diff --git a/lib/CMakeLists.txt b/lib/CMakeLists.txt
index e8179fbe..f3ac5ddf 100644
--- a/lib/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/lib/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -215,13 +215,13 @@ endif()
 # Cairo
 
 if (MSVC)
-   target_include_directories(elements PUBLIC ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/external/cairo/include)
+   find_path(Cairo_INCLUDE_DIR cairo/cairo.h)
+   list(APPEND Cairo_INCLUDE_DIRS ${Cairo_INCLUDE_DIR})
+   list(APPEND Cairo_INCLUDE_DIRS ${Cairo_INCLUDE_DIR}/cairo)
+   target_include_directories(elements PUBLIC ${Cairo_INCLUDE_DIRS})
 
-   if(CMAKE_SIZEOF_VOID_P EQUAL 8)
-      target_link_libraries(elements PUBLIC ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/external/cairo/lib/x64/cairo.lib)
-   else()
-	  target_link_libraries(elements PUBLIC ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/external/cairo/lib/x86/cairo.lib)
-   endif()
+   find_library(Cairo_LIBRARY cairo)
+   target_link_libraries(elements PUBLIC ${Cairo_LIBRARY})
 elseif (APPLE)
 	# TODO: add a min version specifiction
 	pkg_check_modules(cairo REQUIRED IMPORTED_TARGET cairo)
@@ -240,13 +240,8 @@ endif()
 # Fontconfig
 
 if (MSVC)
-   target_include_directories(elements PUBLIC ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/external/fontconfig/include)
-
-   if(CMAKE_SIZEOF_VOID_P EQUAL 8)
-	  target_link_libraries(elements PUBLIC ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/external/fontconfig/x64/fontconfig.lib)
-   else()
-	  target_link_libraries(elements PUBLIC ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/external/fontconfig/x86/fontconfig.lib)
-   endif()
+   find_package(Fontconfig REQUIRED)
+   target_link_libraries(elements PUBLIC Fontconfig::Fontconfig)
 elseif (APPLE)
    pkg_check_modules(fontconfig REQUIRED IMPORTED_TARGET fontconfig)
    target_include_directories(elements PUBLIC ${fontconfig_INCLUDE_DIRS})
@@ -261,13 +256,8 @@ endif()
 # Freetype
 
 if (MSVC)
-   target_include_directories(elements PUBLIC ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/external/freetype/include)
-
-   if(CMAKE_SIZEOF_VOID_P EQUAL 8)
-	  target_link_libraries(elements PUBLIC ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/external/freetype/win64/freetype.lib)
-   else()
-	  target_link_libraries(elements PUBLIC ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/external/freetype/win32/freetype.lib)
-   endif()
+   find_package(Freetype REQUIRED)
+   target_link_libraries(elements PUBLIC Freetype::Freetype)
 elseif (APPLE)
    pkg_check_modules(freetype2 REQUIRED IMPORTED_TARGET freetype2)
    target_include_directories(elements PUBLIC ${freetype2_INCLUDE_DIRS})