diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 615ce4e95..186fabf4f 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -94,6 +94,8 @@ IF(CMAKE_CROSSCOMPILING)
   INCLUDE("${DFHACK_NATIVE_BUILD_DIR}/ImportExecutables.cmake")
 ENDIF()
 
+find_package(Perl REQUIRED)
+
 # set up folder structures for IDE solutions
 # MSVC Express won't load solutions that use this. It also doesn't include MFC supported
 # Check for MFC!
diff --git a/library/CMakeLists.txt b/library/CMakeLists.txt
index 9f8477993..7a296dbc7 100644
--- a/library/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/library/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -16,8 +16,6 @@ ENDIF()
 include_directories (proto)
 include_directories (include)
 
-SET(PERL_EXECUTABLE "perl" CACHE FILEPATH "This is the perl executable to run in the codegen step. Tweak it if you need to run a specific one.")
-
 execute_process(COMMAND ${PERL_EXECUTABLE} xml/list.pl xml ${dfapi_SOURCE_DIR}/include/df ";"
                 WORKING_DIRECTORY ${dfapi_SOURCE_DIR}
                 OUTPUT_VARIABLE GENERATED_HDRS)