diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 1496d7f97..d56481cb8 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -139,7 +139,12 @@ include(${PDAL_CMAKE_DIR}/libxml2.cmake)
 include(${PDAL_CMAKE_DIR}/dimension.cmake)
 include(${PDAL_CMAKE_DIR}/arbiter.cmake)
 include(${PDAL_CMAKE_DIR}/nlohmann.cmake)
-include(${PDAL_CMAKE_DIR}/openssl.cmake) # Optional
+# disable openssl support for arbiter
+#include(${PDAL_CMAKE_DIR}/openssl.cmake) # Optional
+
+# Set aliases for widely used variables
+set(LIBXML2_LIBRARIES ${LibXml2_LIBRARIES})
+set(LIBXML2_INCLUDE_DIR ${LibXml2_INCLUDE_DIR})
 
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # generate the pdal_features.hpp header
@@ -270,7 +275,7 @@ target_include_directories(${PDAL_BASE_LIB_NAME}
         ${PDAL_VENDOR_DIR}/eigen
         ${PDAL_VENDOR_DIR}/pdalboost
         ${LIBXML2_INCLUDE_DIR}
-        ${ZSTD_INCLUDE_DIRS}
+        ${zstd_INCLUDE_DIRS}
         ${NLOHMANN_INCLUDE_DIR}
         ${GDAL_INCLUDE_DIR}
         ${LASZIP_INCLUDE_DIR}
@@ -278,13 +283,13 @@ target_include_directories(${PDAL_BASE_LIB_NAME}
 target_link_libraries(${PDAL_BASE_LIB_NAME}
     PRIVATE
         ${CMAKE_THREAD_LIBS_INIT}
-        ${GDAL_LIBRARY}
-        ${GEOTIFF_LIBRARY}
+        ${GDAL_LIBRARIES}
+        ${GeoTIFF_LIBRARY}
         ${LASZIP_LIBRARY}
         ${LIBXML2_LIBRARIES}
         ${ZLIB_LIBRARIES}
         ${LIBLZMA_LIBRARIES}
-        ${ZSTD_LIBRARIES}
+        ${zstd_LIBRARIES}
         ${WINSOCK_LIBRARY}
         ${PDAL_REEXPORT}
         ${PDAL_UTIL_LIB_NAME}