diff --git a/examples/third_party/curl/BUILD.curl.bazel b/examples/third_party/curl/BUILD.curl.bazel
index 570b06d3..95ae0e85 100644
--- a/examples/third_party/curl/BUILD.curl.bazel
+++ b/examples/third_party/curl/BUILD.curl.bazel
@@ -12,11 +12,9 @@ _CACHE_ENTRIES = {
     "BUILD_CURL_EXE": "off",
     "BUILD_SHARED_LIBS": "off",
     "CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE": "RELEASE",
-    "CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH": "$$EXT_BUILD_DEPS/openssl",
     "CMAKE_USE_OPENSSL": "on",
     # TODO: ldap should likely be enabled
     "CURL_DISABLE_LDAP": "on",
-    "OPENSSL_ROOT_DIR": "$$EXT_BUILD_DEPS/openssl",
 }
 
 _MACOS_CACHE_ENTRIES = dict(_CACHE_ENTRIES.items() + {
diff --git a/examples/third_party/libgit2/BUILD.libgit2.bazel b/examples/third_party/libgit2/BUILD.libgit2.bazel
index ae34aa72..66de63c5 100644
--- a/examples/third_party/libgit2/BUILD.libgit2.bazel
+++ b/examples/third_party/libgit2/BUILD.libgit2.bazel
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ _CACHE_ENTRIES = {
     "BUILD_EXAMPLES": "off",
     "BUILD_FUZZERS": "off",
     "BUILD_SHARED_LIBS": "off",
-    "CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH": "$$EXT_BUILD_DEPS/pcre;$$EXT_BUILD_DEPS/openssl;$$EXT_BUILD_DEPS/libssh2;$$EXT_BUILD_DEPS/zlib;$${CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH:-}",
     #"EMBED_SSH_PATH": "$(location @libssh2//:libssh2)",
     "USE_HTTPS": "on",
 }
diff --git a/examples/third_party/libssh2/BUILD.libssh2.bazel b/examples/third_party/libssh2/BUILD.libssh2.bazel
index 4f4cdb14..7a0b828a 100644
--- a/examples/third_party/libssh2/BUILD.libssh2.bazel
+++ b/examples/third_party/libssh2/BUILD.libssh2.bazel
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ _CACHE_ENTRIES = {
     "BUILD_SHARED_LIBS": "off",
     "BUILD_TESTING": "off",
     "CMAKE_FIND_DEBUG_MODE": "on",
-    "CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH": "$${CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH:-};$$EXT_BUILD_DEPS/openssl",
 }
 
 _LINUX_CACHE_ENTRIES = dict(_CACHE_ENTRIES.items() + {
diff --git a/foreign_cc/cmake.bzl b/foreign_cc/cmake.bzl
index cfe03dc1..8c958c0d 100644
--- a/foreign_cc/cmake.bzl
+++ b/foreign_cc/cmake.bzl
@@ -271,6 +271,7 @@ def _create_configure_script(configureParameters):
         cmake_prefix = prefix,
         include_dirs = inputs.include_dirs,
         is_debug_mode = is_debug_mode(ctx),
+        ext_build_dirs = inputs.ext_build_dirs,
     )
     return configure_script
 
diff --git a/foreign_cc/private/cmake_script.bzl b/foreign_cc/private/cmake_script.bzl
index 7645e614..0d11a3c1 100644
--- a/foreign_cc/private/cmake_script.bzl
+++ b/foreign_cc/private/cmake_script.bzl
@@ -58,7 +58,8 @@ def create_cmake_script(
         cmake_commands,
         include_dirs = [],
         cmake_prefix = None,
-        is_debug_mode = True):
+        is_debug_mode = True,
+        ext_build_dirs = []):
     """Constructs CMake script to be passed to cc_external_rule_impl.
 
     Args:
@@ -81,12 +82,13 @@ def create_cmake_script(
         include_dirs: Optional additional include directories. Defaults to [].
         cmake_prefix: Optional prefix before the cmake command (without the trailing space).
         is_debug_mode: If the compilation mode is `debug`. Defaults to True.
+        ext_build_dirs: A list of gen_dirs for each foreign_cc dep.
 
     Returns:
         list: Lines of bash which make up the build script
     """
 
-    merged_prefix_path = _merge_prefix_path(user_cache, include_dirs)
+    merged_prefix_path = _merge_prefix_path(user_cache, include_dirs, ext_build_dirs)
 
     toolchain_dict = _fill_crossfile_from_toolchain(workspace_name, tools, flags)
     params = None
@@ -171,9 +173,12 @@ def _wipe_empty_values(cache, keys_with_empty_values_in_user_cache):
             cache.pop(key)
 
 # From CMake documentation: ;-list of directories specifying installation prefixes to be searched...
-def _merge_prefix_path(user_cache, include_dirs):
+def _merge_prefix_path(user_cache, include_dirs, ext_build_dirs):
     user_prefix = user_cache.get("CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH")
     values = ["$$EXT_BUILD_DEPS$$"] + include_dirs
+    for ext_dir in ext_build_dirs:
+        values.append("$$EXT_BUILD_DEPS$$/{}".format(ext_dir.basename))
+
     if user_prefix != None:
         # remove it, it is gonna be merged specifically
         user_cache.pop("CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH")