diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index 757a18e9..74070fcc 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -59,12 +59,6 @@ jobs:
         chmod a+x bazel-0.25.2-installer-linux-x86_64.sh
         ./bazel-0.25.2-installer-linux-x86_64.sh --user
         export PATH="$PATH:$HOME/bin"
-    - name: Install brpc
-      working-directory: ${{ github.workspace }}
-      if: ${{ matrix.build_tool == 'cmake' }}
-      run: |
-        mkdir -p thirdparty
-        git clone https://github.com/brpc/brpc.git thirdparty/brpc && cd thirdparty/brpc && mkdir -p bld && cd bld && cmake .. && make -j4 && sudo make install
     - name: Build with cmake
       if: ${{ matrix.build_tool == 'cmake' }}
       run: |
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 110daa30..462f045f 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@ INCLUDE(CPack)
 #option(EXAMPLE_LINK_SO "Whether examples are linked dynamically" OFF)
 option(BRPC_WITH_GLOG "With glog" OFF)
 option(WITH_DEBUG_SYMBOLS "With debug symbols" ON)
+# https://cmake.org/cmake/help/latest/policy/CMP0058.html
+# suppress this  CMP0058 warning
+cmake_policy(SET CMP0058 OLD)
+option(WITH_TESTS "Whether to build unit tests" OFF)
 
 set(WITH_GLOG_VAL "0")
 if(BRPC_WITH_GLOG)
@@ -23,6 +27,11 @@ set(CMAKE_MODULE_PATH ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake)
 
 include(FindThreads)
 include(FindProtobuf)
+include(SetupBrpc)
+
+if ((NOT BRPC_INCLUDE_PATH) OR (NOT BRPC_LIB))
+    message(FATAL_ERROR "Fail to find brpc")
+endif()
 
 if(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID STREQUAL "GNU")
     # require at least gcc 4.8
@@ -66,12 +75,6 @@ if(LEVELDB_WITH_SNAPPY)
     find_library(SNAPPY_LIB NAMES snappy)
 endif()
 
-find_path(BRPC_INCLUDE_PATH NAMES brpc/server.h)
-find_library(BRPC_LIB NAMES libbrpc.a brpc)
-if ((NOT BRPC_INCLUDE_PATH) OR (NOT BRPC_LIB))
-    message(FATAL_ERROR "Fail to find brpc")
-endif()
-
 if (NOT PROTOBUF_PROTOC_EXECUTABLE)
     get_filename_component(PROTO_LIB_DIR ${PROTOBUF_LIBRARY} DIRECTORY)
     set (PROTOBUF_PROTOC_EXECUTABLE "${PROTO_LIB_DIR}/../bin/protoc")
@@ -226,7 +229,7 @@ endmacro(use_cxx11)
 use_cxx11()
 
 add_subdirectory(src)
-if(BUILD_UNIT_TESTS)
+if(WITH_TESTS)
     add_subdirectory(test)
 endif()
 add_subdirectory(tools)
diff --git a/cmake/CMakeLists.download_brpc.in b/cmake/CMakeLists.download_brpc.in
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..91407827
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmake/CMakeLists.download_brpc.in
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 2.8.2)
+
+project(brpc-download NONE)
+
+include(ExternalProject)
+ExternalProject_Add(brpc
+  GIT_REPOSITORY    https://github.com/apache/brpc.git
+  GIT_TAG           1.8.0
+  SOURCE_DIR        "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/_deps/brpc/src"
+  BINARY_DIR        "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/_deps/brpc/build"
+  CONFIGURE_COMMAND ""
+  BUILD_COMMAND     ""
+  INSTALL_COMMAND   ""
+  TEST_COMMAND      ""
+)
+
diff --git a/cmake/SetupBrpc.cmake b/cmake/SetupBrpc.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4d002aab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmake/SetupBrpc.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+# Setup brpc
+configure_file("${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/CMakeLists.download_brpc.in" ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/_deps/brpc/CMakeLists.txt)
+
+
+execute_process(COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -G "${CMAKE_GENERATOR}" .
+                RESULT_VARIABLE result
+                WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/_deps/brpc)
+
+if(result)
+  message(FATAL_ERROR "CMake step for brpc failed: ${result}")
+endif()
+
+execute_process(COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} --build .
+                RESULT_VARIABLE result
+                WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/_deps/brpc)
+
+if(result)
+  message(FATAL_ERROR "Build step for brpc failed: ${result}")
+endif()
+
+add_subdirectory(${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/_deps/brpc/src
+                 ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/_deps/brpc/build
+                 EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL)
+
+set(BRPC_LIB brpc-static)
+set(BRPC_INCLUDE_PATH  ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/_deps/brpc/build/output/include)