diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 574bf0a344..22062caa6c 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -126,8 +126,18 @@ set(EXTERNAL_PROJECT_PREFIX "project")
 set_property(DIRECTORY PROPERTY EP_PREFIX ${EXTERNAL_PROJECT_PREFIX})
 setup_externals_binary_dir()
 
-# setup for optional external project dependencies
-option(GET_SDL2 "Download SDL2 as external project" 0)
+# setup options to grab external project dependencies
+option(GET_BULLET "Get Bullet library automatically as external project" 1)
+option(GET_GLM "Get GLM library automatically as external project" 1)
+option(GET_GVERB "Get Gverb library automatically as external project" 1)
+option(GET_SOXR "Get Soxr library automatically as external project" 1)
+option(GET_TBB "Get Threading Building Blocks library automatically as external project" 1)
+
+if (WIN32)
+  option(GET_GLEW "Get GLEW library automatically as external project" 1)
+endif ()
+
+option(GET_SDL2 "Get SDL2 library automatically as external project" 0)
 
 if (WIN32)
   add_paths_to_lib_paths("${QT_DIR}/bin")
diff --git a/cmake/macros/AddDependencyExternalProjects.cmake b/cmake/macros/AddDependencyExternalProjects.cmake
index 464652a5b7..e859ef2db5 100644
--- a/cmake/macros/AddDependencyExternalProjects.cmake
+++ b/cmake/macros/AddDependencyExternalProjects.cmake
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ macro(ADD_DEPENDENCY_EXTERNAL_PROJECTS)
     string(TOUPPER ${_PROJ_NAME} _PROJ_NAME_UPPER)
     
     # has the user told us they specific don't want this as an external project?
-    if (NOT DEFINED GET_${_PROJ_NAME_UPPER} OR GET_${_PROJ_NAME_UPPER})
+    if (GET_${_PROJ_NAME_UPPER})
       # have we already detected we can't have this as external project on this OS?
       if (NOT DEFINED ${_PROJ_NAME_UPPER}_EXTERNAL_PROJECT OR ${_PROJ_NAME_UPPER}_EXTERNAL_PROJECT)
         # have we already setup the target?