diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 0a05ebb1..cdfccc83 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -5,10 +5,12 @@ endif(NOT CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE)
 cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.13)
 cmake_policy(VERSION 3.13)
 
+include (CMakeDependentOption)
 option( USE_NATIVE_ARCH  "build for native cpu architecture" ON)
 
 option( USE_GUI     "build with GUI" ON )
 option( USE_PYTHON  "build with python interface" ON )
+cmake_dependent_option( PREFER_SYSTEM_PYBIND11  "Use system wide PyBind11" ON "USE_PYTHON" OFF)
 option( USE_MPI     "enable mpi parallelization" OFF )
 option( USE_MPI4PY  "enable mpi4py interface" ON )
 option( USE_OCC     "build with OpenCascade geometry kernel interface" OFF)
@@ -302,24 +304,30 @@ else()
 endif()
 
 if (USE_PYTHON)
-    add_subdirectory(external_dependencies/pybind11)
-    find_path(PYBIND_INCLUDE_DIR pybind11/pybind11.h HINTS ${PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIR})
-    if( PYBIND_INCLUDE_DIR )
-        message(STATUS "Found Pybind11: ${PYBIND_INCLUDE_DIR}")
-    else( PYBIND_INCLUDE_DIR )
-        message(FATAL_ERROR "Could NOT find pybind11!")
-    endif( PYBIND_INCLUDE_DIR )
+    if (PREFER_SYSTEM_PYBIND11)
+      find_package(pybind11 CONFIG)
+    endif()
+    if (pybind11_FOUND)
+      set(NG_INSTALL_PYBIND OFF)
+    else()
+      add_subdirectory(external_dependencies/pybind11)
+      if (pybind11_INCLUDE_DIR)
+          message(STATUS "Found Pybind11: ${pybind11_INCLUDE_DIR}")
+      else()
+          message(FATAL_ERROR "Could NOT find pybind11!")
+      endif()
+    endif()
 
-    target_include_directories(netgen_python INTERFACE ${PYBIND_INCLUDE_DIR} ${PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIRS})
-    target_include_directories(nglib PRIVATE ${PYBIND_INCLUDE_DIR} ${PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIRS})
+    target_include_directories(netgen_python INTERFACE ${pybind11_INCLUDE_DIR} ${PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIRS})
+    target_include_directories(nglib PRIVATE ${pybind11_INCLUDE_DIR} ${PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIRS})
     if(NOT ${BUILD_FOR_CONDA} OR WIN32)
         # Don't link python libraries in conda environments
         target_link_libraries(netgen_python INTERFACE ${PYTHON_LIBRARIES})
     endif()
 
     if(NG_INSTALL_PYBIND)
-      install(DIRECTORY ${PYBIND_INCLUDE_DIR}/pybind11 DESTINATION ${NG_INSTALL_DIR_INCLUDE} COMPONENT netgen_devel)
-      install(FILES ${PYBIND_INCLUDE_DIR}/../LICENSE DESTINATION ${NG_INSTALL_DIR_INCLUDE}/pybind11 COMPONENT netgen_devel)
+      install(DIRECTORY ${pybind11_INCLUDE_DIR}/pybind11 DESTINATION ${NG_INSTALL_DIR_INCLUDE} COMPONENT netgen_devel)
+      install(FILES ${pybind11_INCLUDE_DIR}/../LICENSE DESTINATION ${NG_INSTALL_DIR_INCLUDE}/pybind11 COMPONENT netgen_devel)
     endif(NG_INSTALL_PYBIND)
 endif (USE_PYTHON)