diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index fef81940e4..cd72ef0279 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -94,8 +94,11 @@ if(NOT FREECAD_LIBPACK_USE OR FREECAD_LIBPACK_CHECKFILE_CLBUNDLER OR FREECAD_LIB
     endif(BUILD_GUI)
     SetupSalomeSMESH()
     if (BUILD_FEM_NETGEN)
-        find_package(NETGEN REQUIRED)
-    endif(BUILD_FEM_NETGEN)
+        set(NETGEN_DEFINITIONS -DNO_PARALLEL_THREADS -DOCCGEOMETRY)
+        if (NOT FREECAD_USE_EXTERNAL_SMESH)
+            find_package(NETGEN REQUIRED)
+        endif()
+    endif()
     # not needed at the moment
     #find_package(OpenCV REQUIRED)
     SetupSwig()
diff --git a/cMake/FindNETGEN.cmake b/cMake/FindNETGEN.cmake
index 23f8f7e5b9..8a6233e6e0 100644
--- a/cMake/FindNETGEN.cmake
+++ b/cMake/FindNETGEN.cmake
@@ -17,15 +17,11 @@ find_package(Netgen CONFIG QUIET)
 IF (Netgen_FOUND)
     set(NGLIB_INCLUDE_DIR ${NETGEN_INCLUDE_DIRS})
     set(NGLIB_LIBRARIES nglib)
-    set(NETGEN_DEFINITIONS -DNO_PARALLEL_THREADS -DOCCGEOMETRY)
     # for external smesh only the following two variables are needed:
     set(NETGEN_FOUND True)
     set(NETGEN_INCLUDE_DIRS ${NETGEN_INCLUDE_DIRS})
-
 ELSE ()
 
-    SET(NETGEN_DEFINITIONS -DNO_PARALLEL_THREADS -DOCCGEOMETRY)
-
     IF (WIN32)
         FIND_PATH(NGLIB_INCLUDE_DIR NAMES nglib.h PATHS ${NETGEN_INCLUDEDIR})
         SET(NETGEN_LIBS nglib mesh occ interface)