diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index df12a45f4ab7e12c9d2abc7b7341a4fd6df373ca..4be38d46f4cf4d0cfb2e1266da8aaf9e62600361 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -38,9 +38,12 @@ ELSE()
 ENDIF()
 
 ### -------------- proj ---------------------------
-find_package(PROJ)
-if(PROJ4::proj)
-  list(APPEND cdo_compile_defintions ${HAVE_PROJ})
+option(ENABLE_PROJ "Enable projection library, use -DPROJ_ROOT for specific path" OFF)
+if(ENABLE_PROJ OR PROJ_ROOT)
+  find_package(PROJ)
+  if(PROJ4::proj)
+    list(APPEND cdo_compile_defintions HAVE_PROJ=${PROJ_FOUND})
+  endif()
 endif()
 
 ### -------------- fftw3 ---------------------------
@@ -63,16 +66,10 @@ endif()
 ### -------------- NETCDF ---------------------------
 message("Start check for netCDF4")
 find_package(netCDF 4.0 REQUIRED)
-set(netcdf_flag HAVE_LIBNETCDF)
 
 if (TARGET netCDF::netcdf)
   message(DEBUG "Checking for netCDF_HAS_NC4 flag equal 'yes' : flag is: ${netCDF_HAS_NC4}")
-  if(NOT "${netCDF_HAS_NC4}" STREQUAL "yes")
-    message(WARNING "NetCDF4 installation does not support nc4")
-  endif()
-
-  list(APPEND cdo_compile_defintions ${netcdf_flag}=${netCDF_FOUND})
-
+  list(APPEND cdo_compile_defintions HVAE_NETCDF=${netCDF_FOUND})
 else()
   message(WARNING "Netcdf not found, compiling without netcdf")
 endif ()
@@ -101,27 +98,8 @@ add_subdirectory( libcdi)
 add_subdirectory( src )
 add_subdirectory( test )
 
-#use this to print all variables set to true
-
-message("STATUS:")
-get_property(target_names DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR} PROPERTY IMPORTED_TARGETS)
-foreach(_target ${target_names})
-  message(STATUS "${_target}")
-  get_target_property(_imported_location ${_target} IMPORTED_LOCATION)
-  get_target_property(_imported_incl_dirs ${_target} INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES)
-  get_target_property(_interface_link_lib ${_target} INTERFACE_LINK_LIBRARIES)
-  message(STATUS " include paths: ${_imported_incl_dirs}")
-  if(_imported_location)
-    message(STATUS " linker target: ${_imported_location}")
-  endif()
-  if(_interface_link_lib)
-    message(STATUS " interf_li_lib: ${_interface_link_lib}")
-  endif()
-endforeach()
-if(FALSE)
-  get_cmake_property(_variableNames VARIABLES)
-  list (SORT _variableNames)
-  foreach (_variableName ${_variableNames})
-    message(VERBOSE "${_variableName}=${${_variableName}}")
-  endforeach()
+if(TRUE)
+  cmake_print_properties(TARGETS cdo cdolib operators PROPERTIES  INTERFACE_LINK_LIBRARIES LINK_LIBRARIES)
+  get_property(target_names DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR} PROPERTY IMPORTED_TARGETS)
+  cmake_print_properties(TARGETS ${target_names} PROPERTIES INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES INTERFACE_LINK_LIBRARIES)
 endif()