diff --git a/cmake/FindOpenSSL.cmake b/cmake/FindOpenSSL.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6f092f99a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmake/FindOpenSSL.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+if(BUILD_STATIC_DEPS)
+    set(OPENSSL_ROOT_DIR ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/static-deps)
+    set(OPENSSL_CRYPTO_LIBRARY ${OPENSSL_ROOT_DIR}/lib/libcrypto.a)
+    set(OPENSSL_INCLUDE_DIR ${OPENSSL_ROOT_DIR}/include)
+else()
+  find_package(PkgConfig)
+  if (PKG_CONFIG_FOUND)
+    pkg_check_modules(PC_OPENSSL QUIET openssl)
+    set(OPENSSL_CRYPTO_LIBRARY ${PC_OPENSSL_LIBRARIES})
+    set(OPENSSL_INCLUDE_DIR ${PC_OPENSSL_INCLUDE_DIRS})
+  endif()
+endif()
+
+
+include(FindPackageHandleStandardArgs)
+
+find_package_handle_standard_args(OpenSSL DEFAULT_MSG
+                                  OPENSSL_CRYPTO_LIBRARY
+                                  OPENSSL_INCLUDE_DIR)
+
+mark_as_advanced(OPENSSL_INCLUDE_DIR OPENSSL_CRYPTO_LIBRARY)
diff --git a/daemon/lokinet-bootstrap.cpp b/daemon/lokinet-bootstrap.cpp
index 75209012c..02472b466 100644
--- a/daemon/lokinet-bootstrap.cpp
+++ b/daemon/lokinet-bootstrap.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #include <cpr/cpr.h>
 #include <llarp/constants/files.hpp>
 #include <llarp/constants/version.hpp>
+#include <llarp/util/buffer.hpp>
 #include <llarp/util/fs.hpp>
 
 #include <fstream>
@@ -13,6 +14,8 @@
 #include <openssl/x509.h>
 #endif
 
+#include <sstream>
+
 namespace
 {
   int
diff --git a/external/CMakeLists.txt b/external/CMakeLists.txt
index 147ab9ff4..d6ff5c62d 100644
--- a/external/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/external/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -86,4 +86,11 @@ add_definitions(-D_GNU_SOURCE)
 add_subdirectory(ngtcp2 EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL)
 
 set(CPR_BUILD_TESTS OFF)
-add_subdirectory(cpr)
+set(CPR_FORCE_OPENSSL_BACKEND ON)
+
+if(OPENSSL_ROOT_DIR)
+  message("openssl root: ${OPENSSL_ROOT_DIR}")
+  message("openssl headers: ${OPENSSL_INCLUDE_DIR}")
+  message("openssl crypto library: ${OPENSSL_CRYPTO_LIBRARY}")
+endif()
+add_subdirectory(cpr EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL)