diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 0ac568fc71..bd97cb8ba9 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -34,22 +34,13 @@ endif ()
 
 set(CMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS ON)
 
-include(CheckCXXCompilerFlag)
-include(cmake/toolchain-util.cmake)
-include(cmake/dependencies.cmake)
-include(cmake/functions.cmake)
-include(cmake/san.cmake)
-
 # export compile commands for clang-tidy to analyse only changed files
 set(CMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS ON)
 
-print("C flags: ${CMAKE_C_FLAGS}")
-print("CXX flags: ${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS}")
-print("Using CMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=${CMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE}")
-
 option(TESTING "Build tests" ON)
 option(TESTING_PROOFS "Build proofs tests" OFF)
 option(TESTING_ACTORS "Build actors tests" OFF)
+option(BUILD_INTERNAL_DEPS "Build internal dependencies from git submodules" ON)
 option(CLANG_FORMAT "Enable clang-format target" ON)
 option(CLANG_TIDY "Enable clang-tidy checks during compilation" OFF)
 option(COVERAGE "Enable generation of coverage info" OFF)
@@ -60,6 +51,15 @@ option(MSAN "Enable memory sanitizer" OFF)
 option(TSAN "Enable thread sanitizer" OFF)
 option(UBSAN "Enable UB sanitizer" OFF)
 
+include(CheckCXXCompilerFlag)
+include(cmake/toolchain-util.cmake)
+include(cmake/dependencies.cmake)
+include(cmake/functions.cmake)
+include(cmake/san.cmake)
+
+print("C flags: ${CMAKE_C_FLAGS}")
+print("CXX flags: ${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS}")
+print("Using CMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=${CMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE}")
 
 ## setup compilation flags
 if ("${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID}" MATCHES "^(AppleClang|Clang|GNU)$")
@@ -103,7 +103,9 @@ if (CLANG_FORMAT)
   include(cmake/clang-format.cmake)
 endif ()
 
-add_subdirectory(deps)
+if (BUILD_INTERNAL_DEPS)
+  add_subdirectory(deps)
+endif()
 
 include_directories(
     # project includes
@@ -111,12 +113,14 @@ include_directories(
     ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/libs
 )
 
-include_directories(
-    SYSTEM
-    # system includes
-    deps/indicators/include
-    deps/libsecp256k1/include
-)
+if (BUILD_INTERNAL_DEPS)
+  include_directories(
+      SYSTEM
+      # system includes
+      deps/indicators/include
+      deps/libsecp256k1/include
+  )
+endif()
 
 add_subdirectory(libs)
 add_subdirectory(core)
diff --git a/cmake/dependencies.cmake b/cmake/dependencies.cmake
index 69b2a92caf..f209e8ae11 100644
--- a/cmake/dependencies.cmake
+++ b/cmake/dependencies.cmake
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
 # hunter dependencies
 # https://docs.hunter.sh/en/latest/packages/
 
-# https://docs.hunter.sh/en/latest/packages/pkg/GTest.html
-hunter_add_package(GTest)
-find_package(GTest CONFIG REQUIRED)
+if (TESTING)
+  # https://docs.hunter.sh/en/latest/packages/pkg/GTest.html
+  hunter_add_package(GTest)
+  find_package(GTest CONFIG REQUIRED)
+endif()
 
 # https://docs.hunter.sh/en/latest/packages/pkg/Boost.html
 hunter_add_package(Boost COMPONENTS date_time filesystem iostreams random program_options thread)
@@ -45,9 +47,6 @@ find_package(leveldb CONFIG REQUIRED)
 hunter_add_package(libp2p)
 find_package(libp2p CONFIG REQUIRED)
 
-hunter_add_package(c-ares)
-find_package(c-ares CONFIG REQUIRED)
-
 hunter_add_package(soralog)
 find_package(soralog CONFIG REQUIRED)
 
diff --git a/cmake/functions.cmake b/cmake/functions.cmake
index 178b7cce52..e2fc4cafed 100644
--- a/cmake/functions.cmake
+++ b/cmake/functions.cmake
@@ -46,8 +46,13 @@ function(add_flag flag)
 endfunction()
 
 function(compile_proto_to_cpp PB_H PB_CC PROTO)
-  get_target_property(Protobuf_INCLUDE_DIR protobuf::libprotobuf INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES)
-  get_target_property(Protobuf_PROTOC_EXECUTABLE protobuf::protoc IMPORTED_LOCATION_RELEASE)
+  if (NOT Protobuf_INCLUDE_DIR)
+    get_target_property(Protobuf_INCLUDE_DIR protobuf::libprotobuf INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES)
+  endif()
+  if (NOT Protobuf_PROTOC_EXECUTABLE)
+    get_target_property(Protobuf_PROTOC_EXECUTABLE protobuf::protoc IMPORTED_LOCATION_RELEASE)
+    set(PROTOBUF_DEPENDS protobuf::protoc)
+  endif()
 
   if (NOT Protobuf_PROTOC_EXECUTABLE)
     message(FATAL_ERROR "Protobuf_PROTOC_EXECUTABLE is empty")
@@ -73,7 +78,7 @@ function(compile_proto_to_cpp PB_H PB_CC PROTO)
       COMMAND ${GEN_COMMAND}
       ARGS -I${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/core -I${GEN_ARGS} -I${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR} --cpp_out=${SCHEMA_OUT_DIR} ${PROTO_ABS}
       WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}
-      DEPENDS protobuf::protoc
+      DEPENDS ${PROTOBUF_DEPENDS}
       VERBATIM
   )