diff --git a/src/core/CMakeLists.txt b/src/core/CMakeLists.txt
index 1b5756e178ed..700bbcd6d624 100644
--- a/src/core/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/core/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -404,10 +404,12 @@ INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES(
   ${GDAL_INCLUDE_DIR}
 )
 
+# put SPATIALINDEX include dir in front
+# (otherwise GEOS's spatialite.h might be found first)
 IF (NOT WITH_INTERNAL_SPATIALINDEX)
-  INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES(${SPATIALINDEX_INCLUDE_DIR})
+  INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES(BEFORE ${SPATIALINDEX_INCLUDE_DIR})
 ELSE (NOT WITH_INTERNAL_SPATIALINDEX)
-  INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES(spatialindex/include)
+  INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES(BEFORE spatialindex/include)
 ENDIF (NOT WITH_INTERNAL_SPATIALINDEX)
 
 IF (NOT WITH_INTERNAL_SPATIALITE)