diff --git a/Installation/CMakeLists.txt b/Installation/CMakeLists.txt
index 547b0745e2e..21a8e1624a3 100644
--- a/Installation/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/Installation/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ endif()
 option(ENABLE_HEADER_ONLY "Enable the header only version of CGAL" OFF )
 
 if (ENABLE_HEADER_ONLY)
+  set(ENABLE_HEADER_ONLY TRUE CACHE BOOL "Enable cgal header only" FORCE)
   add_definitions(-DCGAL_HEADER_ONLY)
 endif (ENABLE_HEADER_ONLY)
  
diff --git a/Installation/cmake/modules/CGAL_Macros.cmake b/Installation/cmake/modules/CGAL_Macros.cmake
index 28c810eb5a8..53d14abce17 100644
--- a/Installation/cmake/modules/CGAL_Macros.cmake
+++ b/Installation/cmake/modules/CGAL_Macros.cmake
@@ -456,6 +456,7 @@ if( NOT CGAL_MACROS_FILE_INCLUDED )
 
      endforeach()
 
+     file( APPEND ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/CGALConfig.cmake "set(ENABLE_HEADER_ONLY \"${ENABLE_HEADER_ONLY}\" CACHE BOOL \"Enable cgal header only\" FORCE)\n")
   endmacro()
 
   macro ( fetch_env_var VAR )
diff --git a/Installation/cmake/modules/UseCGAL.cmake b/Installation/cmake/modules/UseCGAL.cmake
index a3e5236a3e3..2d0cb958a0f 100644
--- a/Installation/cmake/modules/UseCGAL.cmake
+++ b/Installation/cmake/modules/UseCGAL.cmake
@@ -56,5 +56,8 @@ if(NOT USE_CGAL_FILE_INCLUDED)
   link_directories    ( ${CGAL_LIBRARIES_DIR} ${CGAL_3RD_PARTY_LIBRARIES_DIRS} )
   link_libraries      ( ${CGAL_LIBRARIES}     ${CGAL_3RD_PARTY_LIBRARIES}      )
 
+  if (ENABLE_HEADER_ONLY)
+    add_definitions(-DCGAL_HEADER_ONLY)
+  endif()
 
 endif()