--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ option(BUILD_TESTS "Build test suite" OFF)
 option(ENABLE_ASAN_PACKAGING "" OFF)
 option(ENABLE_ESMI_LIB "Build ESMI Library" ON)
 option(BUILD_EXAMPLES "Build examples" OFF)
+option(USE_SYSTEM_GTEST "Use system-installed googletest instead of fetching it" OFF)
 
 include(CMakeDependentOption)
 # these options don't work without BUILD_SHARED_LIBS
--- a/tests/amd_smi_test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/amd_smi_test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -6,10 +6,14 @@ set(CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS "${CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS} -Wl,--enable-new-dtags")
 set(CMAKE_INSTALL_RPATH "\$ORIGIN:\$ORIGIN/../../../lib"
     CACHE STRING "RUNPATH for tests. Helps find libgtest.so and libamd_smi.so")
 
-# Download and compile googletest
-include(FetchContent)
-FetchContent_Declare(googletest GIT_REPOSITORY https://github.com/google/googletest.git GIT_TAG v1.14.0)
-FetchContent_MakeAvailable(googletest)
+if(USE_SYSTEM_GTEST)
+    find_package(GTest 1.14.0 REQUIRED)
+else()
+    # Download and compile googletest
+    include(FetchContent)
+    FetchContent_Declare(googletest GIT_REPOSITORY https://github.com/google/googletest.git GIT_TAG v1.14.0)
+    FetchContent_MakeAvailable(googletest)
+endif()
 
 enable_testing()
 
@@ -63,8 +67,10 @@ install(
     DESTINATION ${SHARE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/tests
     COMPONENT ${TESTS_COMPONENT})
 
-# Install googletest libraries with tests
-install(
-    TARGETS gtest gtest_main
-    DESTINATION ${SHARE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/tests
-    COMPONENT ${TESTS_COMPONENT})
+if(NOT USE_SYSTEM_GTEST)
+    # Install googletest libraries with tests
+    install(
+        TARGETS gtest gtest_main
+        DESTINATION ${SHARE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/tests
+        COMPONENT ${TESTS_COMPONENT})
+endif()