diff --git a/FileIO/CMakeLists.txt b/FileIO/CMakeLists.txt
index 2b0d58bddedf93b677ab9515f743dc4c03e222cb..c2e92a3aaa9e994792167a51995adaf77b8e32db 100644
--- a/FileIO/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/FileIO/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -64,10 +64,15 @@ if(QT4_FOUND)
 endif()
 
 ADD_VTK_DEPENDENCY(FileIO)
+
 if(TARGET Eigen)
 	add_dependencies(FileIO Eigen)
 endif()
 
+if(TARGET Boost)
+    add_dependencies(FileIO Boost)
+endif()
+
 file(GLOB XSD_FILES . *.xsd)
 if(APPLE AND OGS_BUILD_GUI)
 	install(FILES ${XSD_FILES} DESTINATION ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/_CPack_Packages/Darwin/DragNDrop/${CPACK_PACKAGE_FILE_NAME}/ALL_IN_ONE/DataExplorer.app/Contents/MacOS COMPONENT ogs_gui)
diff --git a/InSituLib/CMakeLists.txt b/InSituLib/CMakeLists.txt
index 2b7ef273041b73882fe1b54f477afd2928b091cc..957f1907d1ba36a53a8a56a4a4734d827ce4d402 100644
--- a/InSituLib/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/InSituLib/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -12,3 +12,7 @@ add_library(InSituLib
 target_link_libraries(InSituLib INTERFACE MeshLib ${VTK_LIBRARIES})
 
 ADD_VTK_DEPENDENCY(InSituLib)
+
+if(TARGET Boost)
+    add_dependencies(InSituLib Boost)
+endif()
diff --git a/MeshLib/CMakeLists.txt b/MeshLib/CMakeLists.txt
index d291a112d7d2e69783744bce1e57b5940c6f1c34..67846e5b03f71ee1a5a3cb02c34fedb8c9369664 100644
--- a/MeshLib/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/MeshLib/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -31,3 +31,6 @@ if(TARGET Eigen)
     add_dependencies(MeshLib Eigen)
 endif()
 
+if(TARGET Boost)
+    add_dependencies(MeshLib Boost)
+endif()
diff --git a/scripts/cmake/ExternalProjectBoost.cmake b/scripts/cmake/ExternalProjectBoost.cmake
index 0798cca6c9cc87d0db3e63b9be952fba0cf2fc55..1470b51fb11efeca39d6a7a0e1ff024e34fcc6ff 100644
--- a/scripts/cmake/ExternalProjectBoost.cmake
+++ b/scripts/cmake/ExternalProjectBoost.cmake
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ if(NOT Boost_INCLUDE_DIRS)
 	endif()
 	if(OGS_LIB_BOOST STREQUAL "System")
 		find_package(Boost ${OGS_BOOST_VERSION} REQUIRED)
+		if(NOT Boost_FOUND)
+			message(FATAL_ERROR "Aborting CMake because system Boost was not found!")
+		endif()
 	elseif(OGS_LIB_BOOST STREQUAL "Default")
 		find_package(Boost ${OGS_BOOST_VERSION})
 	endif()
diff --git a/scripts/cmake/ExternalProjectEigen.cmake b/scripts/cmake/ExternalProjectEigen.cmake
index db7e3ce015c112da59b5c694c480bad95d9173d2..258269a83c804f2a4fbfdac3acdaa5929c089086 100644
--- a/scripts/cmake/ExternalProjectEigen.cmake
+++ b/scripts/cmake/ExternalProjectEigen.cmake
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 if(OGS_LIB_EIGEN STREQUAL "System")
 	find_package(Eigen3 3.2.5 REQUIRED)
+	if(NOT EIGEN3_FOUND)
+		message(FATAL_ERROR "Aborting CMake because system Eigen was not found!")
+	endif()
 elseif(OGS_LIB_EIGEN STREQUAL "Default")
 	find_package(Eigen3 3.2.5)
 endif()
diff --git a/scripts/cmake/ExternalProjectVtk.cmake b/scripts/cmake/ExternalProjectVtk.cmake
index 80823ecc54b1d0b8ab869d9dd7fa5e9a919b549f..780ceaea618ff8ce807fdfc537cf64882963ae5c 100644
--- a/scripts/cmake/ExternalProjectVtk.cmake
+++ b/scripts/cmake/ExternalProjectVtk.cmake
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@ endif()
 
 if(OGS_LIB_VTK STREQUAL "System")
 	find_package(VTK 6.1 COMPONENTS ${VTK_MODULES} NO_MODULE REQUIRED)
+	if(NOT VTK_FOUND)
+		message(FATAL_ERROR "Aborting CMake because system VTK was not found!")
+	endif()
 elseif(OGS_LIB_VTK STREQUAL "Default" OR DEFINED VTK_DIR)
 	find_package(VTK 6.1 COMPONENTS ${VTK_MODULES} NO_MODULE QUIET)
 endif()