diff --git a/ci/build_cpp.sh b/ci/build_cpp.sh
index 2083839cb2..1e4fae89ff 100755
--- a/ci/build_cpp.sh
+++ b/ci/build_cpp.sh
@@ -151,6 +151,7 @@ cmake -G "${CMAKE_GENERATOR:-Ninja}" \
       -Dvt_debug_verbose="${VT_DEBUG_VERBOSE:-0}" \
       -Dvt_tests_num_nodes="${VT_TESTS_NUM_NODES:-}" \
       -Dvt_external_fmt="${VT_EXTERNAL_FMT:-0}" \
+      -DLIBUNWIND_ROOT="${LIBUNWIND_ROOT:-/usr}" \
       -Dvt_no_color_enabled="${VT_NO_COLOR_ENABLED:-0}" \
       -DCMAKE_CXX_STANDARD="${CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD:-17}" \
       -DBUILD_SHARED_LIBS="${BUILD_SHARED_LIBS:-0}" \
diff --git a/cmake-modules/Findlibunwind.cmake b/cmake-modules/Findlibunwind.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a82910d75e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmake-modules/Findlibunwind.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+
+# Users can pass LIBUNWIND_ROOT, LIBUNWIND_INCLUDE_DIR, and LIBUNWIND_LIBRARY as CMake variables.
+# If LIBUNWIND_ROOT is provided, the INCLUDE_DIR and LIBRARY variables may be omitted.
+#
+# LIBUNWIND_FOUND, LIBUNWIND_INCLUDE_DIRS, and LIBUNWIND_LIBRARIES are outputs
+
+if(LIBUNWIND_ROOT)
+    set(LIBUNWIND_INCLUDE_DIR ${LIBUNWIND_INCLUDE_DIR};${LIBUNWIND_ROOT}/include)
+    set(LIBUNWIND_LIBRARY ${LIBUNWIND_LIBRARY};${LIBUNWIND_ROOT}/lib64;${LIBUNWIND_ROOT}/lib)
+endif()
+
+# First, check only in the hinted paths
+find_path(LIBUNWIND_INCLUDE_DIRS NAMES libunwind.h
+    DOC "The libunwind include directory"
+    HINTS ${LIBUNWIND_INCLUDE_DIR}
+    NO_DEFAULT_PATH
+)
+find_library(LIBUNWIND_LIBRARIES NAMES unwind
+    DOC "The libunwind library"
+    HINTS ${LIBUNWIND_LIBRARY}
+    NO_DEFAULT_PATH
+)
+
+# If that fails, check in CMake's default paths
+find_path(LIBUNWIND_INCLUDE_DIRS NAMES libunwind.h
+    DOC "The libunwind include directory"
+)
+find_library(LIBUNWIND_LIBRARIES NAMES unwind
+    DOC "The libunwind library"
+)
+
+include(${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/FindPackageHandleStandardArgs.cmake)
+FIND_PACKAGE_HANDLE_STANDARD_ARGS(LIBUNWIND
+                                  REQUIRED_VARS LIBUNWIND_LIBRARIES LIBUNWIND_INCLUDE_DIRS)
+
+if(LIBUNWIND_FOUND)
+  if(NOT TARGET libunwind)
+    add_library(libunwind UNKNOWN IMPORTED)
+    set_target_properties(libunwind PROPERTIES INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES "${LIBUNWIND_INCLUDE_DIRS}")
+    set_property(TARGET libunwind APPEND PROPERTY IMPORTED_LOCATION "${LIBUNWIND_LIBRARY}")
+  endif()
+endif()
diff --git a/cmake/check_system_functions.cmake b/cmake/check_system_functions.cmake
index 14aa261bed..4c8a2d4a05 100644
--- a/cmake/check_system_functions.cmake
+++ b/cmake/check_system_functions.cmake
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ check_include_files(mach/mach.h vt_has_mach_mach_h)
 check_include_files(sys/resource.h vt_has_sys_resource_h)
 check_include_files(unistd.h vt_has_unistd_h)
 check_include_files(inttypes.h vt_has_inttypes_h)
-check_include_files(libunwind.h vt_has_libunwind_h)
 check_include_files(execinfo.h vt_has_execinfo_h)
 
 check_function_exists(mstats vt_has_mstats)
diff --git a/cmake/link_vt.cmake b/cmake/link_vt.cmake
index e9a5c9c1e7..ffd0b8e821 100644
--- a/cmake/link_vt.cmake
+++ b/cmake/link_vt.cmake
@@ -94,13 +94,13 @@ function(link_target_with_vt)
   endif()
 
   if (NOT DEFINED ARG_LINK_UNWIND AND ${ARG_DEFAULT_LINK_SET} OR ARG_LINK_UNWIND)
-    if (vt_has_libunwind_h)
+    if (vt_feature_cmake_libunwind)
       if (${ARG_DEBUG_LINK})
         message(STATUS "link_target_with_vt: unwind=${ARG_LINK_UNWIND}")
       endif()
       if (NOT DEFINED APPLE)
         target_link_libraries(
-          ${ARG_TARGET} PUBLIC ${ARG_BUILD_TYPE} unwind
+          ${ARG_TARGET} PUBLIC ${ARG_BUILD_TYPE} ${LIBUNWIND_LIBRARIES}
         )
       endif()
     endif()
diff --git a/cmake/load_libunwind.cmake b/cmake/load_libunwind.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..96814f9d51
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmake/load_libunwind.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+set(vt_feature_cmake_libunwind "0")
+
+if(NOT DEFINED LIBUNWIND_ROOT)
+    set(LIBUNWIND_ROOT "/usr")
+endif()
+
+find_package(libunwind)
+
+if(LIBUNWIND_FOUND)
+    set(vt_feature_cmake_libunwind "1")
+endif()
diff --git a/cmake/load_packages.cmake b/cmake/load_packages.cmake
index fa7939d109..5932b51939 100644
--- a/cmake/load_packages.cmake
+++ b/cmake/load_packages.cmake
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@ find_package(Perl)
 # Doxygen package
 include(cmake/load_doxygen.cmake)
 
+# Optionally link with libunwind
+include(cmake/load_libunwind.cmake)
+
 # Optionally link with Zoltan
 include(cmake/load_zoltan_package.cmake)
 
diff --git a/cmake_config.h.in b/cmake_config.h.in
index c10bea5e62..ac4d937a4a 100644
--- a/cmake_config.h.in
+++ b/cmake_config.h.in
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@
 #define vt_feature_cmake_debug_verbose       @vt_feature_cmake_debug_verbose@
 #define vt_feature_cmake_rdma_tests          @vt_feature_cmake_rdma_tests@
 #define vt_feature_cmake_external_fmt        @vt_feature_cmake_external_fmt@
+#define vt_feature_cmake_libunwind           @vt_feature_cmake_libunwind@
 
 #define vt_detected_max_num_nodes @cmake_detected_max_num_nodes@
 
@@ -89,7 +90,6 @@
 #cmakedefine vt_has_unistd_h
 #cmakedefine vt_has_inttypes_h
 #cmakedefine vt_has_sysconf
-#cmakedefine vt_has_libunwind_h
 #cmakedefine vt_has_execinfo_h
 
 #if vt_feature_cmake_external_fmt
diff --git a/src/vt/configs/error/stack_out.cc b/src/vt/configs/error/stack_out.cc
index 97c5fd1520..467e0b33eb 100644
--- a/src/vt/configs/error/stack_out.cc
+++ b/src/vt/configs/error/stack_out.cc
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@
 
 #include <cxxabi.h>
 
-#if defined(vt_has_libunwind_h)
+#if vt_check_enabled(libunwind)
 # define UNW_LOCAL_ONLY
 # include <libunwind.h>
 #elif defined(vt_has_execinfo_h)
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ namespace vt { namespace debug { namespace stack {
 
 DumpStackType dumpStack(int skip) {
   DumpStackType stack;
-  #if defined(vt_has_libunwind_h)
+  #if vt_check_enabled(libunwind)
 
     unw_cursor_t cursor;
     unw_context_t context;
@@ -152,7 +152,8 @@ DumpStackType dumpStack(int skip) {
     std::free(symbols);
 
     return stack;
-  #else //neither libnunwind.h or libexecinfo.h is available
+  #else // neither libunwind.h nor libexecinfo.h is available
+    (void)skip;
     return stack;
   #endif
 }
diff --git a/src/vt/configs/features/features_defines.h b/src/vt/configs/features/features_defines.h
index d1455cc10d..d322443be6 100644
--- a/src/vt/configs/features/features_defines.h
+++ b/src/vt/configs/features/features_defines.h
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@
 #define vt_feature_production_build    0 || vt_feature_cmake_production_build
 #define vt_feature_debug_verbose       0 || vt_feature_cmake_debug_verbose
 #define vt_feature_fmt_external        0 || vt_feature_cmake_external_fmt
+#define vt_feature_libunwind           0 || vt_feature_cmake_libunwind
 
 #define vt_check_enabled(test_option) (vt_feature_ ## test_option != 0)
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/configs/test_stack_dumping.cc b/tests/unit/configs/test_stack_dumping.cc
index 9aac6ea480..2b2bc16750 100644
--- a/tests/unit/configs/test_stack_dumping.cc
+++ b/tests/unit/configs/test_stack_dumping.cc
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@
 
 namespace vt { namespace tests { namespace unit {
 
-#if defined(vt_has_libunwind_h) || defined(vt_has_execinfo_h)
+#if vt_check_enabled(libunwind) || defined(vt_has_execinfo_h)
 
   struct TestStackDumping : TestParallelHarness {};