diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 0bd194139..ca53129e8 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ OPTION(BUILD_GUI "Build FreeCAD Gui. Otherwise you have only the command line an
 OPTION(FREECAD_MAINTAINERS_BUILD "Build FreeCAD for Maintainers, with Docu and 3rd party libs. On Windows the Installer is build." OFF)
 OPTION(FREECAD_USE_EXTERNAL_ZIPIOS "Use system installed zipios++ instead of the bundled." OFF)
 OPTION(FREECAD_USE_EXTERNAL_PIVY "Use system installed python-pivy instead of the bundled." OFF)
+OPTION(FREECAD_USE_EXTERNAL_SMESH "Use system installed smesh instead of the bundled." OFF)
 OPTION(FREECAD_BUILD_DEBIAN "Prepare for a build of a Debian package" OFF)
 
 OPTION(BUILD_CAM "Build the FreeCAD CAM module and the needed libs, be aware, unfinished code!" OFF)
@@ -169,6 +170,7 @@ endif(MSVC)
 if (FREECAD_BUILD_DEBIAN)
     set(FREECAD_USE_EXTERNAL_ZIPIOS ON)
     set(FREECAD_USE_EXTERNAL_PIVY ON)
+    set(FREECAD_USE_EXTERNAL_SMESH ON)
 endif (FREECAD_BUILD_DEBIAN)
 
 # ==============================================================================
@@ -362,10 +364,6 @@ if(FREECAD_LIBPACK_USE)
         message(SEND_ERROR  "Could not find libpack in specified location:" ${FREECAD_LIBPACK_DIR})
     ENDIF(FREECAD_LIBPACK_CHECKFILE_CLBUNDLER)
 
-# -------------------------------- PyCXX --------------------------------
-
-    find_package(PyCXX REQUIRED)
-
 # -------------------------------- Swig ----------------------------------
 
     find_package(SWIG)
@@ -504,24 +502,17 @@ if(NOT FREECAD_LIBPACK_USE OR FREECAD_LIBPACK_CHECKFILE_CLBUNDLER)
 
     # Salome SMESH sources are under src/3rdParty now
     IF(OCC_FOUND)
-    set(SMESH_INCLUDE_DIR ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src/3rdParty/salomesmesh/inc)
-    set(SMESH_LIBRARIES
-        StdMeshers
-        #MEFISTO2
-        SMESH
-        DriverUNV
-        SMESHDS
-        DriverSTL
-        DriverDAT
-        Driver
-        SMDS
-    )
+    if(NOT FREECAD_USE_EXTERNAL_SMESH)
+        set(SMESH_INCLUDE_DIR ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src/3rdParty/salomesmesh/inc)
+    else()
+        find_package(SMESH)
+        if(NOT SMESH_FOUND)
+            message(ERROR "SMESH was not found.")
+        endif()
+        include_directories(${SMESH_INCLUDE_DIR})
+    endif()
     set(SMESH_FOUND TRUE)
     ENDIF(OCC_FOUND)
-    #find_package(SMESH)
-    #IF(NOT SMESH_FOUND)
-    #    MESSAGE("Salome SMESH was not found!")
-    #ENDIF(NOT SMESH_FOUND)
 
 # -------------------------------- Netgen --------------------------------
 
diff --git a/cMake/FindSMESH.cmake b/cMake/FindSMESH.cmake
index 734f6c7d8..475e785cd 100644
--- a/cMake/FindSMESH.cmake
+++ b/cMake/FindSMESH.cmake
@@ -9,12 +9,14 @@
 
 IF (CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUCC)
     FIND_PATH(SMESH_INCLUDE_DIR SMESH_Mesh.hxx
-     /usr/include
-     /usr/local/include
+    # These are default search paths, why specify them?
+    # /usr/include
+    # /usr/local/include
+    PATH_SUFFIXES smesh
     )
     FIND_LIBRARY(SMESH_LIBRARY SMESH
-      /usr/lib
-      /usr/local/lib
+    #  /usr/lib
+    #  /usr/local/lib
     )
 ELSE (CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUCC)
     # Not yet implemented
diff --git a/src/3rdParty/CMakeLists.txt b/src/3rdParty/CMakeLists.txt
index 569f6eb02..f57595a4c 100644
--- a/src/3rdParty/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/3rdParty/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ if(BUILD_GUI AND NOT FREECAD_USE_EXTERNAL_PIVY)
 endif(BUILD_GUI AND NOT FREECAD_USE_EXTERNAL_PIVY)
 
 # Build SalomeMesh for all Platforms since heavily patched
-if (BUILD_SMESH)
+if (BUILD_SMESH AND NOT FREECAD_USE_EXTERNAL_SMESH)
     add_subdirectory(salomesmesh)
-endif(BUILD_SMESH)
+endif()
 
diff --git a/src/Mod/Fem/App/CMakeLists.txt b/src/Mod/Fem/App/CMakeLists.txt
index 08bc96ccb..dee77ebc1 100755
--- a/src/Mod/Fem/App/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/Mod/Fem/App/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ include_directories(
     ${PYTHON_INCLUDE_PATH}
     ${ZLIB_INCLUDE_DIR}
     ${XERCESC_INCLUDE_DIR}
-    ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src/3rdParty/salomesmesh/inc 
+    ${SMESH_INCLUDE_DIR}
 )
 
 link_directories(${OCC_LIBRARY_DIR})
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ if(BUILD_FEM_NETGEN)
         StdMeshers
         NETGENPlugin
         SMESH
+        SMDS
+        SMESHDS
     )
 else(BUILD_FEM_NETGEN)
     set(Fem_LIBS
@@ -41,6 +43,8 @@ else(BUILD_FEM_NETGEN)
         FreeCADApp
         StdMeshers
         SMESH
+        SMDS
+        SMESHDS
     )
 endif(BUILD_FEM_NETGEN)
 
diff --git a/src/Mod/Fem/Gui/CMakeLists.txt b/src/Mod/Fem/Gui/CMakeLists.txt
index fc8c5e41e..a3da64f00 100755
--- a/src/Mod/Fem/Gui/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/Mod/Fem/Gui/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ include_directories(
     ${QT_INCLUDE_DIR}
     ${PYTHON_INCLUDE_PATH}
     ${XERCESC_INCLUDE_DIR}
-    ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src/3rdParty/salomesmesh/inc
+    ${SMESH_INCLUDE_DIR}
 )
 
 link_directories(${OCC_LIBRARY_DIR})
diff --git a/src/Mod/MeshPart/App/CMakeLists.txt b/src/Mod/MeshPart/App/CMakeLists.txt
index 48b3c4a0b..078708372 100644
--- a/src/Mod/MeshPart/App/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/Mod/MeshPart/App/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ endif(BUILD_FEM_NETGEN)
 
 include_directories(
     ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src
-    ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src/3rdParty/salomesmesh/inc
     ${Boost_INCLUDE_DIRS}
     ${OCC_INCLUDE_DIR}
     ${ZLIB_INCLUDE_DIR}
@@ -34,6 +33,7 @@ if(BUILD_FEM_NETGEN)
         StdMeshers
         NETGENPlugin
         SMESH
+        SMDS
     )
 else(BUILD_FEM_NETGEN)
     set(MeshPart_LIBS
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ else(BUILD_FEM_NETGEN)
         Mesh
         StdMeshers
         SMESH
+        SMDS
     )
 endif(BUILD_FEM_NETGEN)