diff --git a/macros.cmake b/macros.cmake
index 3b75fcfa6..d8f1b7827 100644
--- a/macros.cmake
+++ b/macros.cmake
@@ -127,13 +127,17 @@ debugmsg("Search returned: ${MYSQL_DIR_LOC}")
   # Find the embedded mysql library
   
   if (DEFINED EMBEDDED_LIB)
-	debugmsg("Searching for the embedded library at: ${EMBEDDED_LIB}")
-	if(${CMAKE_VERSION} VERSION_LESS 2.12 )
-	  set(COMP_VAR PATH)
-	else()
-	  set(COMP_VAR DIRECTORY)
+	if( NOT (IS_DIRECTORY ${EMBEDDED_LIB}) )
+	  debugmsg("EMBEDDED_LIB is not a directory: ${EMBEDDED_LIB}")
+	  if(${CMAKE_VERSION} VERSION_LESS 2.12 )
+		set(COMP_VAR PATH)
+	  else()
+		set(COMP_VAR DIRECTORY)
+	  endif()
+	  get_filename_component(EMBEDDED_LIB ${EMBEDDED_LIB} ${COMP_VAR})	
+	  debugmsg("EMBEDDED_LIB directory component: ${EMBEDDED_LIB}")
 	endif()
-	get_filename_component(EMBEDDED_LIB ${EMBEDDED_LIB} ${COMP_VAR})	
+	debugmsg("Searching for the embedded library at: ${EMBEDDED_LIB}")
   endif()
 
   if(STATIC_EMBEDDED)