diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 444d2e0d6..9f1a70260 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -92,6 +92,9 @@ set_property(DIRECTORY APPEND PROPERTY COMPILE_DEFINITIONS
 ###########################################################################
 # Options.
 
+# Use precompiled library dependencies
+option(WITH_LIBS_PRECOMPILED        "Use precompiled library dependencies" ON)
+
 # Library dependencies
 option(WITH_CYCLES_ALEMBIC          "Build with Alembic procedural support" ON)
 option(WITH_CYCLES_EMBREE           "Build with Embree support" ON)
diff --git a/src/cmake/external_libs.cmake b/src/cmake/external_libs.cmake
index bb07b29a4..9e5a08083 100644
--- a/src/cmake/external_libs.cmake
+++ b/src/cmake/external_libs.cmake
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ else()
   endif()
 endif()
 
-if(EXISTS ${_cycles_lib_dir})
+if(EXISTS ${_cycles_lib_dir} AND WITH_LIBS_PRECOMPILED)
   message(STATUS "Using precompiled libraries at ${_cycles_lib_dir}")
 
   _set_default(ALEMBIC_ROOT_DIR "${_cycles_lib_dir}/alembic")
@@ -118,7 +118,11 @@ if(EXISTS ${_cycles_lib_dir})
   # Ignore system libraries
   set(CMAKE_IGNORE_PATH "${CMAKE_PLATFORM_IMPLICIT_LINK_DIRECTORIES};${CMAKE_SYSTEM_INCLUDE_PATH};${CMAKE_C_IMPLICIT_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES};${CMAKE_CXX_IMPLICIT_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES}")
 else()
-  message(STATUS "No precompiled libraries found at ${_cycles_lib_dir}")
+  if(NOT WITH_LIBS_PRECOMPILED)
+    message(STATUS "Not using precompiled libraries")
+  else()
+    message(STATUS "No precompiled libraries found at ${_cycles_lib_dir}")
+  endif()
   message(STATUS "Attempting to use system libraries instead")
   unset(_cycles_lib_dir)
 endif()