diff --git a/CMake/External/External_Assimp.cmake b/CMake/External/External_Assimp.cmake
index 88a6445c3bc7d194ab0bdc9d9adf6f51ec000e94..9e3a222b8dace2482002c4a972e96cfd4cb263ad 100644
--- a/CMake/External/External_Assimp.cmake
+++ b/CMake/External/External_Assimp.cmake
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ imstk_add_external_project( Assimp
   GIT_REPOSITORY ${iMSTK_Assimp_GIT_REPOSITORY}
   GIT_TAG ${iMSTK_Assimp_GIT_SHA}
   CMAKE_CACHE_ARGS
+    -DBUILD_SHARED_LIBS:BOOL=ON
     -DCMAKE_POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE:BOOL=ON
     -DASSIMP_BUILD_ASSIMP_TOOLS:BOOL=OFF
     -DASSIMP_BUILD_TESTS:BOOL=OFF
diff --git a/CMake/External/External_GTest.cmake b/CMake/External/External_GTest.cmake
index 564a6ed61621a2501d2110fc4d433d8af76ad47d..c3f471beb1f8f38ccc3b315e8448fc6ac7db5da3 100644
--- a/CMake/External/External_GTest.cmake
+++ b/CMake/External/External_GTest.cmake
@@ -22,9 +22,9 @@ endif()
 imstk_add_external_project( GTest
   ${EXTERNAL_PROJECT_DOWNLOAD_OPTIONS}
   CMAKE_CACHE_ARGS
+    -DBUILD_SHARED_LIBS:BOOL=ON
     -DBUILD_GMOCK:BOOL=ON
     -DBUILD_GTEST:BOOL=ON
-    -DBUILD_SHARED_LIBS:BOOL=OFF
     -Dgtest_force_shared_crt:BOOL=ON
   DEPENDENCIES ""
   RELATIVE_INCLUDE_PATH ""
diff --git a/CMake/External/External_SFML.cmake b/CMake/External/External_SFML.cmake
index c285b0f778a136a434a02ab89da3c19d16ca53fd..1ba5f75f27ed44267a08ece72b5a8052ff99ed0a 100644
--- a/CMake/External/External_SFML.cmake
+++ b/CMake/External/External_SFML.cmake
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ include(imstkAddExternalProject)
 imstk_add_external_project( SFML
   ${EXTERNAL_PROJECT_DOWNLOAD_OPTIONS}
   CMAKE_CACHE_ARGS
+    -DBUILD_SHARED_LIBS:BOOL=ON
     -DSFML_BUILD_AUDIO:BOOL=ON
     -DSFML_BUILD_GRAPHICS:BOOL=OFF
     -DSFML_BUILD_NETWORK:BOOL=OFF
diff --git a/CMake/External/External_benchmark.cmake b/CMake/External/External_benchmark.cmake
index 1b6065959199d525506d3e629a3fe966ce9e463c..b40d0c9467ba29c6db7f413515986bd882b4dde0 100644
--- a/CMake/External/External_benchmark.cmake
+++ b/CMake/External/External_benchmark.cmake
@@ -21,10 +21,9 @@ endif()
 imstk_add_external_project( benchmark
   ${EXTERNAL_PROJECT_DOWNLOAD_OPTIONS}
   CMAKE_CACHE_ARGS
-    -DBUILD_SHARED_LIBS:BOOL=OFF
+    -DBUILD_SHARED_LIBS:BOOL=ON
     -Dgtest_force_shared_crt:BOOL=ON
     -DBENCHMARK_DOWNLOAD_DEPENDENCIES:BOOL=ON
-
   DEPENDENCIES ""
   RELATIVE_INCLUDE_PATH ""
   #VERBOSE