diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index dcf65c091..fa801353c 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ find_package(Git)
 find_package(CURL) 
 
 # Build PCRE2
+# Read BuildPCRE2 for details about how to add pcre2 as a dependency to a target
 include(cmake/BuildPCRE2.cmake)
 
 # You can find the variables set by this in the FindCURL.cmake file
diff --git a/cmake/BuildPCRE2.cmake b/cmake/BuildPCRE2.cmake
index 706808798..f1b636be9 100644
--- a/cmake/BuildPCRE2.cmake
+++ b/cmake/BuildPCRE2.cmake
@@ -1,16 +1,22 @@
 # Build the PCRE2 library from source
+#
+# This will add a 'pcre2' target to CMake which will generate the libpcre2-8.so
+# dynamic library and the pcre2.h header. If your target requires PCRE2 you
+# need to add a dependeny on the 'pcre2' target by adding add_dependencies(<target> pcre2)
+# to the CMakeLists.txt
+
 set(PCRE_ROOT_DIR ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/pcre2/)
 set(PCRE_BUILD_DIR ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/pcre2/)
-
+set(PCRE2_LIBRARIES ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/pcre2/libpcre2-8.so CACHE STRING "PCRE2 dynamic libraries" FORCE)
 execute_process(COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E make_directory ${PCRE_BUILD_DIR})
 execute_process(COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E copy_directory ${PCRE_ROOT_DIR} ${PCRE_BUILD_DIR})
-execute_process(COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} ${PCRE_BUILD_DIR}
+
+add_custom_target(pcre2 COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} ${PCRE_BUILD_DIR}
   -DBUILD_SHARED_LIBS=Y
   -DPCRE2_BUILD_PCRE2GREP=N
   -DPCRE2_BUILD_TESTS=N
+  COMMAND make
   WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PCRE_BUILD_DIR})
-execute_process(COMMAND make WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PCRE_BUILD_DIR})
 
-set(PCRE2_LIBRARIES ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/pcre2/libpcre2-8.so CACHE STRING "PCRE2 dynamic libraries" FORCE)
 include_directories(${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/pcre2/)
 install(PROGRAMS ${PCRE2_LIBRARIES} DESTINATION ${MAXSCALE_LIBDIR})
diff --git a/server/core/CMakeLists.txt b/server/core/CMakeLists.txt
index 22e407268..9687ee699 100644
--- a/server/core/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/server/core/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ if(BUILD_TESTS OR BUILD_TOOLS)
     target_link_libraries(fullcore ${TCMALLOC_LIBRARIES})
   endif()
   target_link_libraries(fullcore ${CURL_LIBRARIES} utils log_manager pthread ${EMBEDDED_LIB} ${PCRE_LINK_FLAGS} ssl aio rt crypt dl crypto inih z m stdc++)
+  add_dependencies(fullcore pcre2)
 endif()
 
 add_executable(maxscale atomic.c buffer.c spinlock.c gateway.c
@@ -13,6 +14,7 @@ add_executable(maxscale atomic.c buffer.c spinlock.c gateway.c
 	poll.c config.c users.c hashtable.c dbusers.c thread.c gwbitmask.c 
 	monitor.c adminusers.c secrets.c filter.c modutil.c hint.c
 	housekeeper.c memlog.c resultset.c  gwdirs.c externcmd.c random_jkiss.c maxscale_pcre2.c)
+add_dependencies(maxscale pcre2)
 
 if(WITH_JEMALLOC)
   target_link_libraries(maxscale ${JEMALLOC_LIBRARIES})
diff --git a/server/modules/filter/CMakeLists.txt b/server/modules/filter/CMakeLists.txt
index 34f77c7d8..2a79547ef 100644
--- a/server/modules/filter/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/server/modules/filter/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ endif()
 
 add_library(regexfilter SHARED regexfilter.c)
 target_link_libraries(regexfilter log_manager ${PCRE2_LIBRARIES})
+add_dependencies(regexfilter pcre2)
 install(TARGETS regexfilter DESTINATION ${MAXSCALE_LIBDIR})
 
 add_library(testfilter SHARED testfilter.c)
diff --git a/server/modules/monitor/CMakeLists.txt b/server/modules/monitor/CMakeLists.txt
index ab275cf46..58a59e1e1 100644
--- a/server/modules/monitor/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/server/modules/monitor/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,16 +1,21 @@
 add_library(mysqlmon SHARED mysql_mon.c monitor_common.c)
 target_link_libraries(mysqlmon log_manager)
+add_dependencies(mysqlmon pcre2)
 install(TARGETS mysqlmon DESTINATION ${MAXSCALE_LIBDIR})
 
 add_library(galeramon SHARED galeramon.c  monitor_common.c)
 target_link_libraries(galeramon log_manager)
+add_dependencies(galeramon pcre2)
 install(TARGETS galeramon DESTINATION ${MAXSCALE_LIBDIR})
 
 add_library(ndbclustermon SHARED ndbclustermon.c  monitor_common.c)
 target_link_libraries(ndbclustermon log_manager)
+add_dependencies(ndbclustermon pcre2)
 install(TARGETS ndbclustermon DESTINATION ${MAXSCALE_LIBDIR})
+
 if(BUILD_MMMON)
   add_library(mmmon SHARED mmmon.c  monitor_common.c)
   target_link_libraries(mmmon log_manager)
+  add_dependencies(mmmon pcre2)
   install(TARGETS mmmon DESTINATION ${MAXSCALE_LIBDIR})
 endif()
diff --git a/server/modules/routing/schemarouter/CMakeLists.txt b/server/modules/routing/schemarouter/CMakeLists.txt
index ae8f295c2..916db0053 100644
--- a/server/modules/routing/schemarouter/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/server/modules/routing/schemarouter/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
 add_library(schemarouter SHARED schemarouter.c sharding_common.c)
 target_link_libraries(schemarouter log_manager query_classifier)
+add_dependencies(schemarouter pcre2)
 install(TARGETS schemarouter DESTINATION ${MAXSCALE_LIBDIR})
 
 add_library(shardrouter SHARED shardrouter.c svcconn.c sharding_common.c)
 target_link_libraries(shardrouter log_manager query_classifier)
+add_dependencies(shardrouter pcre2)
 install(TARGETS shardrouter DESTINATION ${MAXSCALE_LIBDIR})
 
 if(BUILD_TESTS)
diff --git a/utils/CMakeLists.txt b/utils/CMakeLists.txt
index 10811abae..2b467f34e 100644
--- a/utils/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/utils/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 add_library(utils skygw_utils.cc ../server/core/atomic.c)
 target_link_libraries(utils stdc++ ${PCRE2_LIBRARIES})
+add_dependencies(utils pcre2)