diff --git a/build_files/cmake/macros.cmake b/build_files/cmake/macros.cmake
index 234d40668ba..ab63c6f51a7 100644
--- a/build_files/cmake/macros.cmake
+++ b/build_files/cmake/macros.cmake
@@ -282,8 +282,12 @@ macro(setup_liblinks
 		target_link_libraries(${target} ${OPENIMAGEIO_LIBRARY})
 	endif()
 	if(WITH_BOOST)
-		set(${boost_libs} ${BOOST_LIBRARIES})
-		target_link_libraries(${target} ${boost_libs})
+		if(BOOST_CUSTOM)
+			set(${boost_libs} ${BOOST_LIBRARIES})
+			target_link_libraries(${target} ${boost_libs})
+		else()
+			target_link_libraries(${target} ${BOOST_LIBRARIES})
+		endif()
 	endif()
 	if(WITH_IMAGE_OPENEXR)
 		if(WIN32 AND NOT UNIX)