diff --git a/interfaces/sourcegen/sourcegen/_HeaderFileParser.py b/interfaces/sourcegen/sourcegen/_HeaderFileParser.py
index 8bd0e6d329..bc2986e7e9 100644
--- a/interfaces/sourcegen/sourcegen/_HeaderFileParser.py
+++ b/interfaces/sourcegen/sourcegen/_HeaderFileParser.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 
 from ._dataclasses import HeaderFile, Func, Recipe
 from ._helpers import read_config
+from .clib import CLibSourceGenerator
 
 
 _LOGGER = logging.getLogger()
@@ -18,7 +19,7 @@
 _CLIB_PATH = Path(__file__).parents[3] / "include" / "cantera" / "clib"
 _CLIB_IGNORE = ["clib_defs.h", "ctmatlab.h"]
 
-_DATA_PATH = Path(__file__).parent / "_data"
+_PWD = Path(__file__).parent
 
 class HeaderFileParser:
     """
@@ -38,8 +39,16 @@ def headers_from_yaml(
         ) -> list[HeaderFile]:
         """Parse header file YAML configuration."""
         files = sorted(
-            ff for ff in _DATA_PATH.glob("*.yaml") if ff.name not in ignore_files)
-        return [cls(ff, ignore_funcs.get(ff.name, []))._parse_yaml() for ff in files]
+            ff for ff in (_PWD / "_data").glob("*.yaml") if ff.name not in ignore_files)
+        files = [cls(ff, ignore_funcs.get(ff.name, []))._parse_yaml() for ff in files]
+
+        # preprocess header information (uses CLibSourceGenerator)
+        config = read_config(_PWD / "clib" / "config.yaml")
+        templates = read_config(_PWD / "clib" / "templates.yaml")
+        for key in ["ignore_files", "ignore_funcs"]:
+            config.pop(key)
+        CLibSourceGenerator(None, config, templates).resolve_tags(files)
+        return files
 
     def _parse_yaml(self) -> HeaderFile:
         msg = f"  parsing {self._path.name!r}"
diff --git a/interfaces/sourcegen/sourcegen/_orchestrate.py b/interfaces/sourcegen/sourcegen/_orchestrate.py
index d0677fcb33..4f182681ee 100644
--- a/interfaces/sourcegen/sourcegen/_orchestrate.py
+++ b/interfaces/sourcegen/sourcegen/_orchestrate.py
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@
 
 from ._HeaderFileParser import HeaderFileParser
 from ._SourceGenerator import SourceGenerator
-from .clib import CLibSourceGenerator
 from ._helpers import read_config
 
 
@@ -45,22 +44,12 @@ def generate_source(lang: str, out_dir: str, verbose: bool = False) -> None:
     msg = f"Starting sourcegen for {lang!r} API"
     _LOGGER.info(msg)
 
-    if lang == "clib":
-        # prepare for generation of CLib headers in main processing step
-        files = HeaderFileParser.headers_from_yaml(ignore_files, ignore_funcs)
-    elif lang == "csharp":
+    if lang == "csharp":
         # csharp parses existing (traditional) CLib header files
         files = HeaderFileParser.headers_from_h(ignore_files, ignore_funcs)
     else:
-        # generate CLib headers from YAML specifications as a preprocessing step
+        # generate CLib headers from YAML specifications
         files = HeaderFileParser.headers_from_yaml(ignore_files, ignore_funcs)
-        clib_root = Path(__file__).parent / "clib"
-        clib_config = read_config(clib_root / "config.yaml")
-        clib_templates = read_config(clib_root / "templates.yaml")
-        for key in ["ignore_files", "ignore_funcs"]:
-            clib_config.pop(key)
-        clib_scaffolder = CLibSourceGenerator(None, clib_config, clib_templates)
-        clib_scaffolder.resolve_tags(files)
 
     # find and instantiate the language-specific SourceGenerator
     msg = f"Generating {lang!r} source files..."
diff --git a/interfaces/sourcegen/sourcegen/yaml/config.yaml b/interfaces/sourcegen/sourcegen/yaml/config.yaml
index 73adc9bbf5..aa76f4a81d 100644
--- a/interfaces/sourcegen/sourcegen/yaml/config.yaml
+++ b/interfaces/sourcegen/sourcegen/yaml/config.yaml
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@
 # at https://cantera.org/license.txt for license and copyright information.
 
 # Ignore these files entirely:
-ignore_files: []
+ignore_files:
+- ctfunc_auto.yaml  # for testing purposes
 
 # Ignore these specific functions:
 ignore_funcs: {}