diff --git a/cmake/externals/sdl2/CMakeLists.txt b/cmake/externals/sdl2/CMakeLists.txt
index 49bb68891d..3d59af4c06 100644
--- a/cmake/externals/sdl2/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/cmake/externals/sdl2/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ string(TOUPPER ${EXTERNAL_NAME} EXTERNAL_NAME_UPPER)
 if (APPLE)
   ExternalProject_Get_Property(${EXTERNAL_NAME} SOURCE_DIR)
   set(${EXTERNAL_NAME_UPPER}_INCLUDE_DIR ${SOURCE_DIR}/SDL2.framework/Headers CACHE PATH "Location of SDL2 include directory")
-  set(${EXTERNAL_NAME_UPPER}_LIBRARY_TEMP ${SOURCE_DIR}/SDL2.framework CACHE PATH "Location of SDL2 framework")
+  set(${EXTERNAL_NAME_UPPER}_LIBRARY_TEMP "-framework ${SOURCE_DIR}/SDL2.framework" CACHE STRING "Link string for SDL2 framework")
 else ()
   if (WIN32)
     ExternalProject_Get_Property(${EXTERNAL_NAME} SOURCE_DIR)