diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 132bf1dd..9feb5302 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -29,6 +29,11 @@ option(BONZOMATIC_NDI "Enable NDI?" OFF)
 
 option(BONZOMATIC_TOUCHBAR "Compile with macOS TouchBar support (Xcode 9 or newer required)?" ON)
 
+if (UNIX AND (NOT APPLE))
+  option(BONZOMATIC_USE_SYSTEMWIDE_GLFW "Use the system-wide version of GLFW instead of the vendored one (this build option is not supported by upstream)?" OFF)
+  option(BONZOMATIC_USE_SYSTEMWIDE_GLEW "Use the system-wide version of GLEW instead of the vendored one (this build option is not supported by upstream)?" OFF)
+endif ()
+
 set(BONZOMATIC_WINDOWS_FLAVOR "DX11" CACHE STRING "Windows renderer flavor selected at CMake configure time (DX11, DX9 or GLFW)")
 set_property(CACHE BONZOMATIC_WINDOWS_FLAVOR PROPERTY STRINGS DX11 DX9 GLFW) 
 
@@ -68,37 +73,54 @@ if (APPLE OR UNIX OR (WIN32 AND (${BONZOMATIC_WINDOWS_FLAVOR} MATCHES "GLFW")))
   ##############################################################################
   # GLFW
   # GLFW settings and project inclusion
-  set(GLFW_BUILD_EXAMPLES OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
-  set(GLFW_BUILD_TESTS OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
-  set(GLFW_BUILD_DOCS OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
-  set(GLFW_INSTALL OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
-  mark_as_advanced(GLFW_BUILD_EXAMPLES GLFW_BUILD_TESTS GLFW_BUILD_DOCS GLFW_INSTALL)
-  if (APPLE)
-    set(GLFW_USE_CHDIR OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
-    set(GLFW_USE_RETINA OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
-    set(GLFW_USE_MENUBAR ON CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
-    mark_as_advanced(GLFW_USE_CHDIR GLFW_USE_RETINA GLFW_USE_MENUBAR)
-  elseif (WIN32)
-    set(USE_MSVC_RUNTIME_LIBRARY_DLL OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
-    mark_as_advanced(USE_MSVC_RUNTIME_LIBRARY_DLL)
+  find_package(PkgConfig)
+  if (PKG_CONFIG_FOUND AND BONZOMATIC_USE_SYSTEMWIDE_GLFW)
+    pkg_check_modules(GLFW glfw3)
+  endif()
+  if (BONZOMATIC_USE_SYSTEMWIDE_GLFW AND GLFW_FOUND)
+    set(BZC_PROJECT_INCLUDES ${BZC_PROJECT_INCLUDES} ${GLFW_INCLUDES})
+    set(BZC_PROJECT_LIBS ${BZC_PROJECT_LIBS} ${GLFW_LIBRARIES})
+  else()
+    set(GLFW_BUILD_EXAMPLES OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+    set(GLFW_BUILD_TESTS OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+    set(GLFW_BUILD_DOCS OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+    set(GLFW_INSTALL OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+    mark_as_advanced(GLFW_BUILD_EXAMPLES GLFW_BUILD_TESTS GLFW_BUILD_DOCS GLFW_INSTALL)
+    if (APPLE)
+      set(GLFW_USE_CHDIR OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+      set(GLFW_USE_RETINA OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+      set(GLFW_USE_MENUBAR ON CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+      mark_as_advanced(GLFW_USE_CHDIR GLFW_USE_RETINA GLFW_USE_MENUBAR)
+    elseif (WIN32)
+      set(USE_MSVC_RUNTIME_LIBRARY_DLL OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+      mark_as_advanced(USE_MSVC_RUNTIME_LIBRARY_DLL)
+    endif()
+    add_subdirectory(${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/external/glfw/)
+    set(BZC_PROJECT_INCLUDES ${BZC_PROJECT_INCLUDES} ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/external/glfw/include)
+    set(BZC_PROJECT_LIBS ${BZC_PROJECT_LIBS} glfw ${GLFW_LIBRARIES})
   endif()
-  add_subdirectory(${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/external/glfw/)
-  set(BZC_PROJECT_INCLUDES ${BZC_PROJECT_INCLUDES} ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/external/glfw/include)
-  set(BZC_PROJECT_LIBS ${BZC_PROJECT_LIBS} glfw ${GLFW_LIBRARIES})
 
   ##############################################################################
   # GLEW
-  set(GLEW_SRCS
-  ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/external/glew/glew.c
-  )
-  add_library(bzc_glew STATIC ${GLEW_SRCS})
-  target_include_directories(bzc_glew PUBLIC ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/external/glew)
-  target_compile_definitions(bzc_glew PUBLIC -DGLEW_STATIC)
-  if (MSVC)
-    target_compile_options(bzc_glew PUBLIC "$<$<CONFIG:Release>:/MT>")
+  if (PKG_CONFIG_FOUND AND BONZOMATIC_USE_SYSTEMWIDE_GLEW)
+    pkg_check_modules(GLEW glew)
+  endif()
+  if (BONZOMATIC_USE_SYSTEMWIDE_GLEW AND GLEW_FOUND)
+    set(BZC_PROJECT_INCLUDES ${BZC_PROJECT_INCLUDES} ${GLEW_INCLUDES})
+    set(BZC_PROJECT_LIBS ${BZC_PROJECT_LIBS} ${GLEW_LIBRARIES})
+  else ()
+    set(GLEW_SRCS
+    ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/external/glew/glew.c
+    )
+    add_library(bzc_glew STATIC ${GLEW_SRCS})
+    target_include_directories(bzc_glew PUBLIC ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/external/glew)
+    target_compile_definitions(bzc_glew PUBLIC -DGLEW_STATIC)
+    if (MSVC)
+      target_compile_options(bzc_glew PUBLIC "$<$<CONFIG:Release>:/MT>")
+    endif ()
+    set(BZC_PROJECT_INCLUDES ${BZC_PROJECT_INCLUDES} ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/external/glew)
+    set(BZC_PROJECT_LIBS ${BZC_PROJECT_LIBS} bzc_glew)
   endif ()
-  set(BZC_PROJECT_INCLUDES ${BZC_PROJECT_INCLUDES} ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/external/glew)
-  set(BZC_PROJECT_LIBS ${BZC_PROJECT_LIBS} bzc_glew)
 else ()
   # for windows, use DirectX
   set(BZC_PROJECT_INCLUDES ${BZC_PROJECT_INCLUDES} $ENV{DXSDK_DIR}/Include)