diff --git a/interface/CMakeLists.txt b/interface/CMakeLists.txt
index eb788ac49a..38dd02c655 100644
--- a/interface/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/interface/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ endif()
 add_executable(${TARGET_NAME} MACOSX_BUNDLE ${INTERFACE_SRCS} ${QM})
 
 # link required hifi libraries
-link_hifi_libraries(shared octree voxels fbx metavoxels networking entities avatars audio animation script-engine physics)
+link_hifi_libraries(shared octree voxels gpu fbx metavoxels networking entities avatars audio animation script-engine physics)
 
 # find any optional and required libraries
 find_package(ZLIB REQUIRED)
diff --git a/libraries/gpu/CMakeLists.txt b/libraries/gpu/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..577f9f7a58
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libraries/gpu/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+set(TARGET_NAME gpu)
+
+# use setup_hifi_library macro to setup our project and link appropriate Qt modules
+setup_hifi_library()
+
+include_glm()
+
+link_hifi_libraries(shared)
+if (APPLE)
+  # link in required OS X frameworks and include the right GL headers
+  find_library(OpenGL OpenGL)
+
+  target_link_libraries(${TARGET_NAME} ${OpenGL})
+    
+else (APPLE)
+  find_package(OpenGL REQUIRED)
+  
+  if (${OPENGL_INCLUDE_DIR})
+    include_directories(SYSTEM "${OPENGL_INCLUDE_DIR}")
+  endif ()
+  
+  target_link_libraries(${TARGET_NAME} "${OPENGL_LIBRARY}")
+  
+  # link target to external libraries
+  if (WIN32)
+    find_package(GLEW REQUIRED)
+    include_directories(${GLEW_INCLUDE_DIRS})
+
+    # we're using static GLEW, so define GLEW_STATIC
+    add_definitions(-DGLEW_STATIC)
+
+    target_link_libraries(${TARGET_NAME} "${GLEW_LIBRARIES}" "${NSIGHT_LIBRARIES}" opengl32.lib)
+
+    # try to find the Nsight package and add it to the build if we find it
+    find_package(NSIGHT)
+    if (NSIGHT_FOUND)
+      include_directories(${NSIGHT_INCLUDE_DIRS})
+      add_definitions(-DNSIGHT_FOUND)
+      target_link_libraries(${TARGET_NAME} "${NSIGHT_LIBRARIES}")
+    endif ()
+
+  endif()
+endif (APPLE)
+
+# call macro to link our dependencies and bubble them up via a property on our target
+link_shared_dependencies()
diff --git a/interface/src/gpu/Batch.cpp b/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/Batch.cpp
similarity index 100%
rename from interface/src/gpu/Batch.cpp
rename to libraries/gpu/src/gpu/Batch.cpp
diff --git a/interface/src/gpu/Batch.h b/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/Batch.h
similarity index 98%
rename from interface/src/gpu/Batch.h
rename to libraries/gpu/src/gpu/Batch.h
index 5304740dd3..601ae63a77 100644
--- a/interface/src/gpu/Batch.h
+++ b/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/Batch.h
@@ -12,13 +12,13 @@
 #define hifi_gpu_Batch_h
 
 #include <assert.h>
-#include "InterfaceConfig.h"
+#include "GPUConfig.h"
 
 #include "Transform.h"
 
 #include <vector>
 
-#include "gpu/Stream.h"
+#include "Stream.h"
 
 #if defined(NSIGHT_FOUND)
     #include "nvToolsExt.h"
diff --git a/interface/src/gpu/Context.cpp b/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/Context.cpp
similarity index 100%
rename from interface/src/gpu/Context.cpp
rename to libraries/gpu/src/gpu/Context.cpp
diff --git a/interface/src/gpu/Context.h b/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/Context.h
similarity index 94%
rename from interface/src/gpu/Context.h
rename to libraries/gpu/src/gpu/Context.h
index 8398288cb9..3a0fffb4ef 100644
--- a/interface/src/gpu/Context.h
+++ b/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/Context.h
@@ -12,9 +12,9 @@
 #define hifi_gpu_Context_h
 
 #include <assert.h>
-#include "InterfaceConfig.h"
+#include "GPUConfig.h"
 
-#include "gpu/Resource.h"
+#include "Resource.h"
 
 namespace gpu {
 
diff --git a/interface/src/gpu/Format.h b/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/Format.h
similarity index 98%
rename from interface/src/gpu/Format.h
rename to libraries/gpu/src/gpu/Format.h
index 8faa995924..d216495b4c 100644
--- a/interface/src/gpu/Format.h
+++ b/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/Format.h
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 #define hifi_gpu_Format_h
 
 #include <assert.h>
-#include "InterfaceConfig.h"
+#include "GPUConfig.h"
 
 
 namespace gpu {
diff --git a/interface/src/gpu/GLBackend.cpp b/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/GLBackend.cpp
similarity index 99%
rename from interface/src/gpu/GLBackend.cpp
rename to libraries/gpu/src/gpu/GLBackend.cpp
index 10567e65ba..90639929ca 100644
--- a/interface/src/gpu/GLBackend.cpp
+++ b/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/GLBackend.cpp
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 
 #include <QDebug>
 
-#include "gpu/Batch.h"
+#include "Batch.h"
 
 using namespace gpu;
 
diff --git a/interface/src/gpu/GLBackend.h b/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/GLBackend.h
similarity index 98%
rename from interface/src/gpu/GLBackend.h
rename to libraries/gpu/src/gpu/GLBackend.h
index 0e4b38d89e..5a40e9ca36 100644
--- a/interface/src/gpu/GLBackend.h
+++ b/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/GLBackend.h
@@ -12,10 +12,10 @@
 #define hifi_gpu_GLBackend_h
 
 #include <assert.h>
-#include "InterfaceConfig.h"
+#include "GPUConfig.h"
 
-#include "gpu/Context.h"
-#include "gpu/Batch.h"
+#include "Context.h"
+#include "Batch.h"
 #include <bitset>
 
 
diff --git a/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/GPUConfig.h b/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/GPUConfig.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..393a476182
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/GPUConfig.h
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+//
+//  GPUConfig.h
+//  libraries/gpu/src/gpu
+//
+//  Created by Sam Gateau on 12/4/14.
+//  Copyright 2013 High Fidelity, Inc.
+//
+//  Distributed under the Apache License, Version 2.0.
+//  See the accompanying file LICENSE or http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.html
+//
+
+#ifndef gpu__GPUConfig__
+#define gpu__GPUConfig__
+
+#define GL_GLEXT_PROTOTYPES 1
+
+#if defined(__APPLE__)
+#include <OpenGL/gl.h>
+#include <OpenGL/glext.h>
+
+#elif defined(WIN32)
+#include <GL/glew.h>
+#include <GL/wglew.h>
+
+#else
+#include <GL/gl.h>
+#include <GL/glext.h>
+
+
+#endif
+
+#endif
diff --git a/interface/src/gpu/Resource.cpp b/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/Resource.cpp
similarity index 100%
rename from interface/src/gpu/Resource.cpp
rename to libraries/gpu/src/gpu/Resource.cpp
diff --git a/interface/src/gpu/Resource.h b/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/Resource.h
similarity index 98%
rename from interface/src/gpu/Resource.h
rename to libraries/gpu/src/gpu/Resource.h
index 52108c215a..6247efe675 100644
--- a/interface/src/gpu/Resource.h
+++ b/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/Resource.h
@@ -12,9 +12,9 @@
 #define hifi_gpu_Resource_h
 
 #include <assert.h>
-#include "InterfaceConfig.h"
+#include "GPUConfig.h"
 
-#include "gpu/Format.h"
+#include "Format.h"
 
 #include <vector>
 
diff --git a/interface/src/gpu/Stream.cpp b/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/Stream.cpp
similarity index 100%
rename from interface/src/gpu/Stream.cpp
rename to libraries/gpu/src/gpu/Stream.cpp
diff --git a/interface/src/gpu/Stream.h b/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/Stream.h
similarity index 97%
rename from interface/src/gpu/Stream.h
rename to libraries/gpu/src/gpu/Stream.h
index d024182531..93abfeeca3 100644
--- a/interface/src/gpu/Stream.h
+++ b/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/Stream.h
@@ -12,10 +12,10 @@
 #define hifi_gpu_Stream_h
 
 #include <assert.h>
-#include "InterfaceConfig.h"
+#include "GPUConfig.h"
 
-#include "gpu/Resource.h"
-#include "gpu/Format.h"
+#include "Resource.h"
+#include "Format.h"
 #include <vector>
 #include <map>