diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index bb4037744..02e74ae83 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -196,9 +196,10 @@ endif("${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID}" STREQUAL "GNU")
 # Googletest - http://code.google.com/p/googletest/
 ################################################################################
 enable_testing()
-if($ENV{GTEST_DIR})
+if(EXISTS $ENV{GTEST_DIR})
      set(GTEST_DIR $ENV{GTEST_DIR})
-endif($ENV{GTEST_DIR})
+     message("++++++++++++++++++HEllo")
+endif(EXISTS $ENV{GTEST_DIR})
 if(GTEST_DIR)
      message(STATUS "GTEST root folder at ${GTEST_DIR}")
 else()
diff --git a/src/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/src/tests/CMakeLists.txt
index 3208ff8c1..744ac0a24 100644
--- a/src/tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -18,9 +18,9 @@
 
 set(GTEST_DIR_LOCAL "$ENV{GTEST_DIR}")
 if(NOT GTEST_DIR_LOCAL)
-    set(GTEST_DIR_LOCAL false)
+    set(GTEST_DIR_LOCAL false CACHE STRING "Gtest downloaded and built automatically" FORCE)
 else()
-	set(GTEST_DIR_LOCAL true)
+	set(GTEST_DIR_LOCAL true CACHE STRING "Gtest already downloaded" FORCE)
 endif(NOT GTEST_DIR_LOCAL)