diff --git a/.github/workflows/linux_build_test.yml b/.github/workflows/linux_build_test.yml
index 2aaf9ec29..c7557e01f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/linux_build_test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/linux_build_test.yml
@@ -50,6 +50,10 @@ jobs:
           5.4.1,
           5.5.1,
         ]
+        ddl_deps : [
+          off,
+          on,
+        ]
         geant4_version : [
           10.7.4,
           11.1.2
@@ -88,6 +92,7 @@ jobs:
           cmake ../ \
               -DMOAB_DIR=${moab_install_dir} \
               -DBUILD_GEANT4=$([ "${{ matrix.geant4_version }}" != "off" ] && echo "ON" || echo "OFF") \
+              -DDDL_INSTALL_DEPS$([ "${{ matrix.ddl_deps }}" != "off" ] && echo "ON" || echo "OFF") \
               -DGEANT4_DIR=${geant4_install_dir} \
               -DBUILD_CI_TESTS=ON \
               -DBUILD_MW_REG_TESTS=OFF \
diff --git a/cmake/FindMOAB.cmake b/cmake/FindMOAB.cmake
index c6f60091e..337f12756 100644
--- a/cmake/FindMOAB.cmake
+++ b/cmake/FindMOAB.cmake
@@ -10,17 +10,24 @@ find_path(MOAB_CMAKE_CONFIG
   PATHS ${MOAB_SEARCH_DIRS}
   NO_DEFAULT_PATH
 )
-if (MOAB_CMAKE_CONFIG)
-  set(MOAB_CMAKE_CONFIG ${MOAB_CMAKE_CONFIG}/MOABConfig.cmake)
-  message(STATUS "MOAB_CMAKE_CONFIG: ${MOAB_CMAKE_CONFIG}")
-  include(${MOAB_CMAKE_CONFIG})
-elseif (DDL_INSTALL_DEPS)
+
+# First check if we are forcing the download of MOAB
+if (DDL_INSTALL_DEPS)
+  IF(NOT DAGMC_BUILD_SHARED_LIBS OR DAGMC_BUILD_STATIC_LIBS)
+    message(FATAL_ERROR "DDL_INSTALL_DEPS is ONLY compatible with shared libraries.")
+  ENDIF()
   IF(NOT MOAB_VERSION)
     SET(MOAB_VERSION "5.5.1")
   ENDIF()
   include(MOAB_PullAndMake)
   moab_pull_make(${MOAB_VERSION})
 
+# Back to normal behavior
+elseif (MOAB_CMAKE_CONFIG)
+  set(MOAB_CMAKE_CONFIG ${MOAB_CMAKE_CONFIG}/MOABConfig.cmake)
+  message(STATUS "MOAB_CMAKE_CONFIG: ${MOAB_CMAKE_CONFIG}")
+  include(${MOAB_CMAKE_CONFIG})
+
 else ()
   message(FATAL_ERROR "Could not find MOAB. Set -DMOAB_DIR=<MOAB_DIR> when running cmake or use the $MOAB_DIR environment variable.")
 endif ()
@@ -78,11 +85,13 @@ message(STATUS "MOAB_LIBRARY_DIRS: ${MOAB_LIBRARY_DIRS}")
 message(STATUS "MOAB_LIBRARIES_SHARED: ${MOAB_LIBRARIES_SHARED}")
 message(STATUS "MOAB_LIBRARIES_STATIC: ${MOAB_LIBRARIES_STATIC}")
 
-if (MOAB_INCLUDE_DIRS AND (MOAB_LIBRARIES_SHARED OR NOT BUILD_SHARED_LIBS) AND
+
+
+if(DDL_INSTALL_DEPS)
+  message(STATUS "MOAB will be downloaded and built at make time")
+elseif (MOAB_INCLUDE_DIRS AND (MOAB_LIBRARIES_SHARED OR NOT BUILD_SHARED_LIBS) AND
     (MOAB_LIBRARIES_STATIC OR NOT BUILD_STATIC_LIBS))
   message(STATUS "Found MOAB")
-elseif(DDL_INSTALL_DEPS)
-  message(STATUS "MOAB not found, will be downloaded and built at make time")
 else()
   message(FATAL_ERROR "Could not find MOAB")
 endif ()
diff --git a/cmake/MOAB_PullAndMake.cmake b/cmake/MOAB_PullAndMake.cmake
index 29329c7f4..fb888bada 100644
--- a/cmake/MOAB_PullAndMake.cmake
+++ b/cmake/MOAB_PullAndMake.cmake
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+# this Macro sets up the download and build of MOAB using ExternalProject
+# few tweak are done in src/dagmc/CMakeLists.txt and src/PyNE/CMakelists.txt 
+# to make sure that MOAB is built before DAGMC.
 MACRO (moab_pull_make moab_version)
     message(STATUS "MOAB will be downloaded and built")
     include(ExternalProject)
@@ -17,7 +20,6 @@ MACRO (moab_pull_make moab_version)
         -DBUILD_SHARED_LIBS:BOOL=ON
         -DENABLE_HDF5:BOOL=ON
         -DHDF5_ROOT:PATH=${HDF5_ROOT}
-        -DEIGEN3_DIR:PATH=${EIGEN3_INCLUDE_DIRS}
         -DENABLE_BLASLAPACK:BOOL=OFF
         -DENABLE_FORTRAN:BOOL=OFF
         -DCMAKE_MACOSX_RPATH:BOOL=ON
diff --git a/src/dagmc/CMakeLists.txt b/src/dagmc/CMakeLists.txt
index 4bc24b286..af6cf93de 100644
--- a/src/dagmc/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/dagmc/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ include_directories(${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/src/dagmc)
 
 dagmc_install_library(dagmc)
 
+# Required to ensure that MOAB is built before DAGMC and to properly link against MOAB
 if(DDL_INSTALL_DEPS)
   add_dependencies(dagmc-shared MOAB)
   target_link_libraries(dagmc-shared PUBLIC ${MOAB_INSTALL_PREFIX}/lib64/libMOAB.so)
diff --git a/src/pyne/CMakeLists.txt b/src/pyne/CMakeLists.txt
index 500e28b69..15e5a9a47 100644
--- a/src/pyne/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/pyne/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ if(NOT (${HDF5_VERSION} VERSION_LESS 1.12.0))
  endif()
 
 dagmc_install_library(pyne_dagmc)
+# Required to ensure that MOAB is built before pyne_dagmc
 if(DDL_INSTALL_DEPS)
   add_dependencies(pyne_dagmc-shared MOAB)
 endif()