diff --git a/SuperBuild/External_Gadgetron.cmake b/SuperBuild/External_Gadgetron.cmake
index a6cd15d2..392e3814 100644
--- a/SuperBuild/External_Gadgetron.cmake
+++ b/SuperBuild/External_Gadgetron.cmake
@@ -70,9 +70,7 @@ endif ()
         -DBOOST_LIBRARYDIR=${BOOST_LIBRARY_DIR}
         -DMATLAB_ROOT=${MATLAB_ROOT}
         -DGTEST_ROOT=${GTEST_ROOT}
-        -DHDF5_ROOT=${HDF5_ROOT}
-        -DHDF5_INCLUDE_DIRS=${HDF5_INCLUDE_DIRS}
-        -DHDF5_LIBRARIES=${HDF5_LIBRARIES}
+        ${HDF5_CMAKE_ARGS}
         -DFFTW_ROOT_DIR=${SUPERBUILD_INSTALL_DIR}
         -DISMRMRD_DIR=${ISMRMRD_DIR}
         -DMKLROOT_PATH=${MKLROOT_PATH}
diff --git a/SuperBuild/External_HDF5.cmake b/SuperBuild/External_HDF5.cmake
index 6841e745..e699272a 100644
--- a/SuperBuild/External_HDF5.cmake
+++ b/SuperBuild/External_HDF5.cmake
@@ -68,16 +68,27 @@ if(NOT ( DEFINED "USE_SYSTEM_${externalProjName}" AND "${USE_SYSTEM_${externalPr
   #set(HDF5_INCLUDE_DIR ${HDF5_SOURCE_DIR})
 
   set( HDF5_ROOT ${HDF5_Install_Dir} )
+  set( HDF5_DIR ${HDF5_Install_Dir}/cmake )
   set( HDF5_INCLUDE_DIRS ${HDF5_ROOT}/include )
+  
+  set( HDF5_CMAKE_ARGS "-DHDF5_DIR:PATH=${HDF5_DIR}")
 
  else()
     if(${USE_SYSTEM_${externalProjName}})
       find_package(${proj} ${${externalProjName}_REQUIRED_VERSION} REQUIRED)
       message(STATUS "USING the system ${externalProjName}, found HDF5_INCLUDE_DIRS=${HDF5_INCLUDE_DIRS}, HDF5_C_LIBRARY_hdf5=${HDF5_C_LIBRARY_hdf5},HDF5_LIBRARIES=${HDF5_LIBRARIES}")
+      if (DEFINED HDF5_DIR)
+        set( HDF5_CMAKE_ARGS "-DHDF5_DIR:PATH=${HDF5_DIR}")
+      elseif (DEFINED HDF5_ROOT)
+        set( HDF5_CMAKE_ARGS "-DHDF5_ROOT:PATH=${HDF5_ROOT}")
+      endif()
+        
   endif()
   ExternalProject_Add_Empty(${proj} "${${proj}_DEPENDENCIES}")
 endif()
 
+message(STATUS "HDF5_CMAKE_ARGS: ${HDF5_CMAKE_ARGS}")
+
 mark_as_superbuild(
   VARS
     ${externalProjName}_DIR:PATH
diff --git a/SuperBuild/External_ISMRMRD.cmake b/SuperBuild/External_ISMRMRD.cmake
index 46c5125a..c80b9c92 100644
--- a/SuperBuild/External_ISMRMRD.cmake
+++ b/SuperBuild/External_ISMRMRD.cmake
@@ -47,9 +47,7 @@ if(NOT ( DEFINED "USE_SYSTEM_${externalProjName}" AND "${USE_SYSTEM_${externalPr
     CMAKE_ARGS -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${ISMRMRD_Install_Dir}
             -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=${SUPERBUILD_INSTALL_DIR}
             -DCMAKE_LIBRARY_PATH=${SUPERBUILD_INSTALL_DIR}/lib
-            -DHDF5_ROOT=${HDF5_ROOT}
-	    -DHDF5_INCLUDE_DIRS=${HDF5_INCLUDE_DIRS}
-	    -DHDF5_LIBRARIES=${HDF5_LIBRARIES}
+            ${HDF5_CMAKE_ARGS}
             -DBOOST_ROOT=${BOOST_ROOT}
     INSTALL_DIR ${ISMRMRD_Install_Dir}
     DEPENDS
diff --git a/SuperBuild/External_SIRF.cmake b/SuperBuild/External_SIRF.cmake
index 40215df9..8ebbaeea 100644
--- a/SuperBuild/External_SIRF.cmake
+++ b/SuperBuild/External_SIRF.cmake
@@ -74,8 +74,7 @@ if(NOT ( DEFINED "USE_SYSTEM_${externalProjName}" AND "${USE_SYSTEM_${externalPr
         -DBOOST_ROOT=${BOOST_ROOT}
         -DMATLAB_ROOT=${MATLAB_ROOT}
         -DSTIR_DIR=${STIR_DIR}
-        -DHDF5_ROOT=${HDF5_ROOT}
-        -DHDF5_INCLUDE_DIRS=${HDF5_INCLUDE_DIRS}
+        ${HDF5_CMAKE_ARGS}
         -DISMRMRD_DIR=${ISMRMRD_DIR}
         -DSWIG_EXECUTABLE=${SWIG_EXECUTABLE}
         -DPYTHON_INCLUDE_DIR=${PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIR}