diff --git a/cmake/EkatConfig.cmake.in b/cmake/EkatConfig.cmake.in
index 1de980c5..41fd1e29 100644
--- a/cmake/EkatConfig.cmake.in
+++ b/cmake/EkatConfig.cmake.in
@@ -16,30 +16,31 @@ endif()
 
 if (@EKAT_ENABLE_KOKKOS@)
   # Kokkos
-  if (@Kokkos_FOUND@)
-    find_dependency(Kokkos REQUIRED QUIET HINTS @Kokkos_DIR@)
-  else()
+  if (@EKAT_BUILDS_KOKKOS@)
     # We're installing Kokkos alongside ekat
     find_dependency(Kokkos REQUIRED QUIET HINTS @CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@)
+  else()
+    find_dependency(Kokkos REQUIRED QUIET HINTS @Kokkos_DIR@)
   endif()
 endif()
 
 # yaml-cpp
 if (@EKAT_ENABLE_YAML_PARSER@)
-  if (@yaml-cpp_FOUND@)
-    find_dependency(yaml-cpp REQUIRED QUIET HINTS @yaml-cpp_DIR@)
-  else()
+  if (@EKAT_BUILDS_YAMLCPP@)
     # We're installing yaml-cpp alongside ekat
     find_dependency(yaml-cpp REQUIRED QUIET HINTS @CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@)
+  else()
+    find_dependency(yaml-cpp REQUIRED QUIET HINTS @yaml-cpp_DIR@)
   endif()
 endif()
 
 if (@EKAT_ENABLE_LOGGING@)
   # spdlog
-  if (@spdlog_FOUND@)
-    find_dependency(spdlog REQUIRED QUIET HINTS @spdlog_DIR@)
-  else()
+  if (@EKAT_BUILDS_SPDLOG@)
+    # We're installing yaml-cpp alongside ekat
     find_dependency(spdlog REQUIRED QUIET HINTS @CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@)
+  else()
+    find_dependency(spdlog REQUIRED QUIET HINTS @spdlog_DIR@)
   endif()
 endif()
 
diff --git a/cmake/machine-files/kokkos/generic.cmake b/cmake/machine-files/kokkos/generic.cmake
index 8e04ec2c..c61a6de6 100644
--- a/cmake/machine-files/kokkos/generic.cmake
+++ b/cmake/machine-files/kokkos/generic.cmake
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 # Generic setting that are used regardless of Architecture or Kokkos backend
 
-set(Kokkos_ENABLE_DEPRECATED_CODE FALSE CACHE BOOL "")
+set(Kokkos_ENABLE_DEPRECATED_CODE_4 FALSE CACHE BOOL "")
 set(Kokkos_ENABLE_EXPLICIT_INSTANTIATION FALSE CACHE BOOL "")
diff --git a/cmake/tpls/EkatFindKokkos.cmake b/cmake/tpls/EkatFindKokkos.cmake
index c96ac733..0cff1837 100644
--- a/cmake/tpls/EkatFindKokkos.cmake
+++ b/cmake/tpls/EkatFindKokkos.cmake
@@ -72,21 +72,18 @@ if (Kokkos_FOUND)
     list (FIND Kokkos_DEVICES ${dev} index)
     if (index EQUAL -1)
       list (APPEND MISSING_DEVICES ${dev})
-      set (Kokkos_FOUND FALSE)
     endif()
   endforeach()
   foreach (arch IN ITEMS ${EKAT_FIND_KOKKOS_ARCHS})
     list (FIND Kokkos_ARCH ${arch} index)
     if (index EQUAL -1)
       list (APPEND MISSING_ARCHS ${arch})
-      set (Kokkos_FOUND FALSE)
     endif()
   endforeach()
   foreach (opt IN ITEMS ${EKAT_FIND_KOKKOS_OPTIONS})
     list (FIND Kokkos_OPTIONS ${opt} index)
     if (index EQUAL -1)
       list (APPEND MISSING_OPTIONS ${arch})
-      set (Kokkos_FOUND FALSE)
     endif()
   endforeach()
 
diff --git a/src/kokkos/CMakeLists.txt b/src/kokkos/CMakeLists.txt
index 691837bd..854654f1 100644
--- a/src/kokkos/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/kokkos/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -7,12 +7,16 @@ if (EKAT_SKIP_FIND_KOKKOS)
   # The user does not want to accidentally get an existing installation,
   # and instead wants to force a build from the internal submodule
   include (EkatBuildKokkos)
+  set (EKAT_BUILDS_KOKKOS ON CACHE BOOL "Whether Ekat builds kokkos" FORCE)
 else()
   # We first try to use find_package (unless told to skip this phase).
   # If that doesn't work, build from submodule
   include (EkatFindKokkos)
   if (NOT Kokkos_FOUND)
     include (EkatBuildKokkos)
+    set (EKAT_BUILDS_KOKKOS ON CACHE BOOL "Whether Ekat builds kokkos" FORCE)
+  else()
+    set (EKAT_BUILDS_KOKKOS OFF CACHE BOOL "Whether Ekat builds kokkos" FORCE)
   endif()
 endif()
 
diff --git a/src/logging/CMakeLists.txt b/src/logging/CMakeLists.txt
index ada5c63c..3e61e385 100644
--- a/src/logging/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/logging/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ if (EKAT_SKIP_FIND_SPDLOG)
   # The user does not want to accidentally get an existing installation,
   # and instead wants to force a build from the internal submodule
   include (EkatBuildSpdlog)
+  set (EKAT_BUILDS_SPDLOG ON CACHE BOOL "Whether Ekat builds spdlog" FORCE)
 else()
   # We first try to use find_XYZ. If that doesn't work, build from submodule
   message (STATUS "Looking for spdlog ...")
@@ -14,9 +15,11 @@ else()
   if (NOT spdlog_FOUND)
     message (STATUS "Looking for spdlog ... NOT FOUND")
     include(EkatBuildSpdlog)
+    set (EKAT_BUILDS_SPDLOG ON CACHE BOOL "Whether Ekat builds spdlog" FORCE)
   else()
     message (STATUS "Looking for spdlog ... FOUND")
     message (STATUS "  spdlog_DIR: ${spdlog_DIR}")
+    set (EKAT_BUILDS_SPDLOG OFF CACHE BOOL "Whether Ekat builds spdlog" FORCE)
   endif()
 endif()
 
diff --git a/src/parser/CMakeLists.txt b/src/parser/CMakeLists.txt
index 4e71b1b3..5d3194f2 100644
--- a/src/parser/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/parser/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ if (EKAT_SKIP_FIND_YAML_CPP)
   # The user does not want to accidentally get an existing installation,
   # and instead wants to force a build from the internal submodule
   include (EkatBuildYamlCpp)
+  set (EKAT_BUILDS_YAMLCPP ON CACHE BOOL "Whether Ekat builds yaml-cpp" FORCE)
 else()
   # I am having issues getting the env var YAML_CPP_ROOT being picked up
   # by cmake. I suspect this has to do with the presence of the hyphen
@@ -21,7 +22,9 @@ else()
   if (NOT yaml-cpp_FOUND)
     message (STATUS "Looking for yaml-cpp ... NOT FOUND")
     include(EkatBuildYamlCpp)
+    set (EKAT_BUILDS_YAMLCPP ON CACHE BOOL "Whether Ekat builds yaml-cpp" FORCE)
   else()
+    set (EKAT_BUILDS_YAMLCPP OFF CACHE BOOL "Whether Ekat builds yaml-cpp" FORCE)
     message (STATUS "Looking for yaml-cpp ... FOUND")
     message (STATUS "  yaml-cpp_DIR: ${yaml-cpp_DIR}")
     # It is possible that the installation provides the yaml-cpp target, but not the yaml-cpp::yaml-cpp target. If so, define the alias target