diff --git a/.cmake/ConfigureStaticLinking.cmake b/.cmake/ConfigureStaticPaths.cmake
similarity index 77%
rename from .cmake/ConfigureStaticLinking.cmake
rename to .cmake/ConfigureStaticPaths.cmake
index 050affa7a..3e0e9c85c 100644
--- a/.cmake/ConfigureStaticLinking.cmake
+++ b/.cmake/ConfigureStaticPaths.cmake
@@ -9,19 +9,10 @@ if (${LINK_STATICALLY} MATCHES "true")
   set(Boost_USE_STATIC_LIBS ON)
 
   include_directories("${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/vendor/ffmpeg-bin/include")
-  link_directories("${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/vendor/ffmpeg-bin/lib")
-
   include_directories("${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/vendor/lame-bin/include")
-  link_directories("${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/vendor/lame-bin/lib")
-
   include_directories("${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/vendor/libmicrohttpd-bin/include")
-  link_directories("${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/vendor/libmicrohttpd-bin/lib")
-
   include_directories("${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/vendor/zlib-bin/include")
-  link_directories("${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/vendor/zlib-bin/lib")
-
   include_directories("${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/vendor/curl-bin/include")
-  link_directories("${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/vendor/curl-bin/lib")
 
   list(
     APPEND
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 29cf38e6a..215275bf0 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -18,12 +18,12 @@ include(CMakeToolsHelpers OPTIONAL)
 include(CheckDependencies)
 include(CheckAtomic)
 include(ConfigureRpath)
-include(AddDarwinSystemLibs)
+include(ConfigureStaticPaths) # highest priority lib paths
 include(ConfigureBsdPaths)
+include(AddDarwinSystemLibs)
 include(ConfigureCurses)
 include(ConfigureTaglib)
 include(ConfigureCompilerFlags)
-include(ConfigureStaticLinking)
 
 message(STATUS "[vendor-link-directories] ${VENDOR_LINK_DIRECTORIES}")
 
@@ -70,12 +70,12 @@ endif()
 message(STATUS "[build] musikcube_LINK_LIBS: " ${musikcube_LINK_LIBS})
 
 add_subdirectory(src/musikcore)
-#add_subdirectory(src/core_c_demo)
+add_subdirectory(src/core_c_demo)
 add_subdirectory(src/musikcube)
 add_subdirectory(src/musikcubed)
 add_subdirectory(src/plugins/taglib_plugin)
 add_subdirectory(src/plugins/nullout)
-#add_subdirectory(src/plugins/server)
+add_subdirectory(src/plugins/server)
 add_subdirectory(src/plugins/httpdatastream)
 add_subdirectory(src/plugins/stockencoders)
 add_subdirectory(src/plugins/supereqdsp)
diff --git a/src/plugins/server/CMakeLists.txt b/src/plugins/server/CMakeLists.txt
index 8b6cc8cc3..40c609fa3 100644
--- a/src/plugins/server/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/plugins/server/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -16,14 +16,19 @@ include_directories ("${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/3rdparty/include")
 include_directories(${Boost_INCLUDE_DIRS})
 
 if (${LINK_STATICALLY} MATCHES "true")
-  find_library(LIBMICROHTTPD NAMES libmicrohttpd.a)
-  find_library(LIBZ NAMES libz.a)
-  target_link_libraries(server ${server_LINK_LIBS} ${LIBZ} ${LIBMICROHTTPD})
+  # unclear why NO_DEFAULT_PATH NO_CACHE is required; we want to use our vendor'd version,
+  # but without NO_CACHE we always get the brew one. other deps are fine.
+  find_library(LIBMICROHTTPD NAMES libmicrohttpd.a PATHS ${VENDOR_LINK_DIRECTORIES} NO_DEFAULT_PATH NO_CACHE)
+  find_library(LIBZ NAMES libz.a PATHS ${VENDOR_LINK_DIRECTORIES})
 else()
-  ensure_library_exists(microhttpd)
-  set(EXTRA_LIBS "")
-  if (CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME MATCHES "Darwin")
-    set(EXTRA_LIBS "gnutls")
+  if (APPLE)
+    find_library(LIBGNUTLS NAMES gnuatls)
+    set(EXTRA_LIBS "${LIBGNUTLS}")
   endif()
-  target_link_libraries(server ${server_LINK_LIBS} microhttpd z ${EXTRA_LIBS})
+  find_library(LIBMICROHTTPD NAMES microhttpd)
+  find_library(LIBZ NAMES z)
 endif()
+
+message(STATUS "[server] using " ${LIBMICROHTTPD} ", " ${LIBZ})
+
+target_link_libraries(server ${server_LINK_LIBS} ${LIBZ} ${LIBMICROHTTPD} ${EXTRA_LIBS})