diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 5a9e2eb783..0203687203 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -173,14 +173,16 @@ IF(NOT CYCLUS_DOC_ONLY)
     MESSAGE("--    HDF5 High Level Libraries: ${HDF5_C_HL_LIBRARIES}")
 
     # find coin and link to it
-    FIND_PACKAGE(COIN)
-    if(COIN_FOUND)
-      SET(CYCAMORE_INCLUDE_DIRS ${CYCAMORE_INCLUDE_DIRS} ${COIN_INCLUDE_DIRS})
-      SET(LIBS ${LIBS} ${COIN_LIBRARIES})
+    if(DEFAULT_ALLOW_MILPS)
+        FIND_PACKAGE(COIN REQUIRED)
+        if(COIN_FOUND)
+        SET(CYCAMORE_INCLUDE_DIRS ${CYCAMORE_INCLUDE_DIRS} ${COIN_INCLUDE_DIRS})
+        SET(LIBS ${LIBS} ${COIN_LIBRARIES})
+        endif()
+        MESSAGE("--    COIN Root: ${COIN_ROOT}")
+        MESSAGE("--    COIN Include directories: ${COIN_INCLUDE_DIRS}")
+        MESSAGE("--    COIN Libraries: ${COIN_LIBRARIES}")
     endif()
-    MESSAGE("--    COIN Root: ${COIN_ROOT}")
-    MESSAGE("--    COIN Include directories: ${COIN_INCLUDE_DIRS}")
-    MESSAGE("--    COIN Libraries: ${COIN_LIBRARIES}")
 
     # find SQLite
     FIND_PACKAGE( SQLite3 REQUIRED )
@@ -249,13 +251,13 @@ IF(NOT CYCLUS_DOC_ONLY)
     ENDIF(ICUUC_LIBRARIES)
 
     # Python
-    find_package(PythonInterp)
-    message("-- PYTHON_EXECUTABLE: ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE}")
-    find_package(PythonLibs)
-    MESSAGE("-- Found Python Libraries (optional): ${PYTHON_LIBRARIES}")
-    IF(PYTHON_LIBRARIES)
-        set(LIBS ${LIBS} ${PYTHON_LIBRARIES})
-    ENDIF(PYTHON_LIBRARIES)
+    find_package(Python3 COMPONENTS Interpreter Development)
+    message("-- PYTHON_EXECUTABLE: ${Python3_EXECUTABLE}")
+    MESSAGE("-- Found Python Libraries (optional): ${Python3_LIBRARIES}")
+    IF(Python3_FOUND)
+        set(LIBS ${LIBS} ${Python3_LIBRARIES})
+        message("libs set with ${Python3_LIBRARIES}")
+    ENDIF(Python3_FOUND)
 
     # include all the directories we just found
     INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES(${CYCAMORE_INCLUDE_DIRS})
diff --git a/cmake/FindCyclus.cmake b/cmake/FindCyclus.cmake
index 873c317d24..2a2fecea59 100644
--- a/cmake/FindCyclus.cmake
+++ b/cmake/FindCyclus.cmake
@@ -88,6 +88,30 @@ FIND_LIBRARY(CYCLUS_CORE_LIBRARY NAMES cyclus
     /opt/local /opt/local/cyclus
     PATH_SUFFIXES cyclus/lib lib)
 
+# Look for the library
+FIND_LIBRARY(CYCLUS_EVENTHOOKS_LIBRARY NAMES eventhooks.so
+    HINTS "${CYCLUS_ROOT_DIR}" "${CYCLUS_ROOT_DIR}/cyclus"
+    ${DEPS_CYCLUS}
+    /usr/local/cyclus/lib /usr/local/cyclus
+    /opt/local /opt/local/cyclus
+    PATH_SUFFIXES cyclus/lib lib)
+    
+# Look for the library
+FIND_LIBRARY(CYCLUS_PYINFILE_LIBRARY NAMES pyinfile.so
+    HINTS "${CYCLUS_ROOT_DIR}" "${CYCLUS_ROOT_DIR}/cyclus"
+    ${DEPS_CYCLUS}
+    /usr/local/cyclus/lib /usr/local/cyclus
+    /opt/local /opt/local/cyclus
+    PATH_SUFFIXES cyclus/lib lib)  
+
+# Look for the library
+FIND_LIBRARY(CYCLUS_PYMODULE_LIBRARY NAMES pymodule.so
+    HINTS "${CYCLUS_ROOT_DIR}" "${CYCLUS_ROOT_DIR}/cyclus"
+    ${DEPS_CYCLUS}
+    /usr/local/cyclus/lib /usr/local/cyclus
+    /opt/local /opt/local/cyclus
+    PATH_SUFFIXES cyclus/lib lib)  
+
 # Look for the library
 FIND_LIBRARY(CYCLUS_AGENT_TEST_LIBRARY NAMES baseagentunittests
     HINTS "${CYCLUS_ROOT_DIR}" "${CYCLUS_ROOT_DIR}/cyclus"
@@ -112,6 +136,17 @@ IF(CYCLUS_CORE_INCLUDE_DIR AND CYCLUS_CORE_TEST_INCLUDE_DIR
         AND CYCLUS_AGENT_TEST_LIBRARY)
     SET(CYCLUS_CORE_FOUND 1)
     SET(CYCLUS_CORE_LIBRARIES "${CYCLUS_CORE_LIBRARY}")
+    # if Cyclus was installed without Cython these three libraries won't be found because they don't exist
+    # if Cyclus was installed WITH Cython we need to link against them
+    if(NOT ${CYCLUS_EVENTHOOKS_LIBRARY} STREQUAL "CYCLUS_EVENTHOOKS_LIBRARY-NOTFOUND")
+        SET(CYCLUS_CORE_LIBRARIES "${CYCLUS_CORE_LIBRARIES}" "${CYCLUS_EVENTHOOKS_LIBRARY}")
+    endif()
+    if(NOT ${CYCLUS_PYINFILE_LIBRARY} STREQUAL "CYCLUS_PYINFILE_LIBRARY-NOTFOUND")
+        SET(CYCLUS_CORE_LIBRARIES "${CYCLUS_CORE_LIBRARIES}" "${CYCLUS_PYINFILE_LIBRARY}")
+    endif()
+    if(NOT ${CYCLUS_PYMODULE_LIBRARY} STREQUAL "CYCLUS_PYMODULE_LIBRARY-NOTFOUND")
+        SET(CYCLUS_CORE_LIBRARIES "${CYCLUS_CORE_LIBRARIES}" "${CYCLUS_PYMODULE_LIBRARY}")
+    endif()
     SET(CYCLUS_TEST_LIBRARIES "${CYCLUS_GTEST_LIBRARY}" "${CYCLUS_AGENT_TEST_LIBRARY}")
     SET(CYCLUS_AGENT_TEST_LIBRARIES "${CYCLUS_AGENT_TEST_LIBRARY}")
     SET(CYCLUS_CORE_INCLUDE_DIRS "${CYCLUS_CORE_INCLUDE_DIR}")