diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 0f439724..a378525f 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -2,16 +2,20 @@ cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.16)
 
 project(PSMoveAPI)
 
-if(NOT EXISTS "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/external/hidapi/hidapi/hidapi.h")
-    message(FATAL_ERROR "hidapi not found, did you forget to run 'git submodule update --init'?")
-endif()
+option(PSMOVEAPI_VENDORING "Vendor dependencies" ON)
 
-if(NOT EXISTS "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/external/libusb-1.0/libusb/libusb.h")
-    message(FATAL_ERROR "libusb not found, did you forget to run 'git submodule update --init'?")
-endif()
+if (PSMOVEAPI_VENDORING)
+    if(NOT EXISTS "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/external/hidapi/hidapi/hidapi.h")
+        message(FATAL_ERROR "hidapi not found, did you forget to run 'git submodule update --init'?")
+    endif()
+
+    if(NOT EXISTS "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/external/libusb-1.0/libusb/libusb.h")
+        message(FATAL_ERROR "libusb not found, did you forget to run 'git submodule update --init'?")
+    endif()
 
-if(NOT EXISTS "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/external/PS3EYEDriver/src/ps3eye.h")
-    message(FATAL_ERROR "PS3EYEDriver not found, did you forget to run 'git submodule update --init'?")
+    if(NOT EXISTS "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/external/PS3EYEDriver/src/ps3eye.h")
+        message(FATAL_ERROR "PS3EYEDriver not found, did you forget to run 'git submodule update --init'?")
+    endif()
 endif()
 
 # get rid of Visual Studio's default "Debug" and "Release" output directories
diff --git a/cmake/FindUSB1.cmake b/cmake/FindUSB1.cmake
index 3b6d2e0f..0900881a 100644
--- a/cmake/FindUSB1.cmake
+++ b/cmake/FindUSB1.cmake
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@ IF (LIBUSB_INCLUDE_DIR AND LIBUSB_LIBRARIES)
     set(LIBUSB_FOUND TRUE)
 
 ELSE (LIBUSB_INCLUDE_DIR AND LIBUSB_LIBRARIES)
+    IF (NOT PSMOVEAPI_VENDORING)
+        message(FATAL_ERROR "libusb was not found and vendoring is disabled")
+    ENDIF()
     # Because we want to use the static library,
     # look locally only.
     find_path(LIBUSB_INCLUDE_DIR
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 32f12d0e..18fefbd8 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -15,8 +15,11 @@ set(PSMOVEAPI_PLATFORM_SRC)    # Container for source files
 set(PSMOVEAPI_INSTALL_TARGETS) # Container for build targets to be installed
 set(PSMOVEAPI_MATH_SRC)        # Container for math related source files
 
-include_directories(${ROOT_DIR}/external/hidapi/hidapi)
-include_directories(${ROOT_DIR}/external/glm)
+
+IF(PSMOVEAPI_VENDORING)
+    include_directories(${ROOT_DIR}/external/hidapi/hidapi)
+    include_directories(${ROOT_DIR}/external/glm)
+ENDIF()
 include_directories(${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR})
 
 set(INFO_LICENSE "BSD")
@@ -54,7 +57,11 @@ IF(${CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME} MATCHES "Darwin")
     list(APPEND PSMOVEAPI_REQUIRED_LIBS ${COREFOUNDATION})
     list(APPEND PSMOVEAPI_REQUIRED_LIBS ${IOBLUETOOTH})
 
-    set(HIDAPI_SRC ${ROOT_DIR}/external/hidapi/mac/hid.c)
+    IF(PSMOVEAPI_VENDORING)
+        set(HIDAPI_SRC ${ROOT_DIR}/external/hidapi/mac/hid.c)
+    ELSE()
+        message(FATAL_ERROR "disabling vendoring is currently not supported for ${CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME}")
+    ENDIF()
 
     list(APPEND PSMOVEAPI_PLATFORM_SRC
         ${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/platform/psmove_port_osx.mm)
@@ -69,7 +76,11 @@ IF(${CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME} MATCHES "Darwin")
 ELSEIF(${CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME} MATCHES "Windows")
     list(APPEND PSMOVEAPI_REQUIRED_LIBS setupapi bthprops kernel32 ws2_32 winmm version imm32)
 
-    set(HIDAPI_SRC ${ROOT_DIR}/external/hidapi/windows/hid.c)
+    IF(PSMOVEAPI_VENDORING)
+        set(HIDAPI_SRC ${ROOT_DIR}/external/hidapi/windows/hid.c)
+    ELSE()
+        message(FATAL_ERROR "disabling vendoring is currently not supported for ${CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME}")
+    ENDIF()
 
     list(APPEND PSMOVEAPI_PLATFORM_SRC
         ${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/platform/psmove_port_windows.c)
@@ -93,7 +104,17 @@ ELSE()
     include_directories(${BLUEZ_INCLUDE_DIRS})
     list(APPEND PSMOVEAPI_REQUIRED_LIBS ${BLUEZ_LIBRARIES})
 
-    set(HIDAPI_SRC ${ROOT_DIR}/external/hidapi/linux/hid.c)
+    IF(PSMOVEAPI_VENDORING)
+        set(HIDAPI_SRC ${ROOT_DIR}/external/hidapi/linux/hid.c)
+    ELSE()
+        pkg_check_modules(HIDAPI REQUIRED hidapi-hidraw)
+        include_directories(${HIDAPI_INCLUDE_DIRS})
+        list(APPEND PSMOVEAPI_REQUIRED_LIBS hidapi-hidraw)
+
+        pkg_check_modules(GLM REQUIRED glm)
+        include_directories(${GLM_INCLUDE_DIRS})
+        list(APPEND PSMOVEAPI_REQUIRED_LIBS ${GLM_LIBRARIES})
+    ENDIF()
 
     list(APPEND PSMOVEAPI_PLATFORM_SRC
         ${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/platform/psmove_port_linux.cpp)
diff --git a/src/tracker/CMakeLists.txt b/src/tracker/CMakeLists.txt
index 013d9a00..7f978e2d 100644
--- a/src/tracker/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/tracker/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@ option(PSMOVE_USE_DEBUG_CAPTURE "Always show camera capture input" OFF)
 
 
 IF(PSMOVE_USE_PS3EYE_DRIVER)
+    IF(NOT PSMOVEAPI_VENDORING)
+        message(FATAL_ERROR "disabling vendoring is currently not supported for PS3EYEDriver")
+    ENDIF()
     # PS3EYEDriver is based on GPL'd code
     set(INFO_LICENSE "GPL")