diff --git a/flatland_plugins/CMakeLists.txt b/flatland_plugins/CMakeLists.txt
index 7ca2c5cf..31f80731 100644
--- a/flatland_plugins/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/flatland_plugins/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ find_package(catkin REQUIRED COMPONENTS
   tf
   flatland_msgs
   std_msgs
+  yaml_cpp_catkin
 )
 
 find_package(Eigen3 REQUIRED)
@@ -23,16 +24,6 @@ find_package(Eigen3 REQUIRED)
 ## System dependencies are found with CMake's conventions
 find_package(PkgConfig REQUIRED)
 
-# yaml-cpp
-pkg_check_modules(YAML_CPP REQUIRED yaml-cpp)
-find_path(YAML_CPP_INCLUDE_DIR
-          NAMES yaml_cpp.h
-          PATHS ${YAML_CPP_INCLUDE_DIRS})
-find_library(YAML_CPP_LIBRARY
-             NAMES YAML_CPP
-             PATHS ${YAML_CPP_LIBRARY_DIRS})
-link_directories(${YAML_CPP_LIBRARY_DIRS})
-
 ##############
 ## coverage ##
 ##############
@@ -52,7 +43,7 @@ endif()
 catkin_package(
   INCLUDE_DIRS include
   LIBRARIES flatland_plugins_lib
-  CATKIN_DEPENDS pluginlib roscpp flatland_server std_msgs
+  CATKIN_DEPENDS pluginlib roscpp flatland_server std_msgs yaml_cpp_catkin
 )
 
 ###########
@@ -63,7 +54,6 @@ include_directories(
   include
   include/thirdparty/tweeny
   ${catkin_INCLUDE_DIRS}
-  ${YAML_CPP_INCLUDE_DIRS}
   ${Eigen3_INCLUDE_DIRS}
 )
 
@@ -86,7 +76,6 @@ add_dependencies(flatland_plugins_lib ${${PROJECT_NAME}_EXPORTED_TARGETS} ${catk
 target_link_libraries(flatland_plugins_lib
   ${catkin_LIBRARIES}
   ${Eigen3_LIBRARIES}
-  yaml-cpp
 )
 
 #############
diff --git a/flatland_plugins/package.xml b/flatland_plugins/package.xml
index 91b1b775..cb618786 100644
--- a/flatland_plugins/package.xml
+++ b/flatland_plugins/package.xml
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
   <depend>flatland_server</depend>
   <depend>pluginlib</depend>
   <depend>roscpp</depend>
-  <depend>yaml-cpp</depend>
+  <depend>yaml_cpp_catkin</depend>
   <depend>cmake_modules</depend>
   <depend>tf</depend>
   <depend>std_msgs</depend>
diff --git a/flatland_server/CMakeLists.txt b/flatland_server/CMakeLists.txt
index 59711c12..53aeffe1 100644
--- a/flatland_server/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/flatland_server/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -18,23 +18,14 @@ find_package(catkin REQUIRED COMPONENTS
   visualization_msgs
   interactive_markers
   flatland_msgs
+  yaml_cpp_catkin
 )
 
 ## System dependencies are found with CMake's conventions
 find_package(PkgConfig REQUIRED)
 
-# yaml-cpp
-pkg_check_modules(YAML_CPP REQUIRED yaml-cpp)
-find_path(YAML_CPP_INCLUDE_DIR
-          NAMES yaml_cpp.h
-          PATHS ${YAML_CPP_INCLUDE_DIRS})
-find_library(YAML_CPP_LIBRARY
-             NAMES YAML_CPP
-             PATHS ${YAML_CPP_LIBRARY_DIRS})
-link_directories(${YAML_CPP_LIBRARY_DIRS})
-
 # lua5.1
-find_package(Lua 5.1 QUIET)
+find_package(Lua 5.1 REQUIRED)
 
 # OpenCV
 find_package(OpenCV REQUIRED)
@@ -60,8 +51,8 @@ endif()
 catkin_package(
   INCLUDE_DIRS include thirdparty
   LIBRARIES flatland_lib flatland_Box2D
-  CATKIN_DEPENDS pluginlib roscpp std_msgs tf2 visualization_msgs tf2_geometry_msgs geometry_msgs
-  DEPENDS OpenCV YAML_CPP
+  CATKIN_DEPENDS pluginlib roscpp std_msgs tf2 visualization_msgs tf2_geometry_msgs geometry_msgs yaml_cpp_catkin
+  DEPENDS OpenCV
 )
 
 ###########
@@ -71,7 +62,6 @@ catkin_package(
 include_directories(
   include
   ${catkin_INCLUDE_DIRS}
-  ${YAML_CPP_INCLUDE_DIRS}
   ${OpenCV_INCLUDE_DIRS}
   ${Boost_INCLUDE_DIRS}
   ${LUA_INCLUDE_DIR}
@@ -100,7 +90,7 @@ add_library(flatland_lib
   src/timekeeper.cpp
   src/service_manager.cpp
   src/yaml_reader.cpp
-  src/dummy_model_plugin.cpp 
+  src/dummy_model_plugin.cpp
   src/dummy_world_plugin.cpp
   src/yaml_preprocessor.cpp
 )
@@ -112,7 +102,6 @@ target_link_libraries(flatland_lib
   ${Boost_LIBRARIES}
   ${LUA_LIBRARIES}
   flatland_Box2D
-  yaml-cpp
 )
 
 ## Add cmake target dependencies of the library
@@ -131,7 +120,6 @@ target_link_libraries(flatland_server
   ${Boost_LIBRARIES}
   ${LUA_LIBRARIES}
   flatland_Box2D
-  yaml-cpp
   flatland_lib
 )
 
diff --git a/flatland_server/package.xml b/flatland_server/package.xml
index d5f667f3..6d2c98f7 100644
--- a/flatland_server/package.xml
+++ b/flatland_server/package.xml
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
   <depend>tf2</depend>
   <depend>tf2_geometry_msgs</depend>
   <depend>geometry_msgs</depend>
-  <depend>yaml-cpp</depend>
+  <depend>yaml_cpp_catkin</depend>
   <depend>visualization_msgs</depend>
   <depend>interactive_markers</depend>
   <depend>flatland_msgs</depend>