diff --git a/macros.cmake b/macros.cmake
index f21cb80af..71a7137a1 100644
--- a/macros.cmake
+++ b/macros.cmake
@@ -60,18 +60,26 @@ macro(check_deps)
   set(MAXSCALE_DEPS aio ssl crypt crypto z m dl rt pthread)
   foreach(lib ${MAXSCALE_DEPS})
     find_library(lib${lib} ${lib})
-    if(${lib${lib}} MATCHES "NOTFOUND")
-	  message(FATAL_ERROR "The required library ${lib${lib}} was not found.")
+    if((DEFINED lib${lib}) AND (${lib${lib}} STREQUAL "lib${lib}-NOTFOUND"))
+      set(DEPS_ERROR TRUE)
+      set(FAILED_DEPS "${FAILED_DEPS} lib${lib}")
 	elseif(DEBUG_OUTPUT)
 	  message(STATUS "Library was found at: ${lib${lib}}")
     endif()
-	unset(lib${lib} CACHE)
   endforeach()
 
+  if(DEPS_ERROR)
+	set(DEPS_OK FALSE CACHE BOOL "If all the dependencies were found.")
+    message(FATAL_ERROR "Cannot find dependencies: ${FAILED_DEPS}")
+  endif()
+
 endmacro()
 
 macro(check_dirs)
 
+  # This variable is used to prevent redundant checking of dependencies
+  set(DEPS_OK TRUE CACHE BOOL "If all the dependencies were found.")
+
   # Find the MySQL headers if they were not defined
   if(DEFINED MYSQL_DIR)
 	if(DEBUG_OUTPUT)
@@ -84,13 +92,13 @@ macro(check_dirs)
 	message(STATUS "Search returned: ${MYSQL_DIR_LOC}")
   endif()
   if(${MYSQL_DIR_LOC} STREQUAL "MYSQL_DIR_LOC-NOTFOUND")
-	unset(MYSQL_DIR CACHE)
+	set(DEPS_OK FALSE CACHE BOOL "If all the dependencies were found.")
     message(FATAL_ERROR "Fatal Error: MySQL headers were not found.")
   else()
 	message(STATUS "Using MySQL headers found at: ${MYSQL_DIR}")
 	set(MYSQL_DIR ${MYSQL_DIR_LOC} CACHE PATH "Path to MySQL headers" FORCE)
   endif()
-  unset(MYSQL_DIR_LOC CACHE)
+  set(MYSQL_DIR_LOC "" INTERNAL)
 
   # Find the errmsg.sys file if it was not defied
   if( DEFINED ERRMSG )
@@ -98,13 +106,13 @@ macro(check_dirs)
   endif()
   find_file(ERRMSG_FILE errmsg.sys PATHS /usr/share/mysql /usr/local/share/mysql PATH_SUFFIXES english)
   if(${ERRMSG_FILE} MATCHES "ERRMSG_FILE-NOTFOUND")
-	unset(ERRMSG CACHE)
+	set(DEPS_OK FALSE CACHE BOOL "If all the dependencies were found.")
     message(FATAL_ERROR "Fatal Error: The errmsg.sys file was not found, please define the path to it by using -DERRMSG=<path>")
   else()
 	message(STATUS "Using errmsg.sys found at: ${ERRMSG_FILE}")
   endif()
   set(ERRMSG ${ERRMSG_FILE} CACHE FILEPATH "Path to the errmsg.sys file." FORCE)
-  unset(ERRMSG_FILE CACHE)
+  set(ERRMSG_FILE "" INTERNAL)
 
   # Find the embedded mysql library
   if(STATIC_EMBEDDED)
@@ -115,10 +123,6 @@ macro(check_dirs)
 	  if(DEBUG_OUTPUT)
 		message(STATUS "Searching for libmysqld.a at: ${EMBEDDED_LIB}")
 	  endif()
-	  get_filename_component(EMBEDDED_LIB_PATH ${EMBEDDED_LIB} REALPATH CACHE)
-	  set(EMBEDDED_LIB ${EMBEDDED_LIB_PATH} CACHE PATH "Path to libmysqld" FORCE)
-	  unset(EMBEDDED_LIB_PATH CACHE)
-	  message(STATUS "provided path:${EMBEDDED_LIB}")
 	  find_library(EMBEDDED_LIB_STATIC libmysqld.a PATHS ${EMBEDDED_LIB} PATH_SUFFIXES mysql mariadb NO_DEFAULT_PATH)
 	else()
 	  find_library(EMBEDDED_LIB_STATIC libmysqld.a PATH_SUFFIXES mysql mariadb)      
@@ -128,16 +132,13 @@ macro(check_dirs)
 	endif()
 	set(EMBEDDED_LIB ${EMBEDDED_LIB_STATIC} CACHE FILEPATH "Path to libmysqld" FORCE)      
 	set(CMAKE_FIND_LIBRARY_SUFFIXES ${OLD_SUFFIXES})
-	unset(OLD_SUFFIXES CACHE)
+	set(OLD_SUFFIXES "" INTERNAL)
 
-  else()   
+  else()      
 	if (DEFINED EMBEDDED_LIB)
 	  if(DEBUG_OUTPUT)
 		message(STATUS "Searching for libmysqld.so at: ${EMBEDDED_LIB}")
 	  endif()
-	  get_filename_component(EMBEDDED_LIB_PATH ${EMBEDDED_LIB} REALPATH CACHE)
-	  set(EMBEDDED_LIB ${EMBEDDED_LIB_PATH} CACHE PATH "Path to libmysqld" FORCE)
-	  unset(EMBEDDED_LIB_PATH CACHE)
 	  find_library(EMBEDDED_LIB_DYNAMIC mysqld PATHS ${EMBEDDED_LIB} PATH_SUFFIXES mysql mariadb NO_DEFAULT_PATH) 
 	else()
 	  find_library(EMBEDDED_LIB_DYNAMIC mysqld PATH_SUFFIXES mysql mariadb)            
@@ -148,14 +149,12 @@ macro(check_dirs)
 	set(EMBEDDED_LIB ${EMBEDDED_LIB_DYNAMIC} CACHE FILEPATH "Path to libmysqld" FORCE)      
 
   endif()
-  unset(EMBEDDED_LIB_DYNAMIC CACHE)
-  unset(EMBEDDED_LIB_STATIC CACHE)
+  set(EMBEDDED_LIB_DYNAMIC "" INTERNAL)
+  set(EMBEDDED_LIB_STATIC "" INTERNAL)
 
   # Inform the user about the embedded library
-  if(EMBEDDED_LIB MATCHES "NOTFOUND")
-
-	message(STATUS "${EMBEDDED_LIB}")
-	unset(EMBEDDED_LIB CACHE)
+  if( (${EMBEDDED_LIB} STREQUAL "EMBEDDED_LIB_STATIC-NOTFOUND") OR (${EMBEDDED_LIB} STREQUAL "EMBEDDED_LIB_DYNAMIC-NOTFOUND"))
+	set(DEPS_OK FALSE CACHE BOOL "If all the dependencies were found.")
 	message(FATAL_ERROR "Library not found: libmysqld. If your install of MySQL is in a non-default location, please provide the location with -DEMBEDDED_LIB=<path to library>")
   else()
 	get_filename_component(EMBEDDED_LIB ${EMBEDDED_LIB} REALPATH)
@@ -168,27 +167,26 @@ macro(check_dirs)
   if(${RPM_FNC} MATCHES "RPM_FNC-NOTFOUND")
 	find_file(DEB_FNC init-functions PATHS /lib/lsb)
 	if(${DEB_FNC} MATCHES "DEB_FNC-NOTFOUND")
-	  unset(DEB_BASED CACHE)
+	  set(DEPS_OK FALSE CACHE BOOL "If all the dependencies were found.")
 	  message(FATAL_ERROR "Cannot find required init-functions in /lib/lsb/ or /etc/rc.d/init.d/, please confirm that your system files are OK.")
 	else()
-	  set(DEB_BASED TRUE CACHE BOOL "If init.d script uses /lib/lsb/init-functions instead of /etc/rc.d/init.d/functions." FORCE)
+	  set(DEB_BASED TRUE CACHE BOOL "If init.d script uses /lib/lsb/init-functions instead of /etc/rc.d/init.d/functions.")
 	endif()
   else()
-	set(DEB_BASED FALSE CACHE BOOL "If init.d script uses /lib/lsb/init-functions instead of /etc/rc.d/init.d/functions." FORCE)
+	set(DEB_BASED FALSE CACHE BOOL "If init.d script uses /lib/lsb/init-functions instead of /etc/rc.d/init.d/functions.")
   endif()
-  unset(DEB_FNC CACHE)
-  unset(RPM_FNC CACHE)
+  set(DEB_FNC "" INTERNAL)
+  set(RPM_FNC "" INTERNAL)
 
   #Check RabbitMQ headers and libraries
   if(BUILD_RABBITMQ)
 
 	if(DEFINED RABBITMQ_LIB)
-	  get_filename_component(RABBITMQ_LIB ${RABBITMQ_LIB} DIRECTORY CACHE)
 	  find_library(RMQ_LIB rabbitmq PATHS ${RABBITMQ_LIB} NO_DEFAULT_PATH)
 	endif()
 	find_library(RMQ_LIB rabbitmq)
-	if(RMQ_LIB MATCHES NOTFOUND)
-	  unset(RABBITMQ_LIB)
+	if(RMQ_LIB STREQUAL "RMQ_LIB-NOTFOUND")
+	  set(DEPS_OK FALSE CACHE BOOL "If all the dependencies were found.")
 	  message(FATAL_ERROR "Cannot find RabbitMQ libraries, please define the path to the libraries with -DRABBITMQ_LIB=<path>")
 	else()
 	  set(RABBITMQ_LIB ${RMQ_LIB} CACHE PATH "Path to RabbitMQ libraries" FORCE)
@@ -196,20 +194,17 @@ macro(check_dirs)
 	endif()
 
 	if(DEFINED RABBITMQ_HEADERS)
-	  get_filename_component(RABBITMQ_HEADERS ${RABBITMQ_HEADERS} DIRECTORY CACHE)
 	  find_file(RMQ_HEADERS amqp.h PATHS ${RABBITMQ_HEADERS} NO_DEFAULT_PATH)
 	endif()
 	find_file(RMQ_HEADERS amqp.h)
-	if(RMQ_HEADERS MATCHES NOTFOUND)
-	  unset(RABBITMQ_HEADERS)
+	if(RMQ_HEADERS STREQUAL "RMQ_HEADERS-NOTFOUND")
+	  set(DEPS_OK FALSE CACHE BOOL "If all the dependencies were found.")
 	  message(FATAL_ERROR "Cannot find RabbitMQ headers, please define the path to the headers with -DRABBITMQ_HEADERS=<path>")
 	else()
 	  set(RABBITMQ_HEADERS ${RMQ_HEADERS} CACHE PATH "Path to RabbitMQ headers" FORCE)
 	  message(STATUS "Using RabbitMQ headers found at: ${RABBITMQ_HEADERS}")
 	endif()
-	
-	unset(RMQ_HEADERS CACHE)
-	unset(RMQ_LIB CACHE)
+
   endif()
 
 endmacro()