diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 69f301fd0..ef8c2adc0 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1502,6 +1502,9 @@ if(NOT ARMADILLO_FOUND OR ENABLE_OWN_ARMADILLO)
     if(CMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE)
         set(ARMADILLO_TOOLCHAIN_FILE -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=${CMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE})
     endif()
+    if(${CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME} MATCHES "Darwin" AND ENABLE_OWN_ARMADILLO)
+        set(DARWIN_DISABLE_HDF5 -DDETECT_HDF5=false)
+    endif()
 
     if(CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_LESS 3.2)
         ExternalProject_Add(armadillo-${armadillo_RELEASE}
@@ -1513,6 +1516,7 @@ if(NOT ARMADILLO_FOUND OR ENABLE_OWN_ARMADILLO)
             CMAKE_ARGS -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER=${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER}
                 -DBUILD_SHARED_LIBS=OFF
                 -DCMAKE_CXX_FLAGS=-std=c++11
+                ${DARWIN_DISABLE_HDF5}
                 ${ARMADILLO_TOOLCHAIN_FILE}
                 -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=$<$<CONFIG:Debug>:Debug>$<$<CONFIG:Release>:Release>$<$<CONFIG:RelWithDebInfo>:RelWithDebInfo>$<$<CONFIG:MinSizeRel>:MinSizeRel>$<$<CONFIG:NoOptWithASM>:Debug>$<$<CONFIG:Coverage>:Debug>$<$<CONFIG:O2WithASM>:RelWithDebInfo>$<$<CONFIG:O3WithASM>:RelWithDebInfo>$<$<CONFIG:ASAN>:Debug>
             BUILD_COMMAND ${ARMADILLO_BUILD_COMMAND}
@@ -1532,6 +1536,7 @@ if(NOT ARMADILLO_FOUND OR ENABLE_OWN_ARMADILLO)
             CMAKE_ARGS -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER=${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER}
                 -DBUILD_SHARED_LIBS=OFF
                 -DCMAKE_CXX_FLAGS=-std=c++11
+                ${DARWIN_DISABLE_HDF5}
                 ${ARMADILLO_TOOLCHAIN_FILE}
                 -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=$<$<CONFIG:Debug>:Debug>$<$<CONFIG:Release>:Release>$<$<CONFIG:RelWithDebInfo>:RelWithDebInfo>$<$<CONFIG:MinSizeRel>:MinSizeRel>$<$<CONFIG:NoOptWithASM>:Debug>$<$<CONFIG:Coverage>:Debug>$<$<CONFIG:O2WithASM>:RelWithDebInfo>$<$<CONFIG:O3WithASM>:RelWithDebInfo>$<$<CONFIG:ASAN>:Debug>
             BUILD_COMMAND ${ARMADILLO_BUILD_COMMAND} ${PARALLEL_BUILD}