diff --git a/cMake/FreeCAD_Helpers/CheckInterModuleDependencies.cmake b/cMake/FreeCAD_Helpers/CheckInterModuleDependencies.cmake
index ac9c68b30f..7a7c1a5647 100644
--- a/cMake/FreeCAD_Helpers/CheckInterModuleDependencies.cmake
+++ b/cMake/FreeCAD_Helpers/CheckInterModuleDependencies.cmake
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ macro(CheckInterModuleDependencies)
     REQUIRES_MODS(BUILD_IMPORT             BUILD_PART)
     REQUIRES_MODS(BUILD_INSPECTION         BUILD_MESH BUILD_POINTS BUILD_PART)
     REQUIRES_MODS(BUILD_JTREADER           BUILD_MESH)
-    REQUIRES_MODS(BUILD_MESH_PART          BUILD_PART BUILD_MESH BUILD_SMESH)
+    REQUIRES_MODS(BUILD_MESH_PART          BUILD_PART BUILD_MESH)
     REQUIRES_MODS(BUILD_FLAT_MESH          BUILD_MESH_PART)
     REQUIRES_MODS(BUILD_OPENSCAD           BUILD_MESH_PART BUILD_DRAFT)
     REQUIRES_MODS(BUILD_PART               BUILD_MATERIAL)
diff --git a/cMake/FreeCAD_Helpers/InitializeFreeCADBuildOptions.cmake b/cMake/FreeCAD_Helpers/InitializeFreeCADBuildOptions.cmake
index ff578025ce..fcb66a95e2 100644
--- a/cMake/FreeCAD_Helpers/InitializeFreeCADBuildOptions.cmake
+++ b/cMake/FreeCAD_Helpers/InitializeFreeCADBuildOptions.cmake
@@ -183,8 +183,16 @@ macro(InitializeFreeCADBuildOptions)
         #set(FREECAD_USE_EXTERNAL_SMESH ON )
     endif (FREECAD_BUILD_DEBIAN)
 
-    if(BUILD_FEM)
-        set(BUILD_SMESH ON )
+    if(BUILD_FEM OR BUILD_MESH_PART)
+        set(FREECAD_USE_SMESH ON)
+        if(FREECAD_USE_EXTERNAL_SMESH)
+            set(BUILD_SMESH OFF)
+        else()
+            set(BUILD_SMESH ON)
+        endif()
+    else()
+        set(FREECAD_USE_SMESH OFF)
+        set(BUILD_SMESH OFF)
     endif()
 
     # force build directory to be different to source directory
diff --git a/cMake/FreeCAD_Helpers/PrintFinalReport.cmake b/cMake/FreeCAD_Helpers/PrintFinalReport.cmake
index 3ffcfcb44d..23b2dca37a 100644
--- a/cMake/FreeCAD_Helpers/PrintFinalReport.cmake
+++ b/cMake/FreeCAD_Helpers/PrintFinalReport.cmake
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ macro(PrintFinalReport)
     simple(ZLIB "${ZLIB_VERSION_STRING}")
     simple(OCC "${OCC_VERSION_STRING} [${OCC_LIBRARY_DIR}] [${OCC_INCLUDE_DIR}]")
     simple(OCC_Libs "[${OCC_LIBRARIES}]")
-    if(BUILD_SMESH)
+    if(FREECAD_USE_SMESH)
         if(FREECAD_USE_EXTERNAL_SMESH)
             simple(SMESH "${SMESH_VERSION_MAJOR}.${SMESH_VERSION_MINOR}.${SMESH_VERSION_PATCH}.${SMESH_VERSION_TWEAK}")
         else()
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ macro(PrintFinalReport)
             simple(VTK ${VTK_VERSION})
         endif()
     else()
-        simple(SMESH "do not build")
+        simple(SMESH "not enabled")
     endif()
     conditional(NETGEN NETGEN_FOUND
                 "not enabled"
diff --git a/cMake/FreeCAD_Helpers/SetupSalomeSMESH.cmake b/cMake/FreeCAD_Helpers/SetupSalomeSMESH.cmake
index cd00c0d2cc..8db55febb1 100644
--- a/cMake/FreeCAD_Helpers/SetupSalomeSMESH.cmake
+++ b/cMake/FreeCAD_Helpers/SetupSalomeSMESH.cmake
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 macro(SetupSalomeSMESH)
 # -------------------------------- Salome SMESH --------------------------
-
     # Salome SMESH sources are under src/3rdParty now
-    if(BUILD_SMESH)
+    if(FREECAD_USE_SMESH)
+
         # set the internal smesh version:
         # see src/3rdParty/salomonemesh/CMakeLists.txt and commit https://github.com/FreeCAD/FreeCAD/commit/666a3e5 and https://forum.freecad.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=30838
         set(SMESH_VERSION_MAJOR 7)
@@ -145,6 +145,6 @@ macro(SetupSalomeSMESH)
 
         set(SMESH_FOUND TRUE)
         configure_file(${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src/SMESH_Version.h.cmake ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/SMESH_Version.h)
-    endif(BUILD_SMESH)
+    endif(FREECAD_USE_SMESH)
 
 endmacro(SetupSalomeSMESH)
diff --git a/src/3rdParty/CMakeLists.txt b/src/3rdParty/CMakeLists.txt
index a88b4ec3a5..e5dec18854 100644
--- a/src/3rdParty/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/3rdParty/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # Build SalomeMesh for all Platforms since heavily patched
-if (BUILD_SMESH AND NOT FREECAD_USE_EXTERNAL_SMESH)
+if (BUILD_SMESH)
     add_subdirectory(salomesmesh)
 endif()
 
@@ -12,4 +12,4 @@ if (BUILD_ASSEMBLY AND NOT FREECAD_USE_EXTERNAL_ONDSELSOLVER)
         git submodule update --init" )
     endif()
     add_subdirectory(OndselSolver)
-endif()
\ No newline at end of file
+endif()
diff --git a/src/Mod/MeshPart/App/CMakeLists.txt b/src/Mod/MeshPart/App/CMakeLists.txt
index 05a7b5c29e..1de85a436e 100644
--- a/src/Mod/MeshPart/App/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/Mod/MeshPart/App/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
-if (BUILD_SMESH)
+if (SMESH_FOUND)
     add_definitions(-DHAVE_SMESH)
     if(SMESH_VERSION_MAJOR LESS_EQUAL 9 AND SMESH_VERSION_MINOR LESS 10 )
       add_definitions(-DHAVE_MEFISTO)
     endif()
-endif(BUILD_SMESH)
+endif(SMESH_FOUND)
 
 if(BUILD_FEM_NETGEN)
     add_definitions(-DHAVE_NETGEN)
diff --git a/src/Mod/MeshPart/Gui/CMakeLists.txt b/src/Mod/MeshPart/Gui/CMakeLists.txt
index f1c838362a..ff9a7bd593 100644
--- a/src/Mod/MeshPart/Gui/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/Mod/MeshPart/Gui/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
-if (BUILD_SMESH)
+if (SMESH_FOUND)
     add_definitions(-DHAVE_SMESH)
     if(SMESH_VERSION_MAJOR LESS_EQUAL 9 AND SMESH_VERSION_MINOR LESS 10 )
       add_definitions(-DHAVE_MEFISTO)
     endif()
-endif(BUILD_SMESH)
+endif(SMESH_FOUND)
 
 if(BUILD_FEM_NETGEN)
     add_definitions(-DHAVE_NETGEN)
diff --git a/tests/src/Mod/Measure/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/src/Mod/Measure/CMakeLists.txt
index 08ab1ff673..9296e3b16e 100644
--- a/tests/src/Mod/Measure/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/src/Mod/Measure/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -3,8 +3,6 @@ target_include_directories(Measure_tests_run PUBLIC
     ${EIGEN3_INCLUDE_DIR}
     ${OCC_INCLUDE_DIR}
     ${Python3_INCLUDE_DIRS}
-    ${SMESH_INCLUDE_DIR}
-    ${VTK_INCLUDE_DIRS}
     ${XercesC_INCLUDE_DIRS}
 )
 target_link_directories(Measure_tests_run PUBLIC ${OCC_LIBRARY_DIR})