diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 9c823ac..cf6b46f 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ SET(CMAKE_RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/bin)
 option(RAPIDJSON_BUILD_DOC "Build rapidjson documentation." ON)
 option(RAPIDJSON_BUILD_EXAMPLES "Build rapidjson examples." ON)
 option(RAPIDJSON_BUILD_TESTS "Build rapidjson perftests and unittests." ON)
+option(RAPIDJSON_BUILD_THIRDPARTY_GTEST 
+    "Use gtest installation in `thirdparty/gtest` by default if available" OFF)
 
 option(RAPIDJSON_HAS_STDSTRING "" OFF)
 if(RAPIDJSON_HAS_STDSTRING)
diff --git a/CMakeModules/FindGTestSrc.cmake b/CMakeModules/FindGTestSrc.cmake
index 13b1c7b..b5abc19 100644
--- a/CMakeModules/FindGTestSrc.cmake
+++ b/CMakeModules/FindGTestSrc.cmake
@@ -1,9 +1,14 @@
+
 SET(GTEST_SEARCH_PATH 
     "${GTEST_SOURCE_DIR}"
     "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/thirdparty/gtest")
 
 IF(UNIX)
-    LIST(INSERT GTEST_SEARCH_PATH 1 "/usr/src/gtest")
+    IF(RAPIDJSON_BUILD_THIRDPARTY_GTEST)
+        LIST(APPEND GTEST_SEARCH_PATH "/usr/src/gtest")
+    ELSE()
+        LIST(INSERT GTEST_SEARCH_PATH 1 "/usr/src/gtest")
+    ENDIF()
 ENDIF()
 
 FIND_PATH(GTEST_SOURCE_DIR
@@ -15,6 +20,7 @@ FIND_PATH(GTEST_SOURCE_DIR
 FIND_PATH(GTEST_INCLUDE_DIR
     NAMES gtest/gtest.h
     PATH_SUFFIXES include
+    HINTS ${GTEST_SOURCE_DIR}
     PATHS ${GTEST_SEARCH_PATH})
 
 INCLUDE(FindPackageHandleStandardArgs)