diff --git a/cmake/externals/bullet/CMakeLists.txt b/cmake/externals/bullet/CMakeLists.txt
index 125432002c..317e3302d9 100644
--- a/cmake/externals/bullet/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/cmake/externals/bullet/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -66,11 +66,15 @@ if (DEFINED BULLET_LIB_EXT)
     list(GET _LIB_PAIR 0 _LIB_VAR_NAME)
     list(GET _LIB_PAIR 1 _LIB_NAME)
 
-    set(${EXTERNAL_NAME_UPPER}_${_LIB_VAR_NAME}_RELEASE ${BULLET_LIB_DIR}/${LIB_PREFIX}${_LIB_NAME}.${BULLET_LIB_EXT} CACHE FILEPATH "${_LIB_NAME} release library location")
+
 
     if (WIN32)
+      # on windows, we might end up with a library that ends with RelWithDebInfo if Visual Studio is building for that configuration
+      set(${EXTERNAL_NAME_UPPER}_${_LIB_VAR_NAME}_RELEASE "${BULLET_LIB_DIR}/${LIB_PREFIX}${_LIB_NAME}$<$<CONFIG:RelWithDebInfo>:_RelWithDebugInfo>$<$<CONFIG:MinSizeRel>:_MinsizeRel>.${BULLET_LIB_EXT}" CACHE FILEPATH "${_LIB_NAME} release library location")
+
       set(${EXTERNAL_NAME_UPPER}_${_LIB_VAR_NAME}_DEBUG ${BULLET_LIB_DIR}/${LIB_PREFIX}${_LIB_NAME}_Debug.${BULLET_LIB_EXT} CACHE FILEPATH "${_LIB_NAME} debug library location")
     else ()
+      set(${EXTERNAL_NAME_UPPER}_${_LIB_VAR_NAME}_RELEASE ${BULLET_LIB_DIR}/${LIB_PREFIX}${_LIB_NAME}.${BULLET_LIB_EXT} CACHE FILEPATH "${_LIB_NAME} release library location")
       set(${EXTERNAL_NAME_UPPER}_${_LIB_VAR_NAME}_DEBUG "" CACHE FILEPATH "${_LIB_NAME} debug library location")
     endif ()
   endforeach()
diff --git a/cmake/externals/faceshift/CMakeLists.txt b/cmake/externals/faceshift/CMakeLists.txt
index 28fbffec34..c4f2055435 100644
--- a/cmake/externals/faceshift/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/cmake/externals/faceshift/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -27,6 +27,10 @@ set(LIBRARY_RELEASE_PATH "lib/Release")
 if (WIN32)
   set(LIBRARY_PREFIX "")
   set(LIBRARY_EXT "lib")
+  # use selected configuration in release path when building on Windows
+  set(LIBRARY_RELEASE_PATH "$<$<CONFIG:RelWithDebInfo>:build/RelWithDebInfo>")
+  set(LIBRARY_RELEASE_PATH "${LIBRARY_RELEASE_PATH}$<$<CONFIG:MinSizeRel>:build/MinSizeRel>")
+  set(LIBRARY_RELEASE_PATH "${LIBRARY_RELEASE_PATH}$<$<OR:$<CONFIG:Release>,$<CONFIG:Debug>>:lib/Release>")
 elseif (APPLE)
   set(LIBRARY_EXT "a")
   set(LIBRARY_PREFIX "lib")
diff --git a/cmake/externals/polyvox/CMakeLists.txt b/cmake/externals/polyvox/CMakeLists.txt
index 3740e26762..c799b45e78 100644
--- a/cmake/externals/polyvox/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/cmake/externals/polyvox/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ ExternalProject_Get_Property(${EXTERNAL_NAME} INSTALL_DIR)
 
 if (APPLE)
   set(INSTALL_NAME_LIBRARY_DIR ${INSTALL_DIR}/lib)
-  
+
   ExternalProject_Add_Step(
     ${EXTERNAL_NAME}
     change-install-name-debug
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ if (APPLE)
     WORKING_DIRECTORY <SOURCE_DIR>
     LOG 1
   )
-  
+
   ExternalProject_Add_Step(
     ${EXTERNAL_NAME}
     change-install-name-release
@@ -59,7 +59,13 @@ endif ()
 
 if (WIN32)
   set(${EXTERNAL_NAME_UPPER}_CORE_LIBRARY_DEBUG ${INSTALL_DIR}/PolyVoxCore/lib/Debug/PolyVoxCore.lib CACHE FILEPATH "polyvox core library")
-  set(${EXTERNAL_NAME_UPPER}_CORE_LIBRARY_RELEASE ${INSTALL_DIR}/PolyVoxCore/lib/Release/PolyVoxCore.lib CACHE FILEPATH "polyvox core library")
+
+  # use generator expression to ensure the correct library is found when building different configurations in VS
+  set(_LIB_FOLDER "$<$<CONFIG:RelWithDebInfo>:PolyVoxCore/lib/RelWithDebInfo>")
+  set(_LIB_FOLDER "${_LIB_FOLDER}$<$<CONFIG:MinSizeRel>:build/library/PolyVoxCore/MinSizeRel>")
+  set(_LIB_FOLDER "${_LIB_FOLDER}$<$<OR:$<CONFIG:Release>,$<CONFIG:Debug>>:PolyVoxCore/lib/Release>")
+
+  set(${EXTERNAL_NAME_UPPER}_CORE_LIBRARY_RELEASE "${INSTALL_DIR}/${_LIB_FOLDER}/PolyVoxCore.lib" CACHE FILEPATH "polyvox core library")
 #  set(${EXTERNAL_NAME_UPPER}_UTIL_LIBRARY ${INSTALL_DIR}/PolyVoxUtil/lib/PolyVoxUtil.lib CACHE FILEPATH "polyvox util library")
 elseif (APPLE)
   set(${EXTERNAL_NAME_UPPER}_CORE_LIBRARY_DEBUG ${INSTALL_DIR}/lib/Debug/libPolyVoxCore.dylib CACHE FILEPATH "polyvox core library")
diff --git a/cmake/externals/vhacd/CMakeLists.txt b/cmake/externals/vhacd/CMakeLists.txt
index efe6ed0381..11afa255f1 100644
--- a/cmake/externals/vhacd/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/cmake/externals/vhacd/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ include(ExternalProject)
 ExternalProject_Add(
   ${EXTERNAL_NAME}
   URL http://hifi-public.s3.amazonaws.com/dependencies/v-hacd-master.zip
-  URL_MD5 3bfc94f8dd3dfbfe8f4dc088f4820b3e 
+  URL_MD5 3bfc94f8dd3dfbfe8f4dc088f4820b3e
   CMAKE_ARGS ${ANDROID_CMAKE_ARGS} -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX:PATH=<INSTALL_DIR>
   BINARY_DIR ${EXTERNAL_PROJECT_PREFIX}/build
   LOG_DOWNLOAD 1
@@ -25,7 +25,13 @@ string(TOUPPER ${EXTERNAL_NAME} EXTERNAL_NAME_UPPER)
 
 if (WIN32)
   set(${EXTERNAL_NAME_UPPER}_LIBRARY_DEBUG ${INSTALL_DIR}/lib/Debug/VHACD_LIB.lib CACHE FILEPATH "Path to V-HACD debug library")
-  set(${EXTERNAL_NAME_UPPER}_LIBRARY_RELEASE ${INSTALL_DIR}/lib/Release/VHACD_LIB.lib CACHE FILEPATH "Path to V-HACD release library")
+
+  # use generator expression to ensure the correct library is found when building different configurations in VS
+  set(_LIB_FOLDER "$<$<CONFIG:RelWithDebInfo>:build/src/VHACD_Lib/RelWithDebInfo>")
+  set(_LIB_FOLDER "${_LIB_FOLDER}$<$<CONFIG:MinSizeRel>:build/src/VHACD_Lib/MinSizeRel>")
+  set(_LIB_FOLDER "${_LIB_FOLDER}$<$<OR:$<CONFIG:Release>,$<CONFIG:Debug>>:lib/Release>")
+
+  set(${EXTERNAL_NAME_UPPER}_LIBRARY_RELEASE ${INSTALL_DIR}/${_LIB_FOLDER}/VHACD_LIB.lib CACHE FILEPATH "Path to V-HACD release library")
 else ()
   set(${EXTERNAL_NAME_UPPER}_LIBRARY_DEBUG "" CACHE FILEPATH "Path to V-HACD debug library")
   set(${EXTERNAL_NAME_UPPER}_LIBRARY_RELEASE ${INSTALL_DIR}/lib/libVHACD.a CACHE FILEPATH "Path to V-HACD release library")