diff --git a/cmake/build_helpers.cmake b/cmake/build_helpers.cmake
index 2dc65a00d..ab661e315 100644
--- a/cmake/build_helpers.cmake
+++ b/cmake/build_helpers.cmake
@@ -738,7 +738,7 @@ function(generateSDKDirectory)
     endif()
 
     install(DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/lib/libimhex DESTINATION "${SDK_PATH}/lib" PATTERN "**/source/*" EXCLUDE)
-    install(DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/lib/external DESTINATION "${SDK_PATH}/lib" PATTERN "**/source/*" EXCLUDE)
+    install(DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/lib/external DESTINATION "${SDK_PATH}/lib")
     install(DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/lib/third_party/imgui DESTINATION "${SDK_PATH}/lib/third_party" PATTERN "**/source/*" EXCLUDE)
     if (NOT USE_SYSTEM_FMT)
         install(DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/lib/third_party/fmt DESTINATION "${SDK_PATH}/lib/third_party")
diff --git a/lib/third_party/imgui/ColorTextEditor/CMakeLists.txt b/lib/third_party/imgui/ColorTextEditor/CMakeLists.txt
index f511cdcfa..2195dc1bd 100644
--- a/lib/third_party/imgui/ColorTextEditor/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/lib/third_party/imgui/ColorTextEditor/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -4,14 +4,17 @@ project(imgui_color_text_editor)
 
 set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 17)
 
-add_library(imgui_color_text_editor OBJECT
-    source/TextEditor.cpp
-)
+if (NOT IMHEX_EXTERNAL_PLUGIN_BUILD)
+    add_library(imgui_color_text_editor OBJECT
+        source/TextEditor.cpp
+    )
 
-target_include_directories(imgui_color_text_editor PUBLIC
-    include
-)
+    target_include_directories(imgui_color_text_editor PUBLIC
+        include
+    )
+
+    target_link_libraries(imgui_color_text_editor PRIVATE imgui_includes)
+endif()
 
 target_include_directories(imgui_all_includes INTERFACE include)
 
-target_link_libraries(imgui_color_text_editor PRIVATE imgui_includes)
diff --git a/lib/third_party/imgui/custom/CMakeLists.txt b/lib/third_party/imgui/custom/CMakeLists.txt
index ada7a6f14..874e2b2bf 100644
--- a/lib/third_party/imgui/custom/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/lib/third_party/imgui/custom/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -4,37 +4,40 @@ project(imgui_custom)
 
 set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 17)
 
-add_library(imgui_custom OBJECT
-    source/imgui_impl_opengl3.cpp
-    source/imgui_impl_glfw.cpp
-)
+if (NOT IMHEX_EXTERNAL_PLUGIN_BUILD)
+    add_library(imgui_custom OBJECT
+        source/imgui_impl_opengl3.cpp
+        source/imgui_impl_glfw.cpp
+    )
 
-target_include_directories(imgui_custom PUBLIC
-    include
-)
+    target_include_directories(imgui_custom PUBLIC
+        include
+    )
 
-target_link_libraries(imgui_custom PRIVATE imgui_includes)
-target_include_directories(imgui_all_includes INTERFACE include)
+    target_link_libraries(imgui_custom PRIVATE imgui_includes)
 
-find_package(OpenGL REQUIRED)
-find_package(Freetype REQUIRED)
+    find_package(OpenGL REQUIRED)
+    find_package(Freetype REQUIRED)
 
-find_package(GLFW QUIET)
-if (NOT GLFW_FOUND OR "${GLFW_LIBRARIES}" STREQUAL "")
-    find_package(glfw3 QUIET)
-    set(GLFW_INCLUDE_DIRS ${glfw3_INCLUDE_DIRS})
-    set(GLFW_LIBRARIES ${glfw3_LIBRARIES})
+    find_package(GLFW QUIET)
+    if (NOT GLFW_FOUND OR "${GLFW_LIBRARIES}" STREQUAL "")
+        find_package(glfw3 QUIET)
+        set(GLFW_INCLUDE_DIRS ${glfw3_INCLUDE_DIRS})
+        set(GLFW_LIBRARIES ${glfw3_LIBRARIES})
 
-    if (NOT glfw3_FOUND OR "${GLFW_LIBRARIES}" STREQUAL "")
-        find_package(PkgConfig REQUIRED)
-        pkg_search_module(GLFW REQUIRED glfw3)
+        if (NOT glfw3_FOUND OR "${GLFW_LIBRARIES}" STREQUAL "")
+            find_package(PkgConfig REQUIRED)
+            pkg_search_module(GLFW REQUIRED glfw3)
+        endif ()
+    endif()
+
+    if ("${GLFW_LIBRARIES}" MATCHES ".+dll")
+        set(GLFW_LIBRARIES "glfw3")
     endif ()
+
+    target_include_directories(imgui_custom PUBLIC ${FREETYPE_INCLUDE_DIRS} ${OpenGL_INCLUDE_DIRS})
+    target_link_directories(imgui_custom PUBLIC ${FREETYPE_LIBRARY_DIRS} ${OpenGL_LIBRARY_DIRS})
+    target_link_libraries(imgui_custom PUBLIC ${GLFW_LIBRARIES} ${OPENGL_LIBRARIES})
 endif()
 
-if ("${GLFW_LIBRARIES}" MATCHES ".+dll")
-    set(GLFW_LIBRARIES "glfw3")
-endif ()
-
-target_include_directories(imgui_custom PUBLIC ${FREETYPE_INCLUDE_DIRS} ${OpenGL_INCLUDE_DIRS})
-target_link_directories(imgui_custom PUBLIC ${FREETYPE_LIBRARY_DIRS} ${OpenGL_LIBRARY_DIRS})
-target_link_libraries(imgui_custom PUBLIC ${GLFW_LIBRARIES} ${OPENGL_LIBRARIES})
\ No newline at end of file
+target_include_directories(imgui_all_includes INTERFACE include)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lib/third_party/imgui/imgui/CMakeLists.txt b/lib/third_party/imgui/imgui/CMakeLists.txt
index 1f803868d..159188092 100644
--- a/lib/third_party/imgui/imgui/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/lib/third_party/imgui/imgui/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -4,29 +4,31 @@ project(imgui_imgui)
 
 set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 17)
 
-add_library(imgui_imgui OBJECT
-        source/imgui.cpp
-        source/imgui_demo.cpp
-        source/imgui_draw.cpp
-        source/imgui_tables.cpp
-        source/imgui_widgets.cpp
+if (NOT IMHEX_EXTERNAL_PLUGIN_BUILD)
+    add_library(imgui_imgui OBJECT
+            source/imgui.cpp
+            source/imgui_demo.cpp
+            source/imgui_draw.cpp
+            source/imgui_tables.cpp
+            source/imgui_widgets.cpp
 
-        source/misc/freetype/imgui_freetype.cpp
-)
+            source/misc/freetype/imgui_freetype.cpp
+    )
 
-target_include_directories(imgui_imgui PUBLIC
-    include
-    include/misc/freetype
-)
+    target_include_directories(imgui_imgui PUBLIC
+        include
+        include/misc/freetype
+    )
+
+    target_compile_options(imgui_imgui PRIVATE -Wno-unknown-warning-option)
+
+    find_package(Freetype REQUIRED)
+
+    target_include_directories(imgui_imgui PUBLIC ${FREETYPE_INCLUDE_DIRS})
+    target_link_directories(imgui_imgui PUBLIC ${FREETYPE_LIBRARY_DIRS})
+    target_link_libraries(imgui_imgui PUBLIC ${FREETYPE_LIBRARIES})
+endif()
 
 add_library(imgui_includes INTERFACE)
 target_include_directories(imgui_includes INTERFACE include)
-target_include_directories(imgui_all_includes INTERFACE include include/misc/freetype)
-
-target_compile_options(imgui_imgui PRIVATE -Wno-unknown-warning-option)
-
-find_package(Freetype REQUIRED)
-
-target_include_directories(imgui_imgui PUBLIC ${FREETYPE_INCLUDE_DIRS})
-target_link_directories(imgui_imgui PUBLIC ${FREETYPE_LIBRARY_DIRS})
-target_link_libraries(imgui_imgui PUBLIC ${FREETYPE_LIBRARIES})
\ No newline at end of file
+target_include_directories(imgui_all_includes INTERFACE include include/misc/freetype)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lib/third_party/imgui/imnodes/CMakeLists.txt b/lib/third_party/imgui/imnodes/CMakeLists.txt
index 52cccdf67..928422c0b 100644
--- a/lib/third_party/imgui/imnodes/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/lib/third_party/imgui/imnodes/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -4,13 +4,16 @@ project(imgui_imnodes)
 
 set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 17)
 
-add_library(imgui_imnodes OBJECT
-    source/imnodes.cpp
-)
+if (NOT IMHEX_EXTERNAL_PLUGIN_BUILD)
+    add_library(imgui_imnodes OBJECT
+        source/imnodes.cpp
+    )
 
-target_include_directories(imgui_imnodes PUBLIC
-    include
-)
+    target_include_directories(imgui_imnodes PUBLIC
+        include
+    )
+
+    target_link_libraries(imgui_imnodes PRIVATE imgui_includes)
+endif()
 
-target_link_libraries(imgui_imnodes PRIVATE imgui_includes)
 target_include_directories(imgui_all_includes INTERFACE include)
diff --git a/lib/third_party/imgui/implot/CMakeLists.txt b/lib/third_party/imgui/implot/CMakeLists.txt
index ddfc748db..4e2d764ea 100644
--- a/lib/third_party/imgui/implot/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/lib/third_party/imgui/implot/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -4,15 +4,18 @@ project(imgui_implot)
 
 set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 17)
 
-add_library(imgui_implot OBJECT
-    source/implot.cpp
-    source/implot_items.cpp
-    source/implot_demo.cpp
-)
+if (NOT IMHEX_EXTERNAL_PLUGIN_BUILD)
+    add_library(imgui_implot OBJECT
+        source/implot.cpp
+        source/implot_items.cpp
+        source/implot_demo.cpp
+    )
 
-target_include_directories(imgui_implot PUBLIC
-    include
-)
+    target_include_directories(imgui_implot PUBLIC
+        include
+    )
+
+    target_link_libraries(imgui_implot PRIVATE imgui_includes)
+endif()
 
-target_link_libraries(imgui_implot PRIVATE imgui_includes)
 target_include_directories(imgui_all_includes INTERFACE include)