diff --git a/CHOLMOD/CMakeLists.txt b/CHOLMOD/CMakeLists.txt
index c1c6aa2e50..0919d281a2 100644
--- a/CHOLMOD/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CHOLMOD/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ else ( )
     set ( OpenMP_C_FOUND OFF )
 endif ( )
 
-if ( OpenMP_C_FOUND )
+if ( CHOLMOD_USE_OPENMP AND OpenMP_C_FOUND )
     set ( CHOLMOD_HAS_OPENMP ON )
 else ( )
     set ( CHOLMOD_HAS_OPENMP OFF )
diff --git a/GraphBLAS/CMakeLists.txt b/GraphBLAS/CMakeLists.txt
index ad4d7c1cf4..0889cb19b6 100644
--- a/GraphBLAS/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/GraphBLAS/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ else ( )
     set ( OpenMP_C_FOUND OFF )
 endif ( )
 
-if ( OpenMP_C_FOUND )
+if ( GRAPHBLAS_USE_OPENMP AND OpenMP_C_FOUND )
     set ( GRAPHBLAS_HAS_OPENMP ON )
 else ( )
     set ( GRAPHBLAS_HAS_OPENMP OFF )
diff --git a/LAGraph/CMakeLists.txt b/LAGraph/CMakeLists.txt
index fc212d4932..c62160797c 100644
--- a/LAGraph/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/LAGraph/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ else ( )
     endif ( )
 endif ( )
 
-if ( OpenMP_C_FOUND )
+if ( LAGRAPH_USE_OPENMP AND OpenMP_C_FOUND )
     set ( LAGRAPH_HAS_OPENMP ON )
 else ( )
     set ( LAGRAPH_HAS_OPENMP OFF )
diff --git a/LAGraph/experimental/CMakeLists.txt b/LAGraph/experimental/CMakeLists.txt
index 6038808bfc..2caaa1c6d9 100644
--- a/LAGraph/experimental/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/LAGraph/experimental/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ endif ( )
 # add OpenMP
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-if ( OpenMP_C_FOUND )
+if ( LAGRAPH_HAS_OPENMP )
     if ( BUILD_SHARED_LIBS )
         target_link_libraries ( LAGraphX PRIVATE OpenMP::OpenMP_C )
     endif ( )
diff --git a/LAGraph/experimental/test/CMakeLists.txt b/LAGraph/experimental/test/CMakeLists.txt
index 51f99f0987..3f72d74b9e 100644
--- a/LAGraph/experimental/test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/LAGraph/experimental/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ endif ( )
 # add OpenMP
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-if ( OpenMP_C_FOUND )
+if ( LAGRAPH_HAS_OPENMP )
     if ( BUILD_SHARED_LIBS )
         target_link_libraries ( lagraphxtest PRIVATE OpenMP::OpenMP_C )
     endif ( )
diff --git a/LAGraph/src/CMakeLists.txt b/LAGraph/src/CMakeLists.txt
index cb7b19aa4f..09177c73ee 100644
--- a/LAGraph/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/LAGraph/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ endif ( )
 # add OpenMP
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-if ( OpenMP_C_FOUND )
+if ( LAGRAPH_HAS_OPENMP )
     if ( BUILD_SHARED_LIBS )
         target_link_libraries ( LAGraph PRIVATE OpenMP::OpenMP_C )
     endif ( )
diff --git a/LAGraph/src/test/CMakeLists.txt b/LAGraph/src/test/CMakeLists.txt
index 025b1b35ab..37e56418ae 100644
--- a/LAGraph/src/test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/LAGraph/src/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ endif ( )
 # add OpenMP
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-if ( OpenMP_C_FOUND )
+if ( LAGRAPH_HAS_OPENMP )
     if ( BUILD_SHARED_LIBS )
         target_link_libraries ( lagraphtest PRIVATE OpenMP::OpenMP_C )
     endif ( )
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c4f9e6955d..d094551ef8 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -987,9 +987,9 @@ build type).  The static libraries will not be built (since
 
 * `SUITESPARSE_USE_OPENMP`:
 
-  If `ON`, OpenMP is used if it is available.  Default: `OFF`.
+  If `ON`, OpenMP is used by default if it is available.  Default: `ON`.
 
-  GraphBLAS, LAGraph, and ParU will vastly slower if OpenMP is not used.
+  GraphBLAS, LAGraph, and ParU will be vastly slower if OpenMP is not used.
   CHOLMOD will be somewhat slower without OpenMP (as long as it still has a
   parallel BLAS/LAPACK).  Three packages (UMFPACK, CHOLMOD, and SPQR) rely
   heavily on parallel BLAS/LAPACK libraries and those libraries may use OpenMP
diff --git a/SuiteSparse_config/CMakeLists.txt b/SuiteSparse_config/CMakeLists.txt
index 95c9cbceac..8c7933a824 100644
--- a/SuiteSparse_config/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/SuiteSparse_config/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ endif ( )
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 option ( SUITESPARSE_CONFIG_USE_OPENMP "ON: Use OpenMP in SuiteSparse_config if available.  OFF: Do not use OpenMP.  (Default: SUITESPARSE_USE_OPENMP)" ${SUITESPARSE_USE_OPENMP} )
-if ( SUITESPARSE_CONFIG_USE_OPENMP OR SUITESPARSE_USE_OPENMP )
+if ( SUITESPARSE_CONFIG_USE_OPENMP )
     if ( CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_LESS 3.24 )
         find_package ( OpenMP COMPONENTS C )
     else ( )
@@ -82,20 +82,14 @@ else ( )
     set ( OpenMP_C_FOUND OFF )
 endif ( )
 
-if ( OpenMP_C_FOUND )
-    set ( SUITESPARSE_HAS_OPENMP ON )
+if ( SUITESPARSE_CONFIG_USE_OPENMP AND OpenMP_C_FOUND )
     set ( SUITESPARSE_CONFIG_HAS_OPENMP ON )
 else ( )
-    set ( SUITESPARSE_HAS_OPENMP OFF )
     set ( SUITESPARSE_CONFIG_HAS_OPENMP OFF )
 endif ( )
-message ( STATUS "SuiteSparse has OpenMP:        ${SUITESPARSE_HAS_OPENMP}" )
 message ( STATUS "SuiteSparse_config has OpenMP: ${SUITESPARSE_CONFIG_HAS_OPENMP}" )
 
 # check for strict usage
-if ( SUITESPARSE_USE_STRICT AND SUITESPARSE_USE_OPENMP AND NOT SUITESPARSE_HAS_OPENMP )
-    message ( FATAL_ERROR "OpenMP required for SuiteSparse but not found" )
-endif ( )
 if ( SUITESPARSE_USE_STRICT AND SUITESPARSE_CONFIG_USE_OPENMP AND NOT SUITESPARSE_CONFIG_HAS_OPENMP )
     message ( FATAL_ERROR "OpenMP required for SuiteSparse_config but not found" )
 endif ( )
@@ -212,7 +206,7 @@ if ( NOT NO_LIBM )
 endif ( )
 
 # OpenMP:
-if ( SUITESPARSE_CONFIG_USE_OPENMP )
+if ( SUITESPARSE_CONFIG_HAS_OPENMP )
     message ( STATUS "OpenMP C libraries:      ${OpenMP_C_LIBRARIES} ")
     message ( STATUS "OpenMP C include:        ${OpenMP_C_INCLUDE_DIRS} ")
     message ( STATUS "OpenMP C flags:          ${OpenMP_C_FLAGS} ")
diff --git a/SuiteSparse_config/Config/README.md.in b/SuiteSparse_config/Config/README.md.in
index 152f3f3e44..7051d0554e 100644
--- a/SuiteSparse_config/Config/README.md.in
+++ b/SuiteSparse_config/Config/README.md.in
@@ -987,9 +987,9 @@ build type).  The static libraries will not be built (since
 
 * `SUITESPARSE_USE_OPENMP`:
 
-  If `ON`, OpenMP is used if it is available.  Default: `OFF`.
+  If `ON`, OpenMP is used by default if it is available.  Default: `ON`.
 
-  GraphBLAS, LAGraph, and ParU will vastly slower if OpenMP is not used.
+  GraphBLAS, LAGraph, and ParU will be vastly slower if OpenMP is not used.
   CHOLMOD will be somewhat slower without OpenMP (as long as it still has a
   parallel BLAS/LAPACK).  Three packages (UMFPACK, CHOLMOD, and SPQR) rely
   heavily on parallel BLAS/LAPACK libraries and those libraries may use OpenMP
diff --git a/SuiteSparse_config/Config/SuiteSparse_configConfig.cmake.in b/SuiteSparse_config/Config/SuiteSparse_configConfig.cmake.in
index 3a40b9d52a..1831e466ab 100644
--- a/SuiteSparse_config/Config/SuiteSparse_configConfig.cmake.in
+++ b/SuiteSparse_config/Config/SuiteSparse_configConfig.cmake.in
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ include ( CMakeFindDependencyMacro )
 set ( _dependencies_found ON )
 
 # Look for OpenMP
-if ( @SUITESPARSE_HAS_OPENMP@ AND NOT OpenMP_C_FOUND )
+if ( @SUITESPARSE_CONFIG_HAS_OPENMP@ AND NOT OpenMP_C_FOUND )
     find_dependency ( OpenMP COMPONENTS C )
     if ( NOT OpenMP_C_FOUND )
         set ( _dependencies_found OFF )
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ endif ( )
 # Import target
 include ( ${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/SuiteSparse_configTargets.cmake )
 
-if ( @SUITESPARSE_HAS_OPENMP@ )
+if ( @SUITESPARSE_CONFIG_HAS_OPENMP@ )
     if ( TARGET SuiteSparse::SuiteSparseConfig )
         get_property ( _suitesparse_config_aliased TARGET SuiteSparse::SuiteSparseConfig
             PROPERTY ALIASED_TARGET )
diff --git a/SuiteSparse_config/cmake_modules/SuiteSparsePolicy.cmake b/SuiteSparse_config/cmake_modules/SuiteSparsePolicy.cmake
index 20a7fcf784..0cb6a6274f 100644
--- a/SuiteSparse_config/cmake_modules/SuiteSparsePolicy.cmake
+++ b/SuiteSparse_config/cmake_modules/SuiteSparsePolicy.cmake
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ set ( CMAKE_MODULE_PATH ${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH}
     ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake_modules )
 
 # Use OpenMP
-option ( SUITESPARSE_USE_OPENMP "ON (default): Use OpenMP if available.  OFF: Do not use OpenMP" ON )
+option ( SUITESPARSE_USE_OPENMP "ON (default): Use OpenMP in libraries by default if available.  OFF: Do not use OpenMP by default." ON )
 
 # strict usage
 option ( SUITESPARSE_USE_STRICT "ON: treat all _USE__ settings as strict if they are ON. OFF (default): consider *_USE_* as preferences, not strict" OFF )