diff --git a/src/pke/CMakeLists.txt b/src/pke/CMakeLists.txt
index bad83a551..bf8eb34c4 100644
--- a/src/pke/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/pke/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -63,8 +63,7 @@ if( BUILD_UNITTESTS )
 	endif()
 	add_executable (pke_tests ${PKE_TEST_SRC_FILES} ${UNITTESTMAIN})
 	set_property(TARGET pke_tests PROPERTY RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/unittest)
-    target_include_directories(pke_tests PUBLIC "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/unittest")
-    target_include_directories(pke_tests PUBLIC "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/unittest/utils")
+	target_include_directories(pke_tests PUBLIC "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/unittest/utils")
 	target_link_libraries ( pke_tests ${PKELIBS} ${ADDITIONAL_LIBS})
 	if (NOT ${WITH_OPENMP} )
 		target_link_libraries ( pke_tests PRIVATE Threads::Threads)
@@ -80,7 +79,14 @@ if ( BUILD_EXAMPLES)
 	file (GLOB PKE_EXAMPLES_SRC_FILES CONFIGURE_DEPENDS examples/*.cpp)
 	foreach (app ${PKE_EXAMPLES_SRC_FILES})
 		get_filename_component ( exe ${app} NAME_WE )
-		add_executable ( ${exe} ${app} )
+		if(${exe} STREQUAL "scheme-switching-serial")
+			# add schemeswitching-data-serializer.cpp to link line and
+			# include the unittest/utils directory where schemeswitching-data-serializer.h is
+			add_executable ( ${exe} ${app} "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/unittest/utils/schemeswitching-data-serializer.cpp")
+			target_include_directories( ${exe} PUBLIC "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/unittest/utils")
+		else()
+			add_executable ( ${exe} ${app} )
+		endif()
 		set_property(TARGET ${exe} PROPERTY RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/bin/examples/pke)
 		set( PKEAPPS ${PKEAPPS} ${exe} )
 		target_link_libraries ( ${exe} ${PKELIBS} ${ADDITIONAL_LIBS})
diff --git a/src/pke/examples/scheme-switching-serial.cpp b/src/pke/examples/scheme-switching-serial.cpp
index 478c5aa4f..e95cc7d69 100644
--- a/src/pke/examples/scheme-switching-serial.cpp
+++ b/src/pke/examples/scheme-switching-serial.cpp
@@ -35,19 +35,20 @@
   2 separate entities
  */
 
-#include <iomanip>
-#include <tuple>
-#include <unistd.h>
-
 #include "openfhe.h"
 #include "binfhecontext.h"
-#include "scheme/ckksrns/schemeswitching-data-serializer.h"
 
 // header files needed for serialization
 #include "ciphertext-ser.h"
 #include "cryptocontext-ser.h"
 #include "key/key-ser.h"
 #include "scheme/ckksrns/ckksrns-ser.h"
+#include "schemeswitching-data-serializer.h"
+
+#include <iomanip>
+#include <tuple>
+#include <unistd.h>
+
 
 using namespace lbcrypto;
 
diff --git a/src/pke/unittest/utckksrns/UnitTestSchemeSwitch.cpp b/src/pke/unittest/utckksrns/UnitTestSchemeSwitch.cpp
index e99eae2c1..061350d45 100644
--- a/src/pke/unittest/utckksrns/UnitTestSchemeSwitch.cpp
+++ b/src/pke/unittest/utckksrns/UnitTestSchemeSwitch.cpp
@@ -39,9 +39,9 @@
 #include "scheme/ckksrns/ckksrns-utils.h"
 #include "cryptocontext-ser.h"
 #include "scheme/ckksrns/ckksrns-ser.h"
-#include "scheme/ckksrns/schemeswitching-data-serializer.h"
 #include "ciphertext-ser.h"
 #include "key/key-ser.h"
+#include "schemeswitching-data-serializer.h"
 
 #include <iostream>
 #include <vector>
diff --git a/src/pke/lib/scheme/ckksrns/schemeswitching-data-serializer.cpp b/src/pke/unittest/utils/schemeswitching-data-serializer.cpp
similarity index 99%
rename from src/pke/lib/scheme/ckksrns/schemeswitching-data-serializer.cpp
rename to src/pke/unittest/utils/schemeswitching-data-serializer.cpp
index ab2d05768..6298367ec 100644
--- a/src/pke/lib/scheme/ckksrns/schemeswitching-data-serializer.cpp
+++ b/src/pke/unittest/utils/schemeswitching-data-serializer.cpp
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 // OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE
 // OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 //==================================================================================
-#include "scheme/ckksrns/schemeswitching-data-serializer.h"
+#include "schemeswitching-data-serializer.h"
 
 #include "ciphertext-ser.h"
 #include "cryptocontext-ser.h"
diff --git a/src/pke/include/scheme/ckksrns/schemeswitching-data-serializer.h b/src/pke/unittest/utils/schemeswitching-data-serializer.h
similarity index 100%
rename from src/pke/include/scheme/ckksrns/schemeswitching-data-serializer.h
rename to src/pke/unittest/utils/schemeswitching-data-serializer.h