diff --git a/cmake/modules/njson.cmake b/cmake/modules/njson.cmake
index 7d27bddf..4225e1d6 100644
--- a/cmake/modules/njson.cmake
+++ b/cmake/modules/njson.cmake
@@ -16,6 +16,11 @@ if(USE_BUNDLED_NLOHMANN_JSON)
     ExternalProject_Add(njson
         URL "https://github.com/nlohmann/json/archive/v3.3.0.tar.gz"
         URL_HASH "SHA256=2fd1d207b4669a7843296c41d3b6ac5b23d00dec48dba507ba051d14564aa801"
-        CMAKE_ARGS -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DJSON_BuildTests=OFF -DBUILD_TESTING=OFF
+        CMAKE_ARGS -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/njson-prefix -DJSON_BuildTests=OFF -DBUILD_TESTING=OFF
     )
+
+    set(nlohmann_json_DIR ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/njson-prefix/include)
+else()
+    find_package(nlohmann_json CONFIG REQUIRED)
+    add_custom_target(njson)
 endif()
diff --git a/userspace/engine/CMakeLists.txt b/userspace/engine/CMakeLists.txt
index 24befc2c..e7f21ec6 100644
--- a/userspace/engine/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/userspace/engine/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -11,8 +11,6 @@
 # "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the License for the
 # specific language governing permissions and limitations under the License.
 
-find_package(nlohmann_json CONFIG REQUIRED)
-
 add_library(falco_engine STATIC
     falco_common.cpp
     falco_engine.cpp
@@ -34,19 +32,19 @@ if (EMSCRIPTEN)
 	target_compile_options(falco_engine PRIVATE "-sDISABLE_EXCEPTION_CATCHING=0")
 endif()
 
-add_dependencies(falco_engine yamlcpp)
+add_dependencies(falco_engine yamlcpp njson)
 
 target_include_directories(falco_engine
 PUBLIC
     ${LIBSCAP_INCLUDE_DIRS}
     ${LIBSINSP_INCLUDE_DIRS}
     ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/userspace/engine
+    ${nlohmann_json_DIR}
     ${TBB_INCLUDE_DIR}
     ${YAMLCPP_INCLUDE_DIR}
 )
 
 target_link_libraries(falco_engine
-    nlohmann_json::nlohmann_json
     ${FALCO_SINSP_LIBRARY}
     ${YAMLCPP_LIB}
 )