diff --git a/CI/install_debian_deps.sh b/CI/install_debian_deps.sh
index 82d2ff6819..3e7ab7fca3 100755
--- a/CI/install_debian_deps.sh
+++ b/CI/install_debian_deps.sh
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ declare -rA GROUPED_DEPS=(
     libsdl2-dev libqt5opengl5-dev libopenal-dev libunshield-dev libtinyxml-dev
     libbullet-dev liblz4-dev libpng-dev libjpeg-dev
   "
+  # TODO: add librecastnavigation-dev when debian is ready
 
   # These dependencies can alternatively be built and linked statically.
   [openmw-deps-dynamic]="libmygui-dev libopenscenegraph-dev"
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index fdac00d1e5..405f4e8740 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -130,6 +130,10 @@ option(MYGUI_STATIC "Link static build of Mygui into the binaries" ${_mygui_stat
 option(OPENMW_USE_SYSTEM_RECASTNAVIGATION "Use system provided recastnavigation library" OFF)
 if(OPENMW_USE_SYSTEM_RECASTNAVIGATION)
     set(_recastnavigation_static_default OFF)
+
+    find_package(RecastNavigation REQUIRED)
+    include_directories(SYSTEM ${RecastNavigation_INCLUDE_DIRS})
+
 else()
     set(_recastnavigation_static_default ON)
 endif()
diff --git a/cmake/FindRecastNavigation.cmake b/cmake/FindRecastNavigation.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ae85faaaaa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmake/FindRecastNavigation.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,143 @@
+# Distributed under the OSI-approved BSD 3-Clause License.  See accompanying
+# file Copyright.txt or https://cmake.org/licensing for details.
+
+#[=======================================================================[.rst:
+FindRecastNavigation
+-------
+
+Find the RecastNavigation include directory and library.
+
+Use this module by invoking find_package with the form::
+
+.. code-block:: cmake
+
+  find_package(RecastNavigation
+    [version]              # Minimum version e.g. 1.8.0
+    [REQUIRED]             # Fail with error if RECASTNAV is not found
+  )
+
+Imported targets
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+
+This module defines the following :prop_tgt:`IMPORTED` targets:
+
+.. variable:: RecastNavigation::Recast
+
+  Imported target for using the RECASTNAV library, if found.
+
+Result variables
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+
+.. variable:: RECASTNAV_FOUND
+
+  Set to true if RECASTNAV library found, otherwise false or undefined.
+
+.. variable:: RECASTNAV_INCLUDE_DIRS
+
+  Paths to include directories listed in one variable for use by RECASTNAV client.
+
+.. variable:: RECASTNAV_LIBRARIES
+
+  Paths to libraries to linked against to use RECASTNAV.
+
+.. variable:: RECAST_VERSION
+
+  The version string of RECASTNAV found.
+
+Cache variables
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+
+For users who wish to edit and control the module behavior, this module
+reads hints about search locations from the following variables::
+
+.. variable:: RECASTNAV_INCLUDE_DIR
+
+  Path to RECASTNAV include directory with ``Recast.h`` header.
+
+.. variable:: RECASTNAV_LIBRARY
+
+  Path to RECASTNAV library to be linked.
+
+NOTE: The variables above should not usually be used in CMakeLists.txt files!
+
+#]=======================================================================]
+
+### Find library ##############################################################
+
+if(NOT RECASTNAV_LIBRARY)
+    find_library(RECASTNAV_LIBRARY_RELEASE NAMES Recast)
+    find_library(RECASTNAV_LIBRARY_DEBUG NAMES Recastd)
+
+# TODO: figure out a way to get Recast, Detour and DebugUtils libs together
+#    find_library(RECAST_LIBRARY_RELEASE NAMES Recast)
+#    find_library(RECAST_LIBRARY_DEBUG NAMES Recastd)
+
+#    find_library(DETOUR_LIBRARY_RELEASE NAMES Detour)
+#    find_library(DETOUR_LIBRARY_DEBUG NAMES Detourd)
+
+#    SET(RECASTNAV_LIBRARY_RELEASE ${RECAST_LIBRARY_RELEASE} ${DETOUR_LIBRARY_RELEASE})
+#    SET(RECASTNAV_LIBRARY_DEBUG ${RECAST_LIBRARY_DEBUG} ${DETOUR_LIBRARY_DEBUG})
+
+    include(SelectLibraryConfigurations)
+    select_library_configurations(RECASTNAV)
+else()
+    file(TO_CMAKE_PATH "${RECASTNAV_LIBRARY}" RECASTNAV_LIBRARY)
+endif()
+
+### Find include directory ####################################################
+find_path(RECASTNAV_INCLUDE_DIR NAMES Recast.h PATH_SUFFIXES include RECASTNAV include/recastnavigation)
+
+if(RECASTNAV_INCLUDE_DIR AND EXISTS "${RECASTNAV_INCLUDE_DIR}/Recast.h")
+    file(STRINGS "${RECASTNAV_INCLUDE_DIR}/Recast.h" _Recast_h_contents
+            REGEX "#define RECAST_VERSION_[A-Z]+[ ]+[0-9]+")
+    string(REGEX REPLACE "#define RECAST_VERSION_MAJOR[ ]+([0-9]+).+" "\\1"
+            RECAST_VERSION_MAJOR "${_Recast_h_contents}")
+    string(REGEX REPLACE ".+#define RECAST_VERSION_MINOR[ ]+([0-9]+).+" "\\1"
+            RECAST_VERSION_MINOR "${_Recast_h_contents}")
+    string(REGEX REPLACE ".+#define RECAST_VERSION_RELEASE[ ]+([0-9]+).*" "\\1"
+            RECAST_VERSION_RELEASE "${_Recast_h_contents}")
+    set(RECAST_VERSION "${RECAST_VERSION_MAJOR}.${RECAST_VERSION_MINOR}.${RECAST_VERSION_RELEASE}")
+    unset(_Recast_h_contents)
+endif()
+
+#TODO: they don't include a version yet
+set(RECAST_VERSION "1.5.1")
+
+### Set result variables ######################################################
+include(FindPackageHandleStandardArgs)
+find_package_handle_standard_args(RecastNavigation DEFAULT_MSG
+        RECASTNAV_LIBRARY RECASTNAV_INCLUDE_DIR RECAST_VERSION)
+
+mark_as_advanced(RECASTNAV_INCLUDE_DIR RECASTNAV_LIBRARY)
+
+set(RECASTNAV_LIBRARIES ${RECASTNAV_LIBRARY})
+set(RECASTNAV_INCLUDE_DIRS ${RECASTNAV_INCLUDE_DIR})
+
+### Import targets ############################################################
+if(RECASTNAV_FOUND)
+    if(NOT TARGET RecastNavigation::Recast)
+        add_library(RecastNavigation::Recast UNKNOWN IMPORTED)
+        set_target_properties(RecastNavigation::Recast PROPERTIES
+                IMPORTED_LINK_INTERFACE_LANGUAGES "C"
+                INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES "${RECASTNAV_INCLUDE_DIR}")
+
+        if(RECASTNAV_LIBRARY_RELEASE)
+            set_property(TARGET RecastNavigation::Recast APPEND PROPERTY
+                    IMPORTED_CONFIGURATIONS RELEASE)
+            set_target_properties(RecastNavigation::Recast PROPERTIES
+                    IMPORTED_LOCATION_RELEASE "${RECASTNAV_LIBRARY_RELEASE}")
+        endif()
+
+        if(RECASTNAV_LIBRARY_DEBUG)
+            set_property(TARGET RecastNavigation::Recast APPEND PROPERTY
+                    IMPORTED_CONFIGURATIONS DEBUG)
+            set_target_properties(RecastNavigation::Recast PROPERTIES
+                    IMPORTED_LOCATION_DEBUG "${RECASTNAV_LIBRARY_DEBUG}")
+        endif()
+
+        if(NOT RECASTNAV_LIBRARY_RELEASE AND NOT RECASTNAV_LIBRARY_DEBUG)
+            set_property(TARGET RecastNavigation::Recast APPEND PROPERTY
+                    IMPORTED_LOCATION "${RECASTNAV_LIBRARY}")
+        endif()
+    endif()
+endif()
diff --git a/components/CMakeLists.txt b/components/CMakeLists.txt
index 2120afc1a4..349f1cd79f 100644
--- a/components/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/components/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -241,8 +241,9 @@ target_link_libraries(components
     ${OPENGL_gl_LIBRARY}
     ${MyGUI_LIBRARIES}
     LZ4::LZ4
-    RecastNavigation::DebugUtils
-    RecastNavigation::Detour
+# TODO: uncomment these when ready
+#    RecastNavigation::DebugUtils
+#    RecastNavigation::Detour
     RecastNavigation::Recast
     )