diff --git a/cmake/CMakeLists.txt b/cmake/CMakeLists.txt
index 3ef3e8d7f48d31f1e0e02d748d4482801ef801e7..ec33f913e0feb0674f60aa1bc201c4222dadb482 100644
--- a/cmake/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/cmake/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1041,13 +1041,13 @@ if(BUILD_LIB)
     add_dependencies(lammps ${LAMMPS_DEPS})
   endif()
   set_target_properties(lammps PROPERTIES OUTPUT_NAME lammps${LIB_SUFFIX})
-  if(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
-    set_target_properties(lammps PROPERTIES SOVERSION ${SOVERSION})
-    install(TARGETS lammps LIBRARY DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR} ARCHIVE DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR})
-    install(FILES ${LAMMPS_SOURCE_DIR}/library.h DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_INCLUDEDIR}/lammps)
-    configure_file(pkgconfig/liblammps.pc.in ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/liblammps${LIB_SUFFIX}.pc @ONLY)
-    install(FILES ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/liblammps${LIB_SUFFIX}.pc DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}/pkgconfig)
-  endif()
+  set_target_properties(lammps PROPERTIES SOVERSION ${SOVERSION})
+  install(TARGETS lammps LIBRARY DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR} ARCHIVE DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR})
+  install(FILES ${LAMMPS_SOURCE_DIR}/library.h DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_INCLUDEDIR}/lammps)
+  configure_file(pkgconfig/liblammps.pc.in ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/liblammps${LIB_SUFFIX}.pc @ONLY)
+  install(FILES ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/liblammps${LIB_SUFFIX}.pc DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}/pkgconfig)
+  configure_file(FindLAMMPS.cmake.in ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/FindLAMMPS${LIB_SUFFIX}.cmake @ONLY)
+  install(FILES ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/FindLAMMPS${LIB_SUFFIX}.cmake DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_DATADIR}/cmake/Module)
 else()
   list(APPEND LMP_SOURCES ${LIB_SOURCES})
 endif()
diff --git a/cmake/FindLAMMPS.cmake.in b/cmake/FindLAMMPS.cmake.in
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..e8fac703af5c249e9d859b646c82a7dcaa5ebbde
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmake/FindLAMMPS.cmake.in
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+# - Find liblammps
+# Find the native liblammps headers and libraries.
+#
+# The following variables will set:
+#  LAMMPS_INCLUDE_DIRS - where to find lammps/library.h, etc.
+#  LAMMPS_LIBRARIES    - List of libraries when using lammps.
+#  LAMMPS_VERSION      - lammps library version 
+#  LAMMPS_FOUND        - True if liblammps found.
+#
+# In addition a LAMMPS::LAMMPS imported target is getting created.
+#
+#  LAMMPS - Large-scale Atomic/Molecular Massively Parallel Simulator
+#  http://lammps.sandia.gov, Sandia National Laboratories
+#  Steve Plimpton, sjplimp@sandia.gov
+#
+#  Copyright (2003) Sandia Corporation.  Under the terms of Contract
+#  DE-AC04-94AL85000 with Sandia Corporation, the U.S. Government retains
+#  certain rights in this software.  This software is distributed under
+#  the GNU General Public License.
+#
+#  See the README file in the top-level LAMMPS directory.
+#
+
+find_package(PkgConfig)
+
+pkg_check_modules(PC_LAMMPS liblammps@LIB_SUFFIX@)
+find_path(LAMMPS_INCLUDE_DIR lammps/library.h HINTS ${PC_LAMMPS_INCLUDE_DIRS} @CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_INCLUDEDIR@)
+
+# TODO figure out library version from header
+set(LAMMPS_VERSION 20180822)
+
+find_library(LAMMPS_LIBRARY NAMES lammps@LIB_SUFFIX@ HINTS ${PC_LAMMPS_LIBRARY_DIRS} @CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_LIBDIR@)
+
+set(LAMMPS_INCLUDE_DIRS "${LAMMPS_INCLUDE_DIR}")
+set(LAMMPS_LIBRARIES "${LAMMPS_LIBRARY}")
+
+include(FindPackageHandleStandardArgs)
+# handle the QUIETLY and REQUIRED arguments and set LAMMPS_FOUND to TRUE
+# if all listed variables are TRUE
+find_package_handle_standard_args(LAMMPS REQUIRED_VARS LAMMPS_LIBRARY LAMMPS_INCLUDE_DIR VERSION_VAR LAMMPS_VERSION)
+
+mark_as_advanced(LAMMPS_INCLUDE_DIR LAMMPS_LIBRARY)
+
+if(LAMMPS_FOUND AND NOT TARGET LAMMPS::LAMMPS)
+  add_library(LAMMPS::LAMMPS UNKNOWN IMPORTED)
+  set_target_properties(LAMMPS::LAMMPS PROPERTIES IMPORTED_LOCATION ${LAMMPS_LIBRARY} INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES ${LAMMPS_INCLUDE_DIR})
+endif()