diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 57bd453036..160cbf2317 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ option(NRN_ENABLE_THREADS "Allow use of multithreading" ${NRN_ENABLE_THREADS_DEF
 option(NRN_ENABLE_MPI "Enable MPI support" ${NRN_ENABLE_MPI_DEFAULT})
 option(NRN_ENABLE_MUSIC "Enable MUSIC support" ${NRN_ENABLE_MUSIC_DEFAULT})
 option(NRN_ENABLE_RX3D "Enable rx3d support" ${NRN_ENABLE_RX3D_DEFAULT})
+option(NRN_ENABLE_NMODL "Enable NMODL code-generator support" ${NRN_ENABLE_NMODL_DEFAULT})
 option(NRN_ENABLE_CORENEURON "Enable CoreNEURON support" ${NRN_ENABLE_CORENEURON_DEFAULT})
 option(NRN_ENABLE_BACKTRACE "Enable pretty-printed backtraces" ${NRN_ENABLE_BACKTRACE_DEFAULT})
 option(NRN_ENABLE_TESTS "Enable unit tests" ${NRN_ENABLE_TESTS_DEFAULT})
@@ -502,6 +503,36 @@ endif()
 # initialize CLI11 submodule
 cpp_cc_git_submodule(CLI11 BUILD PACKAGE CLI11 REQUIRED)
 
+# =============================================================================
+# Enable NMODL code-generator support
+# =============================================================================
+if(NRN_ENABLE_NMODL OR NRN_ENABLE_CORENEURON)
+
+  set(NMODL_ENABLE_PYTHON_BINDINGS
+      OFF
+      CACHE BOOL "Enable NMODL python bindings")
+  nrn_add_external_project(nmodl)
+  set(CORENRN_NMODL_BINARY ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/bin/nmodl${CMAKE_EXECUTABLE_SUFFIX})
+  set(NMODL_TARGET_TO_DEPEND nmodl)
+  set(NMODL_PROJECT_BINARY_DIR ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/external/nmodl)
+  # install nrnunits.lib and libpywrapper.so from external/nmodl
+  install(
+    FILES ${NMODL_PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/lib/libpywrapper${CMAKE_SHARED_LIBRARY_SUFFIX}
+    DESTINATION lib
+    COMPONENT pywrapper
+    OPTIONAL)
+  install(
+    FILES ${NMODL_PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/share/nmodl/nrnunits.lib
+    DESTINATION share/nmodl
+    COMPONENT nrnunits)
+
+  # set correct arguments for nmodl for cpu/gpu target
+  set(CORENRN_NMODL_FLAGS
+      ""
+      CACHE STRING "Extra NMODL options such as passes")
+
+endif()
+
 # =============================================================================
 # Enable CoreNEURON support
 # =============================================================================
@@ -536,7 +567,7 @@ if(NRN_ENABLE_CORENEURON)
   get_property(CORENRN_LIB_LINK_FLAGS GLOBAL PROPERTY CORENRN_LIB_LINK_FLAGS)
   get_property(CORENRN_NEURON_LINK_FLAGS GLOBAL PROPERTY CORENRN_NEURON_LINK_FLAGS)
   get_property(CORENRN_ENABLE_SHARED GLOBAL PROPERTY CORENRN_ENABLE_SHARED)
-  get_property(CORENRN_NMODL_BINARY GLOBAL PROPERTY CORENRN_NMODL_BINARY)
+
   # NEURON tests that link against CoreNEURON need to depend on it.
   set(CORENEURON_TARGET_TO_DEPEND coreneuron-for-tests)
 
diff --git a/cmake/BuildOptionDefaults.cmake b/cmake/BuildOptionDefaults.cmake
index b43338e5ac..c4cc16b5a6 100644
--- a/cmake/BuildOptionDefaults.cmake
+++ b/cmake/BuildOptionDefaults.cmake
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ set(NRN_ENABLE_THREADS_DEFAULT ON)
 set(NRN_ENABLE_MPI_DEFAULT ON)
 set(NRN_ENABLE_MUSIC_DEFAULT OFF)
 set(NRN_ENABLE_RX3D_DEFAULT ON)
+set(NRN_ENABLE_NMODL_DEFAULT OFF)
 set(NRN_ENABLE_CORENEURON_DEFAULT OFF)
 set(NRN_ENABLE_BACKTRACE_DEFAULT OFF)
 set(NRN_ENABLE_TESTS_DEFAULT OFF)
diff --git a/cmake/coreneuron/packages/Findnmodl.cmake b/cmake/coreneuron/packages/Findnmodl.cmake
deleted file mode 100644
index aa483c889e..0000000000
--- a/cmake/coreneuron/packages/Findnmodl.cmake
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,42 +0,0 @@
-# =============================================================================
-# Copyright (C) 2016-2021 Blue Brain Project
-#
-# See top-level LICENSE file for details.
-# =============================================================================
-
-# ~~~
-# Findnmodl
-# -------------
-#
-# Find nmodl
-#
-# Find the nmodl Blue Brain HPC utils library
-#
-# Using nmodl:
-#
-# ::
-#   set(CORENRN_NMODL_DIR "" CACHE PATH "Path to nmodl source-to-source compiler installation")
-#   find_package(nmodl REQUIRED)
-#   target_link_libraries(foo ${nmodl_LIBRARIES})
-#
-# This module sets the following variables:
-#
-# ::
-#
-#   nmodl_FOUND   - set to true if the library is found
-#   nmodl_BINARY  - the nmodl binary
-# ~~~
-
-# UNIX paths are standard, no need to write.
-find_program(
-  nmodl_BINARY
-  NAMES nmodl${CMAKE_EXECUTABLE_SUFFIX}
-  HINTS "${CORENRN_NMODL_DIR}/bin" QUIET)
-
-# Checks 'REQUIRED', 'QUIET' and versions.
-include(FindPackageHandleStandardArgs)
-
-find_package_handle_standard_args(
-  nmodl
-  FOUND_VAR nmodl_FOUND
-  REQUIRED_VARS nmodl_BINARY)
diff --git a/src/coreneuron/CMakeLists.txt b/src/coreneuron/CMakeLists.txt
index 1cf452d23c..59e78ae735 100644
--- a/src/coreneuron/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/coreneuron/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -241,42 +241,6 @@ if(MINGW)
   list(APPEND CORENRN_COMPILE_DEFS MINGW)
 endif()
 
-# =============================================================================
-# NMODL specific options
-# =============================================================================
-find_package(nmodl)
-if(NOT "${CORENRN_NMODL_DIR}" STREQUAL "" AND NOT nmodl_FOUND)
-  message(FATAL_ERROR "Cannot find NMODL in ${CORENRN_NMODL_DIR}")
-endif()
-if(nmodl_FOUND)
-  set(CORENRN_NMODL_BINARY ${nmodl_BINARY})
-else()
-  set(NMODL_ENABLE_PYTHON_BINDINGS
-      OFF
-      CACHE BOOL "Enable NMODL python bindings")
-  nrn_add_external_project(nmodl DISABLE_ADD)
-  add_subdirectory(${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/external/nmodl ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/external/nmodl)
-  set(CORENRN_NMODL_BINARY ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/bin/nmodl${CMAKE_EXECUTABLE_SUFFIX})
-  set(NMODL_TARGET_TO_DEPEND nmodl)
-  set(NMODL_PROJECT_BINARY_DIR ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/external/nmodl)
-  # install nrnunits.lib and libpywrapper.so from external/nmodl
-  install(
-    FILES ${NMODL_PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/lib/libpywrapper${CMAKE_SHARED_LIBRARY_SUFFIX}
-    DESTINATION lib
-    COMPONENT pywrapper
-    OPTIONAL)
-  install(
-    FILES ${NMODL_PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/share/nmodl/nrnunits.lib
-    DESTINATION share/nmodl
-    COMPONENT nrnunits)
-endif()
-set_property(GLOBAL PROPERTY CORENRN_NMODL_BINARY "${CORENRN_NMODL_BINARY}")
-
-# set correct arguments for nmodl for cpu/gpu target
-set(CORENRN_NMODL_FLAGS
-    ""
-    CACHE STRING "Extra NMODL options such as passes")
-
 # =============================================================================
 # Profiler/Instrumentation Options
 # =============================================================================