diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index cb06e0cd3..e207fd5ef 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -113,8 +113,6 @@ SET(SYSTEM_C_FLAGS "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS}")
 SET(SYSTEM_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS}")
 STRING(TOUPPER "${CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE}" BUILD_TYPE_UC)
 IF(NOT ("${BUILD_TYPE_UC}" STREQUAL "DISTRIBUTION"))
-	SET(CMAKE_C_FLAGS "")
-	SET(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "")
 ENDIF(NOT ("${BUILD_TYPE_UC}" STREQUAL "DISTRIBUTION"))
 
 # compilation cache
@@ -250,12 +248,6 @@ ELSEIF(${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID} STREQUAL "Clang")
 	SET(RELEASE_COMPILER_FLAGS "-funroll-loops")
 ENDIF()
 IF(MSVC)
-	SET(CMAKE_C_FLAGS_RELEASE "/O2 ${RELEASE_COMPILER_FLAGS}")
-	SET(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE "/O2 ${RELEASE_COMPILER_FLAGS}")
-	SET(CMAKE_C_FLAGS_DISTRIBUTION "/Ot")
-	SET(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DISTRIBUTION "/Ot")
-	SET(CMAKE_C_FLAGS_DEBUG "/DEBUG /Od /Zi")
-	SET(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG "/DEBUG /Od /Zi")
 	add_compile_options("/bigobj")
 	SET(SWIG_CXX_COMPILER_FLAGS "/DEBUG /Od /Zi")
 ELSE()
diff --git a/cmake/version.cmake b/cmake/version.cmake
index f588caef3..204bc0c27 100644
--- a/cmake/version.cmake
+++ b/cmake/version.cmake
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ SET(MAINVERSION ${VERSION})
 
 SET(EXTRA "")
 
-IF(EXISTS "${ROOT_DIR}/.git/")
+IF(0)
 	FIND_PACKAGE(Git QUIET)
 	IF (NOT GIT_FOUND)
 		MESSAGE(FATAL_ERROR "The source is checked out from a git repository, but cannot find git executable!")
diff --git a/src/shogun/CMakeLists.txt b/src/shogun/CMakeLists.txt
index 20c4b4fa6..8fcbd87ed 100644
--- a/src/shogun/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/shogun/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -42,7 +42,6 @@ ELSE()
 ENDIF()
 set(INCLUDE_INSTALL_DIR include)
 set(THIRD_PARTY_INCLUDE_DIR ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/third_party)
-set(SHOGUN_CLING_LIBRARY_DIR "\"${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/${SHOGUN_LIB_INSTALL}\"")
 
 if (MSVC OR BUILD_BENCHMARKS)
   SET(LIBSHOGUN_BUILD_STATIC ON
@@ -159,7 +158,7 @@ ENDIF()
 # add target for static library if enabled
 if (LIBSHOGUN_BUILD_STATIC)
   add_library(shogun-static STATIC $<TARGET_OBJECTS:libshogun> ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/lib/config.h)
-  set_property(TARGET shogun-static PROPERTY OUTPUT_NAME shogun)
+  set_property(TARGET shogun-static PROPERTY OUTPUT_NAME libshogun)
   target_include_directories(shogun-static PUBLIC
     $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src>
     $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/src>
@@ -441,7 +440,7 @@ if (NOT RapidJSON_FOUND)
 endif()
 SHOGUN_INCLUDE_DIRS(SCOPE PRIVATE ${RAPIDJSON_INCLUDE_DIRS})
 
-include(external/bitsery)
+find_package(bitsery)
 SHOGUN_INCLUDE_DIRS(SCOPE PRIVATE ${BITSERY_INCLUDE_DIR})
 
 if (NOT WIN32)
@@ -631,10 +630,6 @@ INSTALL(
   PATTERN ".settings" EXCLUDE)
 
 # set the desidered targets to be installed
-set(INSTALL_TARGETS shogun)
-if (LIBSHOGUN_BUILD_STATIC)
-  LIST(APPEND INSTALL_TARGETS shogun-static)
-endif()
 
 INSTALL(
   TARGETS ${INSTALL_TARGETS}
@@ -645,10 +640,10 @@ INSTALL(
   INCLUDES DESTINATION ${INCLUDE_INSTALL_DIR}
 )
 
-file(TO_CMAKE_PATH ${SHOGUN_LIB_INSTALL}/cmake/shogun CONFIG_PACKAGE_DIR)
+file(TO_CMAKE_PATH share/shogun CONFIG_PACKAGE_DIR)
 configure_package_config_file(
   ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/ShogunConfig.cmake.in ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/ShogunConfig.cmake
-  INSTALL_DESTINATION ${SHOGUN_LIB_INSTALL}/cmake/shogun
+  INSTALL_DESTINATION share/shogun
   PATH_VARS INCLUDE_INSTALL_DIR CONFIG_PACKAGE_DIR)
 
 write_basic_package_version_file(