diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index bc46cb48e34..d9632df926c 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -62,6 +62,10 @@ option(HAL_VERSION_MAJOR "Pass major version via cmake options" "")
 option(HAL_VERSION_MINOR "Pass minor version via cmake options" "")
 option(HAL_VERSION_PATCH "Pass patch version via cmake options" "")
 option(USE_LIBCXX "Force the use of LIBCXX for e.g. gcc" FALSE)
+option(USE_VENDORED_PYBIND11 "Use vendored 'pybind11' Python library" ON)
+option(USE_VENDORED_SPDLOG "Use vendored 'spdlog' library" ON)
+option(USE_VENDORED_QUAZIP "Use vendored 'quazip' library" ON)
+option(USE_VENDORED_IGRAPH "Use vendored 'igraph' library" ON)
 option(BUILD_ALL_PLUGINS "Build all available plugins" OFF)
 option(BUILD_TESTS "Enable test builds" OFF)
 option(BUILD_COVERAGE "Enable code coverage build" OFF)
@@ -325,8 +329,12 @@ install(FILES tools/genversion.py
     GROUP_EXECUTE
     WORLD_READ
     WORLD_EXECUTE)
-install(DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/deps/pybind11 DESTINATION ${HAL_CMAKECONFIG_INSTALL_DIR})
-install(DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/deps/spdlog-${spdlog_VERSION} DESTINATION ${HAL_CMAKECONFIG_INSTALL_DIR})
+if(USE_VENDORED_PYBIND11)
+    install(DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/deps/pybind11 DESTINATION ${HAL_CMAKECONFIG_INSTALL_DIR})
+endif()
+if(USE_VENDORED_SPDLOG)
+    install(DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/deps/spdlog-${spdlog_VERSION} DESTINATION ${HAL_CMAKECONFIG_INSTALL_DIR})
+endif()
 install(DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/deps/subprocess DESTINATION ${HAL_CMAKECONFIG_INSTALL_DIR})
 
 
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 0c70c7ef07c..b94c0f4385c 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ RUN apt-get update -y && \
     apt-get install -y lsb-release
 
 COPY . .
-RUN ./install_dependencies.sh
+RUN HAL_DOCKER=1 ./install_dependencies.sh
 
 RUN mkdir build
 WORKDIR ${hal_path}/build/
diff --git a/cmake/detect_dependencies.cmake b/cmake/detect_dependencies.cmake
index 49dab17fe77..55460618841 100644
--- a/cmake/detect_dependencies.cmake
+++ b/cmake/detect_dependencies.cmake
@@ -153,20 +153,33 @@ find_package(pybind11 2.7 CONFIG)
 if(${pybind11_FOUND})
     message(VERBOSE "Found pybind11 v${pybind11_VERSION}: ${pybind11_INCLUDE_DIRS}")
     message(VERBOSE "Found pybind11 >= 2.7")
-else()
+elseif(USE_VENDORED_PYBIND11)
     message(STATUS "pybind11 >= 2.7 not found, will build our provided version")
     add_subdirectory(deps/pybind11)
+else()
+    message(FATAL_ERROR "pybind11 >= 2.7 not found and USE_VENDORED_PYBIND11 is OFF")
 endif()
 
 # ###############################
 # ####   spdlog
 # ###############################
-message(STATUS "using spdlog from deps")
-set(spdlog_VERSION 1.9.2)
-add_library(spdlog::spdlog INTERFACE IMPORTED)
-set_target_properties(spdlog::spdlog PROPERTIES
-    INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/deps/spdlog-${spdlog_VERSION}/include"
-)
+
+if(USE_VENDORED_SPDLOG)
+    message(STATUS "using spdlog from deps")
+    set(spdlog_VERSION 1.9.2)
+    add_library(spdlog::spdlog INTERFACE IMPORTED)
+    set_target_properties(spdlog::spdlog PROPERTIES
+        INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/deps/spdlog-${spdlog_VERSION}/include"
+    )
+else()
+    find_package(spdlog REQUIRED)
+    if(spdlog_FOUND)
+        get_target_property(SPDLOG_HEADERS_DIR spdlog::spdlog INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES)
+        message(STATUS "Using system's spdlog headers at ${SPDLOG_HEADERS_DIR}")
+    else()
+        message(FATAL_ERROR "spdlog was not found and USE_VENDORED_SPDLOG is OFF")
+    endif()
+endif()
 
 # ###############################
 # ####   subprocess
@@ -259,7 +272,15 @@ endif(Z3_FOUND)
 # ###############################
 # ####   igraph
 # ###############################
-set(IGRAPH_SUBDIR "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/deps/igraph-0.10.x")
-add_subdirectory(${IGRAPH_SUBDIR})
-get_directory_property(IGRAPH_INCLUDES DIRECTORY ${IGRAPH_SUBDIR} DEFINITION IGRAPH_INCLUDES)
-get_directory_property(IGRAPH_LIB DIRECTORY ${IGRAPH_SUBDIR} DEFINITION IGRAPH_LIB)
+if(USE_VENDORED_IGRAPH)
+    set(IGRAPH_SUBDIR "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/deps/igraph-0.10.x")
+    add_subdirectory(${IGRAPH_SUBDIR})
+    get_directory_property(igraph_INCLUDES DIRECTORY ${IGRAPH_SUBDIR} DEFINITION IGRAPH_INCLUDES)
+    get_directory_property(igraph_LIBRARIES      DIRECTORY ${IGRAPH_SUBDIR} DEFINITION IGRAPH_LIB)
+    message(STATUS "Using igraph from ${IGRAPH_SUBDIR}")
+else()
+    find_package(igraph REQUIRED)
+    get_target_property(igraph_LIBRARIES igraph::igraph IMPORTED_LOCATION_RELEASE)
+    get_target_property(igraph_INCLUDES igraph::igraph INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES)
+    message(STATUS "Using system's igraph from ${igraph_LIBRARIES}")
+endif()
diff --git a/install_dependencies.sh b/install_dependencies.sh
index 510bc6e961e..747610604c7 100755
--- a/install_dependencies.sh
+++ b/install_dependencies.sh
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ platform='unknown'
 unamestr=$(uname)
 distribution='unknown'
 release='unknown'
-if [[ -f "/.dockerenv" ]]; then
+if [[ "${HAL_DOCKER:-0}" == "1" ]]; then
    platform='docker'
    distribution=$(lsb_release -is)
    release=$(lsb_release -rs)
diff --git a/plugins/graph_algorithm/CMakeLists.txt b/plugins/graph_algorithm/CMakeLists.txt
index d4f936101ed..71f73d11ba0 100644
--- a/plugins/graph_algorithm/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/plugins/graph_algorithm/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@ if(PL_GRAPH_ALGORITHM OR BUILD_ALL_PLUGINS)
         PYDOC SPHINX_DOC_INDEX_FILE ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/documentation/graph_algorithm.rst
         HEADER ${GRAPH_ALGORITHM_INC}
         SOURCES ${GRAPH_ALGORITHM_SRC} ${GRAPH_ALGORITHM_PYTHON_SRC}
-        INCLUDES PUBLIC $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${IGRAPH_INCLUDES}>
-        LINK_LIBRARIES PUBLIC ${IGRAPH_LIB}
+        INCLUDES PUBLIC $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${igraph_INCLUDES}>
+        LINK_LIBRARIES PUBLIC ${igraph_LIBRARIES}
     )
 
 endif()
diff --git a/plugins/gui/CMakeLists.txt b/plugins/gui/CMakeLists.txt
index 6dc2821549f..36861100ee9 100644
--- a/plugins/gui/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/plugins/gui/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -66,8 +66,15 @@ if(PL_GUI OR BUILD_ALL_PLUGINS)
             set(CMAKE_${j}_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY${i} "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/lib")
         endforeach()
     endforeach()
-    set (QUAZIP_SUBDIR "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/deps/quazip-1.3")
-    add_subdirectory(${QUAZIP_SUBDIR} ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/quazip)
+    if(USE_VENDORED_QUAZIP)
+        set (QUAZIP_SUBDIR "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/deps/quazip-1.3")
+        add_subdirectory(${QUAZIP_SUBDIR} ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/quazip)
+        message(STATUS "Using quazip from ${QUAZIP_SUBDIR}")
+    else()
+        find_package(QuaZip-Qt5 REQUIRED)
+        get_target_property(QUAZIP_LIBRARIES QuaZip::QuaZip IMPORTED_LOCATION_RELEASE)
+        message(STATUS "Using system's quazip from ${QUAZIP_LIBRARIES}")
+    endif()
 
     foreach(i IN ITEMS "" "_DEBUG" "_RELEASE" "_MINSIZEREL" "_RELWITHDEBINFO")
         foreach(j IN ITEMS "RUNTIME" "ARCHIVE" "LIBRARY")
diff --git a/plugins/simulator/netlist_simulator_controller/include/netlist_simulator_controller/saleae_directory.h b/plugins/simulator/netlist_simulator_controller/include/netlist_simulator_controller/saleae_directory.h
index 94426408607..6583b37ddbb 100644
--- a/plugins/simulator/netlist_simulator_controller/include/netlist_simulator_controller/saleae_directory.h
+++ b/plugins/simulator/netlist_simulator_controller/include/netlist_simulator_controller/saleae_directory.h
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include <string>
 #include <vector>
 #include <unordered_map>
+#include <cstdint>
 
 // unfortunately std::filesystem::path is not available for all platforms
 #ifdef _WIN32