diff --git a/external/glib/CMakeLists.txt b/external/glib/CMakeLists.txt
index 2966200a..d0f3c400 100644
--- a/external/glib/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/external/glib/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -13,9 +13,11 @@ function(add_cppgir) # isolate scope
     set(BUILD_EXAMPLES OFF)
     add_subdirectory(cppgir EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL)
 endfunction()
-add_cppgir()
 
 include(generate_cppgir.cmake)
+if (NOT CppGir_FOUND)
+    add_cppgir()
+endif()
 generate_cppgir(external_glib Gio-2.0)
 
 find_package(PkgConfig REQUIRED)
diff --git a/external/glib/generate_cppgir.cmake b/external/glib/generate_cppgir.cmake
index a3cdfe70..f14447d3 100644
--- a/external/glib/generate_cppgir.cmake
+++ b/external/glib/generate_cppgir.cmake
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 # For license and copyright information please follow this link:
 # https://github.com/desktop-app/legal/blob/master/LEGAL
 
+find_package(CppGir)
+
 function(generate_cppgir target_name gir)
     # cppgir generates all the dependent headers everytime, better to have a global folder
     set(gen_dst ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/gen)