diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index aa442ea2c..f0b8f75bc 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 2.8)
 
+option(GLES "Set to ON if targeting OpenGL ES" ${GLES})
+option(GL "Set to ON if targeting Desktop OpenGL" ${GL})
+
 project(emulationstation-all)
 
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -11,33 +14,30 @@ LIST(APPEND CMAKE_MODULE_PATH
 
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 #set up OpenGL system variable
-set(GLSystem "Desktop OpenGL" CACHE STRING "The OpenGL system to be used")
-set_property(CACHE GLSystem PROPERTY STRINGS "Desktop OpenGL" "OpenGL ES")
-
+if(GLES)
+    set(GLSystem "OpenGL ES" CACHE STRING "The OpenGL system to be used")
+elseif(GL)
+    set(GLSystem "Desktop OpenGL" CACHE STRING "The OpenGL system to be used")
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 #check if we're running on Raspberry Pi
-MESSAGE("Looking for bcm_host.h")
-if(EXISTS "/opt/vc/include/bcm_host.h")
+elseif(EXISTS "/opt/vc/include/bcm_host.h")
     MESSAGE("bcm_host.h found")
     set(BCMHOST found)
-    set(GLSystem "OpenGL ES")
-else()
-    MESSAGE("bcm_host.h not found")
-endif()
-
+    set(GLSystem "OpenGL ES" CACHE STRING "The OpenGL system to be used")
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 #check if we're running on olinuxino / odroid / etc
-MESSAGE("Looking for libMali.so")
-if(EXISTS "/usr/lib/libMali.so" OR
-   EXISTS "/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libMali.so" OR
-   EXISTS "/usr/lib/aarch64-linux-gnu/libMali.so" OR
-   EXISTS "/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/mali-egl/libmali.so" OR
-   EXISTS "/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libmali.so")
+elseif(EXISTS "/usr/lib/libMali.so" OR
+    EXISTS "/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libMali.so" OR
+    EXISTS "/usr/lib/aarch64-linux-gnu/libMali.so" OR
+    EXISTS "/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/mali-egl/libmali.so" OR
+    EXISTS "/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libmali.so")
     MESSAGE("libMali.so found")
-    set(GLSystem "OpenGL ES")
+    set(GLSystem "OpenGL ES" CACHE STRING "The OpenGL system to be used")
 else()
-    MESSAGE("libMali.so not found")
-endif()
+    set(GLSystem "Desktop OpenGL" CACHE STRING "The OpenGL system to be used")
+endif(GLES)
+
+set_property(CACHE GLSystem PROPERTY STRINGS "Desktop OpenGL" "OpenGL ES")
 
 #finding necessary packages
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------------