diff --git a/cmake/BuildPCRE2.cmake b/cmake/BuildPCRE2.cmake
index f1b636be9..98e13acdd 100644
--- a/cmake/BuildPCRE2.cmake
+++ b/cmake/BuildPCRE2.cmake
@@ -5,18 +5,17 @@
 # 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})
+include(ExternalProject)
 
-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})
+set(PCRE2_ROOT_DIR ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/pcre2/)
+set(PCRE2_BUILD_DIR ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/pcre2/)
+set(PCRE2_LIBRARIES ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/pcre2/libpcre2-8.so CACHE STRING "PCRE2 dynamic libraries" FORCE)
+
+ExternalProject_Add(pcre2 SOURCE_DIR ${PCRE2_ROOT_DIR}
+  CMAKE_ARGS -DBUILD_SHARED_LIBS=Y -DPCRE2_BUILD_PCRE2GREP=N -DPCRE2_BUILD_TESTS=N
+  BINARY_DIR ${PCRE2_BUILD_DIR}
+  BUILD_COMMAND make
+  INSTALL_COMMAND "")
 
 include_directories(${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/pcre2/)
 install(PROGRAMS ${PCRE2_LIBRARIES} DESTINATION ${MAXSCALE_LIBDIR})