diff --git a/SuperBuild/External_FFTW3.cmake b/SuperBuild/External_FFTW3.cmake
index ff0eb95d..3fddb9d3 100644
--- a/SuperBuild/External_FFTW3.cmake
+++ b/SuperBuild/External_FFTW3.cmake
@@ -67,7 +67,15 @@ else()
     ${${proj}_EP_ARGS_DIRS}
     CONFIGURE_COMMAND ${${proj}_SOURCE_DIR}/configure --enable-float --with-pic --prefix ${${proj}_INSTALL_DIR}
   )
-  set( FFTW3_ROOT_DIR ${${proj}_INSTALL_DIR} )
+  #set( FFTW3_ROOT_DIR ${${proj}_INSTALL_DIR} )
+
+  # current FindFFTW3.cmake ignores FFTW3_ROOT_DIR https://github.com/CCPPETMR/SIRF-SuperBuild/issues/147
+  # let's hope for the best
+  # ideally we would also set DFFTW3_LIBRARIES but that's hard and system dependent
+  set(FFTW3_CMAKE_ARGS
+      -DFFTW3_INCLUDE_DIR:PATH=${FFTW_Install_Dir}/include
+  )
+
 endif()
 
 
@@ -75,6 +83,10 @@ endif()
     if(${USE_SYSTEM_${externalProjName}})
       find_package(${proj} ${${externalProjName}_REQUIRED_VERSION} ${${externalProjName}_COMPONENTS} REQUIRED)
       message(STATUS "USING the system ${externalProjName}, found FFTW3_INCLUDE_DIR=${FFTW3_INCLUDE_DIR}, FFTW3_LIBRARY=${FFTW3_LIBRARY}")
+      set(FFTW3_CMAKE_ARGS
+         -DFFTW3_INCLUDE_DIR:PATH=${FFTW3_INCLUDE_DIR}
+         -DFFTW3_LIBRARIES:FILEPATH=${FFTW3_LIBRARIES}
+      )
   endif()
   ExternalProject_Add_Empty(${proj} DEPENDS "${${proj}_DEPENDENCIES}"
     ${${proj}_EP_ARGS_DIRS}
@@ -89,3 +101,5 @@ endif()
 #  LABELS
 #    "FIND_PACKAGE"
 #)
+
+message(STATUS "FFTW3_CMAKE_ARGS=${FFTW3_CMAKE_ARGS}")
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/SuperBuild/External_Gadgetron.cmake b/SuperBuild/External_Gadgetron.cmake
index 5070e261..4712f1b4 100644
--- a/SuperBuild/External_Gadgetron.cmake
+++ b/SuperBuild/External_Gadgetron.cmake
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ if(NOT ( DEFINED "USE_SYSTEM_${externalProjName}" AND "${USE_SYSTEM_${externalPr
       -DPYTHON_LIBRARY:FILEPATH=${PYTHON_LIBRARIES}
       -DGTEST_ROOT:PATH=${GTEST_ROOT}
       ${HDF5_CMAKE_ARGS}
+      ${FFTW3_CMAKE_ARGS}
       -DISMRMRD_DIR:PATH=${ISMRMRD_DIR}
       -DUSE_MKL:BOOL=${Gadgetron_USE_MKL}
       -DUSE_CUDA:BOOL=${${proj}_USE_CUDA}
diff --git a/SuperBuild/External_ISMRMRD.cmake b/SuperBuild/External_ISMRMRD.cmake
index 6611ca0e..bb781589 100644
--- a/SuperBuild/External_ISMRMRD.cmake
+++ b/SuperBuild/External_ISMRMRD.cmake
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ if(NOT ( DEFINED "USE_SYSTEM_${externalProjName}" AND "${USE_SYSTEM_${externalPr
       -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH:PATH=${SUPERBUILD_INSTALL_DIR}
       -DCMAKE_LIBRARY_PATH:PATH=${SUPERBUILD_INSTALL_DIR}/lib
       ${HDF5_CMAKE_ARGS}
+      ${FFTW3_CMAKE_ARGS}
       ${Boost_CMAKE_ARGS}
     DEPENDS
         ${${proj}_DEPENDENCIES}
diff --git a/SuperBuild/External_SIRF.cmake b/SuperBuild/External_SIRF.cmake
index 2e88a4c3..41d562e2 100644
--- a/SuperBuild/External_SIRF.cmake
+++ b/SuperBuild/External_SIRF.cmake
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ if(NOT ( DEFINED "USE_SYSTEM_${externalProjName}" AND "${USE_SYSTEM_${externalPr
       -DMATLAB_DEST_DIR:PATH=${MATLAB_DEST_DIR}
       -DSTIR_DIR:PATH=${STIR_DIR}
       ${HDF5_CMAKE_ARGS}
+      ${FFTW3_CMAKE_ARGS}
       -DISMRMRD_DIR:PATH=${ISMRMRD_DIR}
       -DSWIG_EXECUTABLE:FILEPATH=${SWIG_EXECUTABLE}
       -DDISABLE_PYTHON:BOOL=${DISABLE_PYTHON}