diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index d123176d2..b5a4f5258 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -54,6 +54,18 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE([blas],
 AM_CONDITIONAL([USE_BLAS_MACOS], [test x$blas = xtrue && test x$ISMAC = xtrue])
 AM_CONDITIONAL([USE_BLAS_LINUX], [test x$blas = xtrue && test x$ISMAC = xfalse])
 
+# enable LAPACK
+AC_ARG_ENABLE([lapack],
+     [  --enable-lapack    Enable external LAPACK library],
+     [case "${enableval}" in
+       yes) lapack=true ;;
+       no)  lapack=false ;;
+       *) AC_MSG_ERROR([bad value ${enableval} for --enable-lapack]) ;;
+     esac],[lapack=false])
+
+AM_CONDITIONAL([USE_LAPACK_MACOS], [test x$lapack = xtrue && test x$ISMAC = xtrue])
+AM_CONDITIONAL([USE_VECLIB_MACOS], [(test x$lapack = xtrue || test x$blas = xtrue) && test x$ISMAC = xtrue])
+
 #enabgle SparseQR for linear solving
 AC_ARG_ENABLE([spqr],
      [  --enable-spqr    Enable SparseQR library support],
diff --git a/cpp/Makefile.am b/cpp/Makefile.am
index b7f889373..c2383cf19 100644
--- a/cpp/Makefile.am
+++ b/cpp/Makefile.am
@@ -322,13 +322,20 @@ libgtsam_la_LDFLAGS += -lcblas -latlas  # $(BLAS_LIBS) $(LIBS) $(FLIBS)
 endif
 
 if USE_BLAS_MACOS
-AM_CXXFLAGS += -DGT_USE_CBLAS -DYA_BLAS -DYA_LAPACK -DYA_BLASMULT -I/System/Library/Frameworks/vecLib.framework/Headers 
+AM_CXXFLAGS += -DGT_USE_CBLAS
+endif
+
+if USE_LAPACK_MACOS
+AM_CXXFLAGS += -DGT_USE_LAPACK
+endif
+
+if USE_VECLIB_MACOS
+AM_CXXFLAGS += -DYA_BLAS -DYA_LAPACK -DYA_BLASMULT -I/System/Library/Frameworks/vecLib.framework/Headers 
 libgtsam_la_CPPFLAGS += -DGT_USE_CBLAS -DYA_BLAS -DYA_LAPACK -DYA_BLASMULT -I/System/Library/Frameworks/vecLib.framework/Headers 
 AM_LDFLAGS += -lcblas -latlas 
 libgtsam_la_LDFLAGS += -framework vecLib -lcblas -latlas
 endif
 
-
 TESTS = $(check_PROGRAMS)
 CXXLINK = $(LIBTOOL) $(AM_LIBTOOLFLAGS) $(LIBTOOLFLAGS) --mode=link \
 	$(CXXLD) -g $(AM_CXXFLAGS) $(CXXFLAGS) $(AM_LDFLAGS) $(LDFLAGS) \
diff --git a/cpp/Matrix.cpp b/cpp/Matrix.cpp
index 319c1d0ab..0d0ca56e2 100644
--- a/cpp/Matrix.cpp
+++ b/cpp/Matrix.cpp
@@ -13,12 +13,15 @@
 #ifdef GT_USE_CBLAS
 	#ifdef YA_BLAS
 #include <vecLib/cblas.h>
-#include <vecLib/clapack.h>
 	#else
 #include <cblas.h>
 	#endif
 #endif
 
+#ifdef GT_USE_LAPACK
+#include <vecLib/clapack.h>
+#endif
+
 #include <boost/numeric/ublas/matrix_proxy.hpp>
 #include <boost/foreach.hpp>
 #include <boost/numeric/ublas/lu.hpp>
@@ -654,7 +657,7 @@ void householder(Matrix &A, size_t k) {
 /* ************************************************************************* */
 /** in-place householder                                                     */
 /* ************************************************************************* */
-#ifdef GT_USE_CBLAS
+#ifdef GT_USE_LAPACK
 void householder(Matrix &A) {
 	int m = A.size1();
 	int n = A.size2();
diff --git a/cpp/Matrix.h b/cpp/Matrix.h
index b1ab8ea82..c4ca340e1 100644
--- a/cpp/Matrix.h
+++ b/cpp/Matrix.h
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ void householder(Matrix& A, size_t k);
  * @param k number of columns to zero out below diagonal
  * @return nothing: in place !!!
  */
-#ifdef GT_USE_CBLAS
+#ifdef GT_USE_LAPACK
 void householder(Matrix &A);
 #endif
 
diff --git a/cpp/NoiseModel.cpp b/cpp/NoiseModel.cpp
index 67e63f63c..46cdd17d3 100644
--- a/cpp/NoiseModel.cpp
+++ b/cpp/NoiseModel.cpp
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ SharedDiagonal Gaussian::QR(Matrix& Ab) const {
 	if (verbose) gtsam::print(Ab, "Ab after whitening");
 
 	// Perform in-place Householder
-#ifdef GT_USE_CBLAS
+#ifdef GT_USE_LAPACK
 	householder(Ab);
 #else
 	householder(Ab, maxRank);
diff --git a/cpp/testMatrix.cpp b/cpp/testMatrix.cpp
index 3d59ee6ba..fce3d0bf2 100644
--- a/cpp/testMatrix.cpp
+++ b/cpp/testMatrix.cpp
@@ -641,7 +641,7 @@ TEST( matrix, houseHolder )
 /* ************************************************************************* */
 // unit tests for housholder transformation
 /* ************************************************************************* */
-#ifdef GT_USE_CBLAS
+#ifdef GT_USE_LAPACK
 TEST( matrix, houseHolder2 )
 {
 	double data[] = { -5, 0, 5, 0, 0, 0, -1,