecops/src/RVec.cxx b/math/vecops/src/RVec.cxx
index 6f54578478ecb..6dee0f204199b 100644
--- a/math/vecops/src/RVec.cxx
+++ b/math/vecops/src/RVec.cxx
@@ -13,6 +13,10 @@
 #include "ROOT/RVec.hxx"
 using namespace ROOT::VecOps;
 
+#ifdef R__HAS_VDT
+#include "vdt/vdtMath.h"
+#endif
+
 // Check that no bytes are wasted and everything is well-aligned.
 namespace {
 struct Struct16B {
@@ -236,26 +240,33 @@ RVEC_DECLARE_STD_FUNCTIONS(double)
 
 #ifdef R__HAS_VDT
 
-#define RVEC_DECLARE_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(T, F)    \
-   RVEC_DECLARE_UNARY_FUNCTION(T, F, vdt::F)
-
-RVEC_DECLARE_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(float, fast_expf)
-RVEC_DECLARE_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(float, fast_logf)
-RVEC_DECLARE_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(float, fast_sinf)
-RVEC_DECLARE_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(float, fast_cosf)
-RVEC_DECLARE_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(float, fast_tanf)
-RVEC_DECLARE_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(float, fast_asinf)
-RVEC_DECLARE_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(float, fast_acosf)
-RVEC_DECLARE_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(float, fast_atanf)
-
-RVEC_DECLARE_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(double, fast_exp)
-RVEC_DECLARE_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(double, fast_log)
-RVEC_DECLARE_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(double, fast_sin)
-RVEC_DECLARE_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(double, fast_cos)
-RVEC_DECLARE_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(double, fast_tan)
-RVEC_DECLARE_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(double, fast_asin)
-RVEC_DECLARE_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(double, fast_acos)
-RVEC_DECLARE_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(double, fast_atan)
+#define RVEC_IMPLEMENT_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(FP, FUNC)  \
+   RVec<FP> FUNC(RVec<FP> const &in)                 \
+   {                                                 \
+      RVec<FP> out(in.size());                       \
+      for (unsigned int i = 0; i < in.size(); ++i) { \
+         out[i] = vdt::FUNC(in[i]);                  \
+      }                                              \
+      return out;                                    \
+   }
+
+RVEC_IMPLEMENT_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(float, fast_expf)
+RVEC_IMPLEMENT_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(float, fast_logf)
+RVEC_IMPLEMENT_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(float, fast_sinf)
+RVEC_IMPLEMENT_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(float, fast_cosf)
+RVEC_IMPLEMENT_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(float, fast_tanf)
+RVEC_IMPLEMENT_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(float, fast_asinf)
+RVEC_IMPLEMENT_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(float, fast_acosf)
+RVEC_IMPLEMENT_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(float, fast_atanf)
+
+RVEC_IMPLEMENT_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(double, fast_exp)
+RVEC_IMPLEMENT_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(double, fast_log)
+RVEC_IMPLEMENT_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(double, fast_sin)
+RVEC_IMPLEMENT_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(double, fast_cos)
+RVEC_IMPLEMENT_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(double, fast_tan)
+RVEC_IMPLEMENT_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(double, fast_asin)
+RVEC_IMPLEMENT_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(double, fast_acos)
+RVEC_IMPLEMENT_VDT_UNARY_FUNCTION(double, fast_atan)
 
 #endif // R__HAS_VDT
 
diff --git a/math/vecops/test/CMakeLists.txt b/math/vecops/test/CMakeLists.txt
index a99e84dc9922f..f344d27ee7fd2 100644
--- a/math/vecops/test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/math/vecops/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -5,3 +5,7 @@
 # For the list of contributors see $ROOTSYS/README/CREDITS.
 
 ROOT_ADD_GTEST(vecops_rvec vecops_rvec.cxx LIBRARIES Physics ROOTVecOps GenVector RIO Tree)
+
+if(TARGET VDT::VDT)
+  target_link_libraries(vecops_rvec PRIVATE VDT::VDT)
+endif()
diff --git a/test/PostInstall/CMakeLists.txt b/test/PostInstall/CMakeLists.txt
index 8d4c7bf4c8f77..0a1622ede53b2 100644
--- a/test/PostInstall/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/PostInstall/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -80,4 +80,10 @@ if(BUILD_TESTING)
     )
 
   endif()
+
+  if(TARGET ROOT::ROOTVecOps)
+    add_executable(RVec testRVec.cxx)
+    target_link_libraries(RVec PUBLIC ROOT::ROOTVecOps)
+    add_test(NAME RVec COMMAND $<TARGET_FILE:RVec>)
+  endif()
 endif()
diff --git a/test/PostInstall/testRVec.cxx b/test/PostInstall/testRVec.cxx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..485b22b09e241
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/PostInstall/testRVec.cxx
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+/*
+RVec can publicly depend on VDT, so here we ensure that the VDT headers are found correctly.
+*/
+
+#include <ROOT/RVec.hxx>
+
+#include <iostream>
+
+#define CHECK(ARG)                      \
+   if (!(ARG)) {                        \
+      success = false;                  \
+      std::cerr << #ARG << " failed\n"; \
+   }
+
+int main()
+{
+   bool success = true;
+
+   ROOT::RVec<ROOT::RVecD> rv{{1., 2., 3., 4., 5.}, {1., 2., 3., 4., 5.}};
+   auto sum = rv[0] + rv[1];
+   CHECK(sum.size() == rv[0].size())
+   CHECK(sum[3] == 8.)
+
+#ifdef R__HAS_VDT
+   ROOT::RVecD rv2{1., 2., 3., 4., 5.};
+   auto logs = fast_log(rv2);
+   CHECK(std::fabs(logs[0]) < 1.E-15)
+   CHECK(std::fabs(logs[1] - std::log(2.)) < 1.E-15);
+   if (!success)
+      std::cout << "logs=" << logs << "\n";
+#endif
+
+   return success ? 0 : 1;
+}