diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d98b500b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+project(GTSAM CXX C)
+set (GTSAM_VERSION_MAJOR 0)
+set (GTSAM_VERSION_MINOR 9)
+set (GTSAM_VERSION_PATCH 3)
+cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 2.6)
+
+# guard against in-source builds
+if(${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR} STREQUAL ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR})
+  message(FATAL_ERROR "In-source builds not allowed. Please make a new directory (called a build directory) and run CMake from there. You may need to remove CMakeCache.txt. ")
+endif()
+
+# Turn off function inlining when debugging
+set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS_DEBUG "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS_DEBUG} -fno-inline -Wall")
+set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG} -fno-inline -Wall")
+# No optimization in relwithdebinfo
+set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS_RELWITHDEBINFO "-g -fno-inline -Wall")
+set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELWITHDEBINFO "-g -fno-inline -Wall")
+# Eigen no debug in release mode
+set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS_RELEASE "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS_RELEASE} -DEIGEN_NO_DEBUG")
+set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE} -DEIGEN_NO_DEBUG")
+
+# Configurable Options
+
+# General build settings
+include_directories(gtsam CppUnitLite)
+
+# Build GTSAM library
+add_subdirectory(gtsam)
+
+# Build CppUnitLite
+add_subdirectory(CppUnitLite)
+
+# Build Tests
+add_subdirectory(tests)
+
+# Build wrap
+add_subdirectory(wrap)
+
+# Build examples
+add_subdirectory(examples)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/gtsam/CMakeLists.txt b/gtsam/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1e40dbb68
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gtsam/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+# build 3rd party libraries
+add_subdirectory(3rdparty)
+
+# Build full gtsam library as a single library
+# and also build tests 
+set (gtsam_subdirs 
+    base 
+    geometry 
+    inference 
+    linear 
+    nonlinear 
+    slam)
+
+foreach(subdir ${gtsam_subdirs})
+    file(GLOB sub_gtsam_srcs ${subdir} "*.cpp")
+    list(APPEND gtsam_srcs sub_gtsam_srcs)
+endforeach(subdir)
+