diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 16e29c604e9d4dc3cdc0766a2e820ac04a1bbfbd..1edd370bb5f86325d254cb420f4030a2933d2d6a 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -91,7 +91,9 @@ ENDIF() #OGS_PACKAGING
 ######################
 
 # External projects
+OPTION(Boost_USE_STATIC_LIBS "This option has to be set from the command line (before boost gets found)!" OFF)
 INCLUDE(scripts/cmake/ExternalProjectBoost.cmake)
+INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES( ${Boost_INCLUDE_DIRS} )
 
 # Add subdirectories with the projects
 ADD_SUBDIRECTORY( ThirdParty )
diff --git a/scripts/cmake/ExternalProjectBoost.cmake b/scripts/cmake/ExternalProjectBoost.cmake
index 484d8bdb8db220486982354d8450ad923d292fe0..06b5751583a9d7ccd0e5c97e628983075ce6c2c6 100644
--- a/scripts/cmake/ExternalProjectBoost.cmake
+++ b/scripts/cmake/ExternalProjectBoost.cmake
@@ -26,9 +26,12 @@ SET(BOOST_LIBS_TO_BUILD
 	# wave
 )
 
+IF(Boost_FOUND)
+	RETURN()
+ENDIF()
+
 # First check for system boost
 IF(NOT Boost_INCLUDE_DIRS)
-	SET(Boost_USE_STATIC_LIBS ON)
 	IF(OGS_LIBS_DIR)
 		SET(BOOST_ROOT ${OGS_LIBS_DIR}/boost)
 	ENDIF()
@@ -36,12 +39,9 @@ IF(NOT Boost_INCLUDE_DIRS)
 		SET(BOOST_ROOT /opt/boxen/homebrew)
 	ENDIF()
 	FIND_PACKAGE(Boost 1.46.0 COMPONENTS ${BOOST_LIBS_TO_BUILD})
-	IF(NOT Boost_FOUND)
-		SET(Boost_USE_STATIC_LIBS OFF)
-		FIND_PACKAGE(Boost 1.46.0 COMPONENTS ${BOOST_LIBS_TO_BUILD})
-	ENDIF()
 	IF(Boost_FOUND)
-		INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES(${Boost_INCLUDE_DIRS})
+		SET(Boost_FOUND TRUE CACHE BOOL "Was Boost found?" FORCE)
+		SET(Boost_INCLUDE_DIRS "${Boost_INCLUDE_DIRS}" CACHE STRING "Boost include dirs" FORCE)
 		RETURN()
 	ELSE()
 		SET(Boost_INCLUDE_DIRS "")
@@ -126,5 +126,4 @@ IF(NOT Boost_INCLUDE_DIRS)
 	MESSAGE(STATUS "Building Boost automatically.")
 ENDIF()
 
-INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES( ${Boost_INCLUDE_DIRS} )
 LINK_DIRECTORIES( ${source_dir}/stage/lib/ )