diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index a15dc7078..32a5b0da4 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -5,10 +5,23 @@ project(Ox)
 list(APPEND CMAKE_MODULE_PATH ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/modules)
 include(address_sanitizer)
 
-set(OX_BUILD_EXEC "ON" CACHE STRING "Build executables (ON/OFF)")
-set(OX_RUN_TESTS  "ON" CACHE STRING "Run tests (ON/OFF)")
-set(OX_USE_STDLIB "ON" CACHE STRING "Build libraries that need the std lib (ON/OFF)")
-set(OX_BARE_METAL FALSE CACHE STRING "Bare metal build (TRUE/FALSE)")
+if(NOT DEFINED OX_RUN_TESTS)
+	set(OX_RUN_TESTS "ON")
+endif()
+if(NOT DEFINED OX_RUN_TESTS)
+	set(OX_RUN_TESTS "ON")
+endif()
+if(NOT DEFINED OX_USE_STDLIB)
+	set(OX_USE_STDLIB "ON")
+endif()
+if(NOT DEFINED OX_BARE_METAL)
+	set(OX_BARE_METAL FALSE)
+endif()
+
+set(OX_RUN_TESTS ${OX_RUN_TESTS} CACHE STRING "Run tests (ON/OFF)")
+set(OX_RUN_TESTS ${OX_RUN_TESTS} CACHE STRING "Run tests (ON/OFF)")
+set(OX_USE_STDLIB ${OX_USE_STDLIB} CACHE STRING "Build libraries that need the std lib (ON/OFF)")
+set(OX_BARE_METAL ${OX_BARE_METAL} CACHE STRING "Bare metal build (TRUE/FALSE)")
 
 # can't run tests without building them
 if(OX_BUILD_EXEC STREQUAL "OFF" OR OX_USE_STDLIB STREQUAL "OFF")
diff --git a/src/ox/fs/CMakeLists.txt b/src/ox/fs/CMakeLists.txt
index 9caea74c1..cc0bbed5e 100644
--- a/src/ox/fs/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/ox/fs/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ add_library(
 )
 
 if(NOT OX_BARE_METAL)
+	message("fs link c++fs")
 	target_link_libraries(
 		OxFS PUBLIC
 			$<$<CXX_COMPILER_ID:Clang>:c++fs>