diff --git a/standalone/CMakeLists.txt b/standalone/CMakeLists.txt
index 759d77c..a4550a4 100644
--- a/standalone/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/standalone/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -26,50 +26,36 @@ include(../cmake/CPM.cmake)
 # TODO(CK): add_compile_definitions(BOOST_ASIO_NO_DEPRECATED)
 add_compile_definitions(BOOST_ALL_NO_LIB)
 set(Boost_USE_STATIC_LIBS YES)
+# XXX set(Boost_DEBUG YES)
 
-# Crow needs Boost 1.74 and does not provide CPM.cmake integration itself, so we have to get Boost
-# first
+# In the past, Crow needs Boost and does not provide CPM.cmake integration itself, so we have to get
+# Boost first (installad on Ubuntu 20.04.6 LTS is v1.71)
 find_package(
-  Boost 1.74
+  Boost 1.71
   COMPONENTS system date_time
-  REQUIRED QUIET
+  REQUIRED # XXX for now! CK
+  QUIET
 )
 if(NOT Boost_FOUND)
-  # Use CPM.cmake to get Boost from the official repo if not provided as system lib
-  message(STATUS "GreeterStandalone: Boost system lib NOT found")
-  CPMAddPackage(
-    NAME Boost
-    GITHUB_REPOSITORY boostorg/boost
-    GIT_TAG boost-1.74.0
-    VERSION 1.74.0
-  )
-  # Ugly workaround: Boost cmake support is still experimental, the Boost::boost target is not
-  # provided if downloaded via FetchContent_declare / CPM.cmake. Crow uses it for asio, so we fake
-  # the Boost:boost target as asio
-  if(NOT TARGET Boost::boost)
-    add_library(Boost::boost INTERFACE IMPORTED)
-    target_link_libraries(Boost::boost INTERFACE Boost::asio)
-  endif()
+  # Use CPM.cmake to get Boost from the official repo if not found
+  message(WARNING "GreeterStandalone: Boost libs NOT found!")
+  option(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS "Build shared libraries" NO)
+  CPMAddPackage("gh:ClausKlein/boost-cmake@1.80.0")
 else()
-  message(STATUS "GreeterStandalone: Boost system lib found")
+  message(STATUS "GreeterStandalone: Boost libs found")
 endif()
+
 # add Crow
 CPMAddPackage(
   NAME Crow
   GITHUB_REPOSITORY CrowCpp/Crow
   GIT_TAG v1.0+5
   VERSION 1.0.0
-  OPTIONS "CROW_INSTALL ON"
-)
-
-CPMAddPackage(
-  GITHUB_REPOSITORY jarro2783/cxxopts
-  VERSION 3.1.1
   SYSTEM ON # used in case of cmake v3.25
-  OPTIONS "CXXOPTS_BUILD_EXAMPLES NO" "CXXOPTS_BUILD_TESTS NO" "CXXOPTS_ENABLE_INSTALL YES"
+  # XXX OPTIONS "CROW_INSTALL ON"
 )
 
-# get the Greeter lib
+# build the Greeter lib
 CPMAddPackage(
   NAME Greeter
   SOURCE_DIR ${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/..
@@ -85,13 +71,15 @@ if(CMAKE_DEBUG_POSTFIX)
   set_property(TARGET ${PROJECT_NAME} PROPERTY DEBUG_POSTFIX ${CMAKE_DEBUG_POSTFIX})
 endif()
 target_compile_features(${PROJECT_NAME} PRIVATE cxx_std_17)
-target_link_libraries(${PROJECT_NAME} Greeter::Greeter cxxopts::cxxopts Crow::Crow)
+target_link_libraries(${PROJECT_NAME} Greeter::Greeter Crow::Crow)
 set_target_properties(${PROJECT_NAME} PROPERTIES UNITY_BUILD ${OPTION_ENABLE_UNITY})
 
 # --- Test it ---
 
 enable_testing()
-add_test(NAME ${PROJECT_NAME} COMMAND ${PROJECT_NAME} --help)
+add_test(NAME ${PROJECT_NAME} COMMAND ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/service_test.sh
+                                      $<TARGET_FILE:${PROJECT_NAME}>
+)
 
 # --- Install it ---
 
diff --git a/standalone/service_test.sh b/standalone/service_test.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..5631caa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/standalone/service_test.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# arg $1: service executable
+
+set -e
+set -x
+set -u
+
+# "pseudo" main function to provide top-down sequence, called from last line
+main() {
+    # start the agent
+    ${1} &
+    thePID=$!
+    interface=http://127.0.0.1:3080/hello
+
+    trap cleanup EXIT
+
+    sleep 1  # delay, be sure the service is ready
+
+    curl ${interface}?
+    curl ${interface}?language=
+    curl ${interface}?language='bla'
+    curl ${interface}?language='en'
+    curl ${interface}?language='de'
+    curl ${interface}?language='fr'
+
+    echo "test done, send SIGHUP"
+    echo cleanup OK
+}
+
+cleanup() {
+    kill -s HUP %% && wait
+    echo cleanup OK
+}
+
+main "$@"