diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 51cbf52e..52bf27d9 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.1)
+cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.4)
 
 project(pslite C CXX)
 set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 11)
@@ -8,31 +8,58 @@ list(APPEND CMAKE_MODULE_PATH ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/Modules)
 
 add_library(pslite)
 
+if(POLICY CMP0074)  # Support Protobuf_ROOT etc environment variables on CMake 3.12+
+  cmake_policy(SET CMP0074 NEW)
+endif()
+
 # ---[ zmq
-include("cmake/External/zmq.cmake")
-target_include_directories(pslite PRIVATE ${ZMQ_INCLUDE_DIRS})
-target_link_libraries(pslite PUBLIC ${ZMQ_LIBRARIES})
+find_package(ZMQ)
+if(NOT ZMQ_FOUND)
+  cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.11)
+  include(FetchContent)
+  FetchContent_Declare(zmq
+    URL https://github.com/zeromq/libzmq/releases/download/v4.3.2/zeromq-4.3.2.zip
+    URL_HASH SHA256=d01517983ded9ff1b6c40f8206fc2b44ac96157a5aea7b974e8b0079547edfda)
+  FetchContent_GetProperties(zmq)
+  if(NOT zmq_POPULATED)
+    FetchContent_Populate(zmq)
+    if(POLICY CMP0077)  # Avoid building shared library and tests on CMake 3.13+
+      cmake_policy(SET CMP0077 NEW)
+      set(BUILD_SHARED OFF CACHE BOOL "")
+      set(BUILD_TESTS OFF CACHE BOOL "")
+    endif()
+    add_subdirectory(${zmq_SOURCE_DIR} ${zmq_BINARY_DIR})
+  endif()
+  target_link_libraries(pslite PUBLIC libzmq-static)
+else()
+  target_include_directories(pslite PRIVATE ${ZMQ_INCLUDE_DIRS})
+  target_link_libraries(pslite PUBLIC ${ZMQ_LIBRARIES})
+endif()
+
 # ---[ Google-protobuf
-include(cmake/ProtoBuf.cmake)
+# Workaround broken DLAMI. DLAMI ships a broken protoc at /home/ubuntu/anaconda3/bin
+# https://docs.aws.amazon.com/dlami/latest/devguide/overview-base.html
+set(CMAKE_IGNORE_PATH "/home/ubuntu/anaconda3/bin")
+set(PROTOBUF_GENERATE_CPP_APPEND_PATH TRUE)
+find_package(Protobuf REQUIRED)
 target_link_libraries(pslite PUBLIC ${PROTOBUF_LIBRARY})
 target_include_directories(pslite PUBLIC ${PROTOBUF_INCLUDE_DIR})
 
-FILE(GLOB SOURCE "src/*.cc")
+# Generate protobuf headers and sources
+file(GLOB_RECURSE PROTO_FILES "src/*.proto")
+protobuf_generate_cpp(PROTO_SRCS PROTO_HDRS ${PROTO_FILES})
+target_sources(pslite PRIVATE ${PROTO_SRCS})
+target_include_directories(pslite PUBLIC ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR})  # PROTO_HDRS files are here
 
-# generate protobuf sources
-set(proto_gen_folder "${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/src")
-file(GLOB_RECURSE proto_files "src/*.proto")
-pslite_protobuf_generate_cpp_py(${proto_gen_folder} proto_srcs proto_hdrs proto_python "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}" "src" ${proto_files})
-list(APPEND SOURCE ${proto_srcs})
-
-target_include_directories(pslite PUBLIC "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/include/")
-target_include_directories(pslite PUBLIC "${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/include/")
-target_include_directories(pslite PRIVATE "${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/src/")
+# Generate protobuf python interface
+protobuf_generate_python(PROTO_PYS ${PROTO_FILES})
+add_custom_target(proto_python ALL DEPENDS ${PROTO_PYS})
+add_dependencies(pslite proto_python)
 
 if(MSVC)
   set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} /EHsc")
   FILE(GLOB getopt_SOURCE "src/windows/getopt.c")
-  list(APPEND SOURCE ${getopt_SOURCE})
+  target_sources(pslite PRIVATE ${getopt_SOURCE})
   add_definitions(-DSTATIC_GETOPT)
   target_include_directories(pslite PRIVATE "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/windows")
   target_link_libraries(pslite PUBLIC "ipHlpApi.lib" "ws2_32.lib")
@@ -45,4 +72,6 @@ if(MSVC)
   endforeach(flag_var)
 endif()
 
+file(GLOB_RECURSE SOURCE "src/*.cc")
+target_include_directories(pslite PUBLIC "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/include/")
 target_sources(pslite PRIVATE ${SOURCE})
diff --git a/cmake/External/zmq.cmake b/cmake/External/zmq.cmake
deleted file mode 100644
index 5b2bde2e..00000000
--- a/cmake/External/zmq.cmake
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,63 +0,0 @@
-if (NOT __ZMQ_INCLUDED) # guard against multiple includes
-  set(__ZMQ_INCLUDED TRUE)
-
-  # use the system-wide ZMQ if present
-  find_package(ZMQ)
-  if (ZMQ_FOUND)
-    set(ZMQ_EXTERNAL FALSE)
-  else()
-    # ZMQ will use pthreads if it's available in the system, so we must link with it
-    find_package(Threads)
-
-    # build directory
-    set(ZMQ_PREFIX ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/external/ZMQ-prefix)
-    # install directory
-    set(ZMQ_INSTALL ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/external/ZMQ-install)
-
-    # we build ZMQ statically, but want to link it into the caffe shared library
-    # this requires position-independent code
-    if (UNIX)
-        set(ZMQ_EXTRA_COMPILER_FLAGS "-fPIC")
-    endif()
-
-    set(ZMQ_CXX_FLAGS ${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} ${ZMQ_EXTRA_COMPILER_FLAGS})
-    set(ZMQ_C_FLAGS ${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} ${ZMQ_EXTRA_COMPILER_FLAGS})
-
-    include(ExternalProject)
-    ExternalProject_Add(ZMQ
-      PREFIX ${ZMQ_PREFIX}
-      GIT_REPOSITORY "https://github.com/zeromq/libZMQ.git"
-      UPDATE_COMMAND ""
-      INSTALL_DIR ${ZMQ_INSTALL}
-      CMAKE_ARGS -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=${CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE}
-                 -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${ZMQ_INSTALL}
-                 -DBUILD_SHARED_LIBS=OFF
-                 -DBUILD_STATIC_LIBS=ON
-                 -DBUILD_PACKAGING=OFF
-                 -DBUILD_TESTING=OFF
-                 -DBUILD_NC_TESTS=OFF
-                 -BUILD_CONFIG_TESTS=OFF
-                 -DINSTALL_HEADERS=ON
-                 -DCMAKE_C_FLAGS=${ZMQ_C_FLAGS}
-                 -DCMAKE_CXX_FLAGS=${ZMQ_CXX_FLAGS}
-      LOG_DOWNLOAD 1
-      LOG_INSTALL 1
-      )
-
-    set(ZMQ_FOUND TRUE)
-    set(ZMQ_INCLUDE_DIRS ${ZMQ_INSTALL}/include)
-	
-	if(MSVC)
-		FILE(GLOB_RECURSE ZMQ_LIBRARIES "${ZMQ_INSTALL}/lib/libzmq-${CMAKE_VS_PLATFORM_TOOLSET}*.lib")
-		#set(ZMQ_LIBRARIES ${ZMQ_INSTALL}/lib/ZMQ.lib ${CMAKE_THREAD_LIBS_INIT})
-	else()
-		FILE(GLOB_RECURSE ZMQ_LIBRARIES "${ZMQ_INSTALL}/lib/libzmq-*.a")
-		#set(ZMQ_LIBRARIES ${ZMQ_INSTALL}/lib/libZMQ.a ${CMAKE_THREAD_LIBS_INIT})
-	endif()
-    set(ZMQ_LIBRARY_DIRS ${ZMQ_INSTALL}/lib)
-    set(ZMQ_EXTERNAL TRUE)
-
-    list(APPEND external_project_dependencies ZMQ)
-  endif()
-
-endif()
diff --git a/cmake/ProtoBuf.cmake b/cmake/ProtoBuf.cmake
deleted file mode 100644
index b22d1910..00000000
--- a/cmake/ProtoBuf.cmake
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,86 +0,0 @@
-# Finds Google Protocol Buffers library and compilers and extends
-# the standard cmake script with version and python generation support
-
-find_package( Protobuf REQUIRED )
-include_directories(SYSTEM ${PROTOBUF_INCLUDE_DIR})
-
-
-# As of Ubuntu 14.04 protoc is no longer a part of libprotobuf-dev package
-# and should be installed separately as in: sudo apt-get install protobuf-compiler
-if(EXISTS ${PROTOBUF_PROTOC_EXECUTABLE})
-  message(STATUS "Found PROTOBUF Compiler: ${PROTOBUF_PROTOC_EXECUTABLE}")
-else()
-  message(FATAL_ERROR "Could not find PROTOBUF Compiler")
-endif()
-
-
-# place where to generate protobuf sources
-set(proto_gen_folder "${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/include/pslite/proto")
-include_directories(SYSTEM "${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/include")
-
-set(PROTOBUF_GENERATE_CPP_APPEND_PATH TRUE)
-
-################################################################################################
-# Modification of standard 'protobuf_generate_cpp()' with output dir parameter and python support
-# Usage:
-#   pslite_protobuf_generate_cpp_py(<output_dir> <srcs_var> <hdrs_var> <python_var> <proto_files>)
-function(pslite_protobuf_generate_cpp_py output_dir srcs_var hdrs_var python_var work_path proto_path)
-  if(NOT ARGN)
-    message(SEND_ERROR "Error: pslite_protobuf_generate_cpp_py() called without any proto files")
-    return()
-  endif()
-
-  if(PROTOBUF_GENERATE_CPP_APPEND_PATH)
-    # Create an include path for each file specified
-    foreach(fil ${ARGN})
-      get_filename_component(abs_fil ${fil} ABSOLUTE)
-      get_filename_component(abs_path ${abs_fil} PATH)
-      list(FIND _protoc_include ${abs_path} _contains_already)
-      if(${_contains_already} EQUAL -1)
-        list(APPEND _protoc_include -I ${abs_path})
-      endif()
-    endforeach()
-  else()
-    set(_protoc_include -I ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR})
-  endif()
-
-  if(DEFINED PROTOBUF_IMPORT_DIRS)
-    foreach(dir ${PROTOBUF_IMPORT_DIRS})
-      get_filename_component(abs_path ${dir} ABSOLUTE)
-      list(FIND _protoc_include ${abs_path} _contains_already)
-      if(${_contains_already} EQUAL -1)
-        list(APPEND _protoc_include -I ${abs_path})
-      endif()
-    endforeach()
-  endif()
-
-  set(${srcs_var})
-  set(${hdrs_var})
-  set(${python_var})
-  foreach(fil ${ARGN})
-    get_filename_component(abs_fil ${fil} ABSOLUTE)
-    get_filename_component(fil_we ${fil} NAME_WE)
-	string(REPLACE ${work_path}/ "" o_fil ${abs_fil})
-	string(REPLACE "${fil_we}.proto" "" o_fil_path ${o_fil})
-
-    list(APPEND ${srcs_var} "${o_fil_path}/${fil_we}.pb.cc")
-    list(APPEND ${hdrs_var} "${o_fil_path}/${fil_we}.pb.h")
-    list(APPEND ${python_var} "${o_fil_path}/${fil_we}_pb2.py")
-	
-    add_custom_command(
-      OUTPUT "${o_fil_path}/${fil_we}.pb.cc"
-             "${o_fil_path}/${fil_we}.pb.h"
-             "${o_fil_path}/${fil_we}_pb2.py"
-      COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E make_directory "${output_dir}"
-      COMMAND ${PROTOBUF_PROTOC_EXECUTABLE} --cpp_out    ${output_dir} ${o_fil} --proto_path ${proto_path}
-      COMMAND ${PROTOBUF_PROTOC_EXECUTABLE} --python_out ${output_dir} ${o_fil} --proto_path ${proto_path}
-      DEPENDS ${abs_fil}
-	  WORKING_DIRECTORY ${work_path}
-      COMMENT "Running C++/Python protocol buffer compiler on ${o_fil}" VERBATIM )
-  endforeach()
-
-  set_source_files_properties(${${srcs_var}} ${${hdrs_var}} ${${python_var}} PROPERTIES GENERATED TRUE)
-  set(${srcs_var} ${${srcs_var}} PARENT_SCOPE)
-  set(${hdrs_var} ${${hdrs_var}} PARENT_SCOPE)
-  set(${python_var} ${${python_var}} PARENT_SCOPE)
-endfunction()