diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 2b1cd841c3..e7a350667c 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -403,8 +403,10 @@ else()
 endif()
 
 find_package(Snappy)
-if(NOT SNAPPY_FOUND)
-	add_subdirectory(ext/snappy)	
+if(SNAPPY_FOUND)
+	add_definitions(-DSHARED_SNAPPY)
+else()
+	add_subdirectory(ext/snappy)
 endif()
 
 add_subdirectory(ext/udis86)
@@ -583,6 +585,7 @@ endif()
 find_package(ZLIB)
 if(ZLIB_FOUND)
 	include_directories(${ZLIB_INCLUDE_DIR})
+	add_definitions(-DSHARED_ZLIB)
 else()
 	add_library(zlib STATIC
 		ext/zlib/adler32.c
@@ -638,7 +641,9 @@ endif()
 
 
 find_package(LibZip)
-if(NOT LIBZIP_FOUND)
+if(LIBZIP_FOUND)
+	add_definitions(-DSHARED_LIBZIP)
+else()
 	add_library(libzip STATIC
 		ext/native/ext/libzip/zip.h
 		ext/native/ext/libzip/mkstemp.c
diff --git a/Common/ChunkFile.h b/Common/ChunkFile.h
index 6544567eb4..2ea39c6e48 100644
--- a/Common/ChunkFile.h
+++ b/Common/ChunkFile.h
@@ -40,7 +40,11 @@
 
 #include "Common.h"
 #include "FileUtil.h"
+#ifdef SHARED_SNAPPY
+#include <snappy-c.h>
+#else
 #include "../ext/snappy/snappy-c.h"
+#endif
 
 #if defined(MACGNUSTD)
 namespace std {
diff --git a/Core/HLE/sceAdler.cpp b/Core/HLE/sceAdler.cpp
index 7bb4794b0f..2379a17cf0 100644
--- a/Core/HLE/sceAdler.cpp
+++ b/Core/HLE/sceAdler.cpp
@@ -15,7 +15,11 @@
 // Official git repository and contact information can be found at
 // https://github.com/hrydgard/ppsspp and http://www.ppsspp.org/.
 
+#ifdef SHARED_ZLIB
+#include <zlib.h>
+#else
 #include "../ext/zlib/zlib.h"
+#endif
 
 #include "sceAdler.h"
 #include "Common/Log.h"
diff --git a/Core/Util/GameManager.cpp b/Core/Util/GameManager.cpp
index d726e2343b..f0e3904063 100644
--- a/Core/Util/GameManager.cpp
+++ b/Core/Util/GameManager.cpp
@@ -20,7 +20,11 @@
 #include <cstring>
 
 #include "file/file_util.h"
+#ifdef SHARED_LIBZIP
+#include <zip.h>
+#else
 #include "ext/libzip/zip.h"
+#endif
 #include "thread/thread.h"
 #include "util/text/utf8.h"
 
diff --git a/Qt/Core.pro b/Qt/Core.pro
index d7c45ad6cc..f7818145a3 100644
--- a/Qt/Core.pro
+++ b/Qt/Core.pro
@@ -6,7 +6,9 @@ CONFIG += staticlib
 include(Settings.pri)
 
 INCLUDEPATH += $$P/ $$P/ext/native $$P/Core/MIPS $$P/ext/xbrz
-!contains(DEFINES, USING_GLES2): INCLUDEPATH += $$P/ext/native/ext/glew
+!exists( /usr/include/GL/glew.h ) {
+	!contains(DEFINES, USING_GLES2): INCLUDEPATH += $$P/ext/native/ext/glew
+}
 
 arm {
 	SOURCES += $$P/Core/MIPS/ARM/*.cpp #CoreARM
diff --git a/Qt/GPU.pro b/Qt/GPU.pro
index cc6af94dcc..a68107c009 100644
--- a/Qt/GPU.pro
+++ b/Qt/GPU.pro
@@ -7,7 +7,9 @@ CONFIG += staticlib
 include(Settings.pri)
 
 INCLUDEPATH += $$P/ $$P/ext/native
-!contains(DEFINES, USING_GLES2): INCLUDEPATH += $$P/ext/native/ext/glew
+!exists( /usr/include/GL/glew.h ) {
+	!contains(DEFINES, USING_GLES2): INCLUDEPATH += $$P/ext/native/ext/glew
+}
 
 win32 {
 	SOURCES += $$P/Windows/OpenGLBase.cpp
diff --git a/Qt/Native.pro b/Qt/Native.pro
index 9b853990fa..bbb4995846 100644
--- a/Qt/Native.pro
+++ b/Qt/Native.pro
@@ -11,10 +11,12 @@ linux-g++:system($$QMAKE_CXX --version | grep "4.6."): DEFINES+=override
 
 INCLUDEPATH += $$P/ext/native
 
-!contains(DEFINES,USING_GLES2) {
-	SOURCES += $$P/ext/native/ext/glew/glew.c
-	HEADERS += $$P/ext/native/ext/glew/GL/*.h
-	INCLUDEPATH += $$P/ext/native/ext/glew
+!exists( /usr/include/GL/glew.h ) {
+	!contains(DEFINES,USING_GLES2) {
+		SOURCES += $$P/ext/native/ext/glew/glew.c
+		HEADERS += $$P/ext/native/ext/glew/GL/*.h
+		INCLUDEPATH += $$P/ext/native/ext/glew
+	}
 }
 
 # RG_ETC1
@@ -41,10 +43,11 @@ HEADERS += $$P/ext/native/ext/stb_vorbis/stb_vorbis.h
 INCLUDEPATH += $$P/ext/native/ext/stb_vorbis
 
 # Snappy
-
-SOURCES += $$P/ext/snappy/*.cpp
-HEADERS += $$P/ext/snappy/*.h
-INCLUDEPATH += $$P/ext/snappy
+!exists( /usr/include/snappy-c.h ) {
+	SOURCES += $$P/ext/snappy/*.cpp
+	HEADERS += $$P/ext/snappy/*.h
+	INCLUDEPATH += $$P/ext/snappy
+}
 
 # udis86
 
@@ -67,8 +70,10 @@ win32|contains(QT_CONFIG, no-zlib) {
 }
 
 # Libzip
-SOURCES += $$P/ext/native/ext/libzip/*.c
-HEADERS += $$P/ext/native/ext/libzip/*.h
+!exists( /usr/include/zip.h ) {
+	SOURCES += $$P/ext/native/ext/libzip/*.c
+	HEADERS += $$P/ext/native/ext/libzip/*.h
+}
 
 # Native
 
diff --git a/Qt/PPSSPP.pro b/Qt/PPSSPP.pro
index 2f0d0cf088..32bb2ffab0 100644
--- a/Qt/PPSSPP.pro
+++ b/Qt/PPSSPP.pro
@@ -49,6 +49,18 @@ macx|equals(PLATFORM_NAME, "linux") {
 	}
 }
 
+exists( /usr/include/GL/glew.h ) {
+	LIBS += -lGLEW
+}
+
+exists( /usr/include/snappy-c.h ) {
+	LIBS += -lsnappy
+}
+
+exists( /usr/include/zip.h ) {
+	LIBS += -lzip
+}
+
 unix:contains(QT_CONFIG, system-zlib) {
 	LIBS += -lz
 }
@@ -77,7 +89,11 @@ SOURCES += $$P/UI/*.cpp \
 arm:android: SOURCES += $$P/android/jni/ArmEmitterTest.cpp
 HEADERS += $$P/UI/*.h
 
-INCLUDEPATH += $$P $$P/Common $$P/ext/native $$P/ext/native/ext $$P/ext/native/ext/glew
+exists( /usr/include/GL/glew.h ) {
+	INCLUDEPATH += $$P $$P/Common $$P/ext/native $$P/ext/native/ext
+} else {
+	INCLUDEPATH += $$P $$P/Common $$P/ext/native $$P/ext/native/ext $$P/ext/native/ext/glew
+}
 
 mobile_platform {
 	!no_assets: RESOURCES += $$P/Qt/assets.qrc
diff --git a/Qt/Settings.pri b/Qt/Settings.pri
index 8b67d4c576..63cd628992 100644
--- a/Qt/Settings.pri
+++ b/Qt/Settings.pri
@@ -1,6 +1,18 @@
 VERSION = 1.0.1.0
 DEFINES += USING_QT_UI USE_FFMPEG
 
+exists( /usr/include/snappy-c.h ) {
+	DEFINES += SHARED_SNAPPY
+}
+
+unix:contains(QT_CONFIG, system-zlib) {
+	DEFINES += SHARED_ZLIB
+}
+
+exists( /usr/include/zip.h ) {
+	DEFINES += SHARED_LIBZIP
+}
+
 # Global specific
 win32:CONFIG(release, debug|release): CONFIG_DIR = $$join(OUT_PWD,,,/release)
 else:win32:CONFIG(debug, debug|release): CONFIG_DIR = $$join(OUT_PWD,,,/debug)