diff --git a/src/external/mud/CMakeLists.txt b/src/external/mud/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..febd4f0a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/external/mud/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+add_subdirectory(src)
diff --git a/src/external/mud/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/external/mud/src/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8dda07a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/external/mud/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+# - mud library ---------------------------------------------------------------
+
+#--- create pkg-config info ---------------------------------------------------
+set(prefix "${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}")   
+set(exec_prefix "\$\{prefix\}")
+set(libdir "\$\{exec_prefix\}/lib")
+set(includedir "\$\{prefix\}/include")   
+set(MUD_VERSION "1.0.0")
+set(MUD_LIBRARY_NAME "mud")
+configure_file("mud.pc.in" "mud.pc" @ONLY)
+
+#--- lib creation -------------------------------------------------------------
+add_library(mud SHARED
+  mud_all.c
+  mud.c
+  mud_encode.c
+  mud_friendly.c
+  mud_gen.c
+  mud_new.c
+  mud_tri_ti.c
+)
+
+#--- set target properties, e.g. version --------------------------------------
+set_target_properties(mud
+  PROPERTIES
+    VERSION ${MUD_VERSION}
+)
+
+#--- install mud solib --------------------------------------------------------
+install(TARGETS mud DESTINATION lib) 
+
+#--- install mud header -------------------------------------------------------
+install(FILES mud.h DESTINATION include)
+
+#--- install pkg-config info --------------------------------------------------
+install(
+  FILES ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/mud.pc
+  DESTINATION lib/pkgconfig
+)
diff --git a/src/external/nexus/CMakeLists.txt b/src/external/nexus/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..592576ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/external/nexus/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+# - PNeXus library ------------------------------------------------------------
+
+include_directories(${NEXUS_INCLUDE_DIR}) # to get the nexus headers
+
+#--- create pkg-config info ---------------------------------------------------
+set(prefix "${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}")   
+set(exec_prefix "\$\{prefix\}")
+set(libdir "\$\{exec_prefix\}/lib")
+set(includedir "\$\{prefix\}/include")   
+set(PNEXUS_VERSION "0.9.0")
+set(PNEXUS_LIBRARY_NAME "PNeXus")
+configure_file("PNeXus.pc.in" "PNeXus.pc" @ONLY)
+
+#--- lib creation -------------------------------------------------------------
+add_library(PNeXus SHARED
+  PNeXus.cpp
+)
+
+#--- set target properties, e.g. version --------------------------------------
+set_target_properties(PNeXus
+  PROPERTIES
+    VERSION ${PNEXUS_VERSION}
+)
+
+#--- make sure that the include directory is found ----------------------------
+target_include_directories(
+  PNeXus BEFORE PRIVATE $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}>
+)
+
+#--- add library dependencies -------------------------------------------------
+target_link_libraries(PNeXus ${NEXUS_LIBRARY})
+
+#--- install PNeXus solib -----------------------------------------------------
+install(TARGETS PNeXus DESTINATION lib)
+
+#--- install PNeXus header ----------------------------------------------------
+install(FILES PNeXus.h DESTINATION include)
+
+#--- install pkg-config info --------------------------------------------------
+install(
+  FILES ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/PNeXus.pc
+  DESTINATION lib/pkgconfig
+)