diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index b6eb3b935e..10d7998454 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -106,6 +106,13 @@ set(CMAKE_MODULE_PATH ${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH} "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/mo
 set(MACRO_DIR "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/macros")
 set(EXTERNAL_PROJECT_DIR "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/externals")
 
+set(EXTERNALS_BINARY_ROOT_DIR "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/build-externals")
+if (ANDROID)
+  set(EXTERNALS_BINARY_DIR "${EXTERNALS_BINARY_ROOT_DIR}/android/${CMAKE_GENERATOR}")
+else ()
+  set(EXTERNALS_BINARY_DIR "${EXTERNALS_BINARY_ROOT_DIR}/${CMAKE_GENERATOR}")
+endif ()
+
 file(GLOB HIFI_CUSTOM_MACROS "cmake/macros/*.cmake")
 foreach(CUSTOM_MACRO ${HIFI_CUSTOM_MACROS})
   include(${CUSTOM_MACRO})
diff --git a/cmake/macros/AddDependencyExternalProjects.cmake b/cmake/macros/AddDependencyExternalProjects.cmake
index 3ae59dd18e..c039d09987 100644
--- a/cmake/macros/AddDependencyExternalProjects.cmake
+++ b/cmake/macros/AddDependencyExternalProjects.cmake
@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@ macro(ADD_DEPENDENCY_EXTERNAL_PROJECTS)
     string(TOUPPER ${_PROJ_NAME} _PROJ_NAME_UPPER)
   
     if (NOT DEFINED GET_${_PROJ_NAME_UPPER} OR GET_${_PROJ_NAME_UPPER})
-      if (NOT TARGET ${_PROJ_NAME})    
-        add_subdirectory(${EXTERNAL_PROJECT_DIR}/${_PROJ_NAME} ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/externals/${_PROJ_NAME})
+      if (NOT TARGET ${_PROJ_NAME})
+        add_subdirectory(${EXTERNAL_PROJECT_DIR}/${_PROJ_NAME} ${EXTERNALS_BINARY_DIR}/${_PROJ_NAME})
       endif ()
   
       add_dependencies(${TARGET_NAME} ${_PROJ_NAME})