diff --git a/depends/CMakeLists.txt b/depends/CMakeLists.txt
index 2e5dde062..87e9d74bf 100644
--- a/depends/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/depends/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -18,13 +18,23 @@ option(CLSOCKET_DEP_ONLY "Build for use inside other CMake projects as dependenc
 add_subdirectory(clsocket)
 ide_folder(clsocket "Depends")
 
+# assemble environment args to pass on to dependency projects
+get_cmake_property(vars CACHE_VARIABLES)
+foreach(var ${vars})
+  get_property(currentHelpString CACHE "${var}" PROPERTY HELPSTRING)
+    if("${currentHelpString}" MATCHES "No help, variable specified on the command line." OR "${currentHelpString}" STREQUAL "")
+        message("${var} = [${${var}}]  --  ${currentHelpString}") # uncomment to see the variables being processed
+        list(APPEND CL_ARGS "-D${var}=${${var}}")
+    endif()
+endforeach()
+
 set(LIBEXPAT_INSTALL_DIR ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/libexpat)
 ExternalProject_Add(libexpat_project
     PREFIX      libexpat
     SOURCE_DIR  ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/libexpat/expat
     INSTALL_DIR ${LIBEXPAT_INSTALL_DIR}
     BUILD_BYPRODUCTS ${LIBEXPAT_INSTALL_DIR}/lib/libexpat.a
-    CMAKE_ARGS  -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${LIBEXPAT_INSTALL_DIR} -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DEXPAT_BUILD_EXAMPLES=OFF -DEXPAT_BUILD_TESTS=OFF -DEXPAT_BUILD_TOOLS=OFF -DEXPAT_SHARED_LIBS=OFF -DCMAKE_POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE=ON -DCMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR=lib -DCMAKE_CXX_FLAGS=${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -DCMAKE_C_FLAGS=${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} -DCMAKE_VERBOSE_MAKEFILE:BOOL=ON
+    CMAKE_ARGS  ${CL_ARGS} -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${LIBEXPAT_INSTALL_DIR} -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DEXPAT_BUILD_EXAMPLES=OFF -DEXPAT_BUILD_TESTS=OFF -DEXPAT_BUILD_TOOLS=OFF -DEXPAT_SHARED_LIBS=OFF -DCMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR=lib -DCMAKE_POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE=ON -DCMAKE_VERBOSE_MAKEFILE:BOOL=ON
 )
 
 set(LIBZIP_INSTALL_DIR ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/libzip)
@@ -33,7 +43,7 @@ ExternalProject_Add(libzip_project
     SOURCE_DIR  ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/libzip
     INSTALL_DIR ${LIBZIP_INSTALL_DIR}
     BUILD_BYPRODUCTS ${LIBZIP_INSTALL_DIR}/lib/libzip.a
-    CMAKE_ARGS  -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${LIBZIP_INSTALL_DIR} -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DBUILD_DOC=OFF -DBUILD_EXAMPLES=OFF -DBUILD_REGRESS=OFF -DBUILD_SHARED_LIBS=OFF -DBUILD_TOOLS=OFF -DENABLE_BZIP2=OFF -DENABLE_COMMONCRYPTO=OFF -DENABLE_GNUTLS=OFF -DENABLE_LZMA=OFF -DENABLE_MBEDTLS=OFF -DENABLE_OPENSSL=OFF -DENABLE_WINDOWS_CRYPTO=OFF -DCMAKE_POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE=ON -DCMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR=lib -DCMAKE_C_FLAGS=${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} -DCMAKE_VERBOSE_MAKEFILE:BOOL=ON
+    CMAKE_ARGS  ${CL_ARGS} -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${LIBZIP_INSTALL_DIR} -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DBUILD_DOC=OFF -DBUILD_EXAMPLES=OFF -DBUILD_REGRESS=OFF -DBUILD_SHARED_LIBS=OFF -DBUILD_TOOLS=OFF -DENABLE_BZIP2=OFF -DENABLE_COMMONCRYPTO=OFF -DENABLE_GNUTLS=OFF -DENABLE_LZMA=OFF -DENABLE_MBEDTLS=OFF -DENABLE_OPENSSL=OFF -DENABLE_WINDOWS_CRYPTO=OFF -DCMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR=lib -DCMAKE_POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE=ON -DCMAKE_VERBOSE_MAKEFILE:BOOL=ON
 )
 
 set(XLSXIO_INSTALL_DIR ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/xlsxio)
@@ -42,7 +52,7 @@ ExternalProject_Add(xlsxio_project
     SOURCE_DIR  ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/xlsxio
     INSTALL_DIR ${XLSXIO_INSTALL_DIR}
     BUILD_BYPRODUCTS ${XLSXIO_INSTALL_DIR}/lib/libxlsxio_read.a
-    CMAKE_ARGS  -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${XLSXIO_INSTALL_DIR} -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DBUILD_STATIC=ON -DBUILD_SHARED=OFF -DCMAKE_POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE=ON -DBUILD_TOOLS=OFF -DBUILD_EXAMPLES=OFF -DBUILD_DOCUMENTATION=OFF -DWITH_LIBZIP=ON -DZLIB_DIR=${ZLIB_DIR} -DLIBZIP_DIR=${LIBZIP_INSTALL_DIR} -DEXPAT_DIR=${LIBEXPAT_INSTALL_DIR} -DCMAKE_CXX_FLAGS=${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -DCMAKE_C_FLAGS=${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} -DCMAKE_VERBOSE_MAKEFILE:BOOL=ON
+    CMAKE_ARGS  ${CL_ARGS} -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${XLSXIO_INSTALL_DIR} -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DBUILD_STATIC=ON -DBUILD_SHARED=OFF -DCMAKE_POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE=ON -DBUILD_TOOLS=OFF -DBUILD_EXAMPLES=OFF -DBUILD_DOCUMENTATION=OFF -DWITH_LIBZIP=ON -DZLIB_DIR=${ZLIB_DIR} -DLIBZIP_DIR=${LIBZIP_INSTALL_DIR} -DEXPAT_DIR=${LIBEXPAT_INSTALL_DIR} -DCMAKE_POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE=ON -DCMAKE_VERBOSE_MAKEFILE:BOOL=ON
 )
 add_dependencies(xlsxio_project libexpat_project)
 add_dependencies(xlsxio_project libzip_project)
diff --git a/library/CMakeLists.txt b/library/CMakeLists.txt
index c78f7f58e..583c8768f 100644
--- a/library/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/library/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -4,8 +4,6 @@ cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 2.8.12)
 # prevent CMake warnings about INTERFACE_LINK_LIBRARIES vs LINK_INTERFACE_LIBRARIES
 cmake_policy(SET CMP0022 NEW)
 
-set(CMAKE_VERBOSE_MAKEFILE ON)
-
 # build options
 option(BUILD_DEVEL "Install/package files required for development(For SDK)." OFF)
 if(UNIX)