diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 02c56b5..5da1101 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -337,7 +337,6 @@ if(CPPTRACE_GET_SYMBOLS_WITH_LIBDWARF)
   target_compile_definitions(${target_name} PUBLIC CPPTRACE_GET_SYMBOLS_WITH_LIBDWARF)
   if(CPPTRACE_USE_EXTERNAL_LIBDWARF)
     find_package(libdwarf REQUIRED)
-    target_compile_definitions(${target_name} PRIVATE CPPTRACE_USE_EXTERNAL_LIBDWARF)
   else()
     set(CMAKE_POLICY_DEFAULT_CMP0077 NEW)
     set(PIC_ALWAYS TRUE)
@@ -356,14 +355,29 @@ if(CPPTRACE_GET_SYMBOLS_WITH_LIBDWARF)
   endif()
   if(CPPTRACE_CONAN)
     target_link_libraries(${target_name} PRIVATE libdwarf::libdwarf)
+    target_compile_definitions(${target_name} PRIVATE CPPTRACE_USE_NESTED_LIBDWARF_HEADER_PATH)
   elseif(CPPTRACE_VCPKG)
     target_link_libraries(${target_name} PRIVATE $<IF:$<TARGET_EXISTS:libdwarf::dwarf-static>,libdwarf::dwarf-static,libdwarf::dwarf-shared>)
+    target_compile_definitions(${target_name} PRIVATE CPPTRACE_USE_NESTED_LIBDWARF_HEADER_PATH)
+  elseif(CPPTRACE_USE_EXTERNAL_LIBDWARF)
+    if(DEFINED LIBDWARF_LIBRARIES)
+      target_link_libraries(${target_name} PRIVATE ${LIBDWARF_LIBRARIES})
+    else()
+      # if LIBDWARF_LIBRARIES wasn't set by find_package, try looking for libdwarf::dwarf-static,
+      # libdwarf::dwarf-shared, then libdwarf::dwarf
+      # libdwarf v0.8.0 installs with the target libdwarf::dwarf somehow, despite creating libdwarf::dwarf-static or
+      # libdwarf::dwarf-shared under fetchcontent
+      target_link_libraries(${target_name} PRIVATE $<IF:$<TARGET_EXISTS:libdwarf::dwarf-static>,libdwarf::dwarf-static,$<IF:$<TARGET_EXISTS:libdwarf::dwarf-shared>,libdwarf::dwarf-shared,libdwarf::dwarf>>)
+    endif()
   else()
     target_link_libraries(${target_name} PRIVATE libdwarf::dwarf-static)
   endif()
   if(UNIX)
     target_link_libraries(${target_name} PRIVATE ${CMAKE_DL_LIBS})
   endif()
+  if(CPPTRACE_USE_NESTED_LIBDWARF_HEADER_PATH) # user override
+    target_compile_definitions(${target_name} PRIVATE CPPTRACE_USE_NESTED_LIBDWARF_HEADER_PATH)
+  endif()
 endif()
 
 if(CPPTRACE_GET_SYMBOLS_WITH_DBGHELP)
diff --git a/cmake/OptionVariables.cmake b/cmake/OptionVariables.cmake
index 377290d..abdc269 100644
--- a/cmake/OptionVariables.cmake
+++ b/cmake/OptionVariables.cmake
@@ -158,6 +158,7 @@ if(PROJECT_IS_TOP_LEVEL)
 endif()
 
 option(CPPTRACE_USE_EXTERNAL_LIBDWARF "" OFF)
+option(CPPTRACE_USE_NESTED_LIBDWARF_HEADER_PATH "" OFF)
 option(CPPTRACE_CONAN "" OFF)
 option(CPPTRACE_VCPKG "" OFF)
 option(CPPTRACE_SANITIZER_BUILD "" OFF)
@@ -167,6 +168,7 @@ mark_as_advanced(
   CPPTRACE_ADDR2LINE_PATH
   CPPTRACE_ADDR2LINE_SEARCH_SYSTEM_PATH
   CPPTRACE_SANITIZER_BUILD
+  CPPTRACE_USE_NESTED_LIBDWARF_HEADER_PATH
   CPPTRACE_CONAN
   CPPTRACE_VCPKG
 )
diff --git a/src/symbols/symbols_with_libdwarf.cpp b/src/symbols/symbols_with_libdwarf.cpp
index fb3b66e..f3cc878 100644
--- a/src/symbols/symbols_with_libdwarf.cpp
+++ b/src/symbols/symbols_with_libdwarf.cpp
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 #include <unordered_map>
 #include <vector>
 
-#ifdef CPPTRACE_USE_EXTERNAL_LIBDWARF
+#ifdef CPPTRACE_USE_NESTED_LIBDWARF_HEADER_PATH
 #include <libdwarf/libdwarf.h>
 #include <libdwarf/dwarf.h>
 #else
diff --git a/src/utils/dwarf.hpp b/src/utils/dwarf.hpp
index 61a8ea5..39fbb1a 100644
--- a/src/utils/dwarf.hpp
+++ b/src/utils/dwarf.hpp
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 #include <stdexcept>
 #include <type_traits>
 
-#ifdef CPPTRACE_USE_EXTERNAL_LIBDWARF
+#ifdef CPPTRACE_USE_NESTED_LIBDWARF_HEADER_PATH
 #include <libdwarf/libdwarf.h>
 #include <libdwarf/dwarf.h>
 #else