diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0e22d48
--- /dev/null
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,196 @@
+cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.18)
+list(APPEND CMAKE_MODULE_PATH "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake")
+
+project(pybind11_protobuf )
+
+if(MSVC)
+  set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 20)
+else()
+  set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 17)
+endif()
+set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED ON)
+set(CMAKE_CXX_EXTENSIONS OFF)
+
+
+#============================================================================
+# Warnings
+
+message(WARNING "CI testing for pybind11_protobuf cmake is currently MISSING! (https://github.com/pybind/pybind11_protobuf/issues/104)")
+
+#============================================================================
+# Options
+
+option(BUILD_absl "Build the abseil-cpp dependency Library" ON)
+message(STATUS "Build abseil-cpp: ${BUILD_absl}")
+
+option(BUILD_protobuf "Build the Protobuf dependency Library" ON)
+message(STATUS "Build protobuf: ${BUILD_protobuf}")
+
+option(BUILD_pybind11 "Build the pybind11 dependency Library" ON)
+message(STATUS "Python: Build pybind11: ${BUILD_pybind11}")
+
+#============================================================================
+# Find Python
+ 
+find_package(Python COMPONENTS Interpreter Development)
+
+#============================================================================
+# Build dependencies
+
+add_subdirectory(cmake/dependencies dependencies)
+
+include(deps)
+
+include(CMakeFindDependencyMacro)
+include(FindProtobuf)
+if (NOT protobuf_FOUND AND NOT PROTOBUF_FOUND AND NOT TARGET protobuf::libprotobuf)
+  if (BUILD_protobuf)
+    find_dependency(protobuf CONFIG REQUIRED)
+  endif()
+endif()
+
+#============================================================================
+# Debug messages for find_package
+
+# message("pybind11_FOUND: ${pybind11_FOUND}")
+# message("pybind11_VERSION: ${pybind11_VERSION}")
+# message("pybind11_VERSION_TYPE: ${pybind11_VERSION_TYPE}")
+# message("pybind11_INCLUDE_DIRS: ${pybind11_INCLUDE_DIRS}")
+# message("pybind11_INCLUDE_DIR: ${pybind11_INCLUDE_DIR}")
+# message("pybind11_DEFINITIONS: ${pybind11_DEFINITIONS}")
+# message("pybind11_LIBRARIES: ${pybind11_LIBRARIES}")
+
+# message("Python_FOUND: ${Python_FOUND}")
+# message("Python_VERSION: ${Python_VERSION}")
+# message("Python_INCLUDE_DIRS: ${Python_INCLUDE_DIRS}")
+# message("Python_LIBRARIES: ${Python_LIBRARIES}")
+
+# message("protobuf_FOUND: ${protobuf_FOUND}")
+# message("protobuf_VERSION: ${protobuf_VERSION}")
+# message("protobuf_INCLUDE_DIRS: ${protobuf_INCLUDE_DIRS}")
+# message("protobuf_SOURCE_DIR: ${protobuf_SOURCE_DIR}")
+# message("protobuf_LIBRARIES: ${protobuf_LIBRARIES}")
+
+#============================================================================
+# pybind11_proto_utils pybind11 extension module
+pybind11_add_module(pybind11_proto_utils MODULE
+  pybind11_protobuf/proto_utils.cc
+  pybind11_protobuf/proto_utils.h
+)
+
+target_link_libraries(pybind11_proto_utils
+  PRIVATE
+    absl::strings
+    protobuf::libprotobuf
+    ${Python_LIBRARIES}
+)
+
+target_include_directories(pybind11_proto_utils
+  PRIVATE
+    ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}
+    ${protobuf_INCLUDE_DIRS}
+    ${protobuf_SOURCE_DIR}
+    ${pybind11_INCLUDE_DIRS}
+)
+
+#============================================================================
+# pybind11_native_proto_caster shared library
+add_library(pybind11_native_proto_caster SHARED
+  # bazel: pybind_library: native_proto_caster
+  pybind11_protobuf/native_proto_caster.h
+
+  # bazel: pybind_library: enum_type_caster
+  pybind11_protobuf/enum_type_caster.h
+  
+  # bazel: pybind_library: proto_cast_util
+  pybind11_protobuf/proto_cast_util.cc
+  pybind11_protobuf/proto_cast_util.h
+  pybind11_protobuf/proto_caster_impl.h
+  
+  # bazel: cc_library::check_unknown_fields
+  pybind11_protobuf/check_unknown_fields.cc
+  pybind11_protobuf/check_unknown_fields.h
+)
+
+target_link_libraries(pybind11_native_proto_caster
+  absl::flat_hash_map
+  absl::flat_hash_set
+  absl::hash
+  absl::strings
+  absl::optional
+  protobuf::libprotobuf
+  pybind11::pybind11
+  ${Python_LIBRARIES}
+)
+
+target_include_directories(pybind11_native_proto_caster
+  PRIVATE
+    ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}
+    ${protobuf_INCLUDE_DIRS}
+    ${protobuf_SOURCE_DIR}
+    ${pybind11_INCLUDE_DIRS}
+)
+
+#============================================================================
+# pybind11_wrapped_proto_caster shared library
+add_library(pybind11_wrapped_proto_caster SHARED
+  # bazel: pybind_library: wrapped_proto_caster
+  pybind11_protobuf/wrapped_proto_caster.h
+
+  # bazel: pybind_library: proto_cast_util
+  pybind11_protobuf/proto_cast_util.cc
+  pybind11_protobuf/proto_cast_util.h
+  pybind11_protobuf/proto_caster_impl.h
+
+  # bazel: cc_library: check_unknown_fields
+  pybind11_protobuf/check_unknown_fields.cc
+  pybind11_protobuf/check_unknown_fields.h
+)
+
+target_link_libraries(pybind11_wrapped_proto_caster
+  absl::flat_hash_map
+  absl::flat_hash_set
+  absl::hash
+  absl::strings
+  absl::optional
+  protobuf::libprotobuf
+  pybind11::pybind11
+  ${Python_LIBRARIES}
+)
+
+target_include_directories(pybind11_wrapped_proto_caster
+  PRIVATE
+    ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}
+    ${protobuf_INCLUDE_DIRS}
+    ${protobuf_SOURCE_DIR}
+    ${pybind11_INCLUDE_DIRS}
+)
+
+# TODO set defines
+# PYBIND11_PROTOBUF_ENABLE_PYPROTO_API
+# see: bazel: pybind_library: proto_cast_util
+
+# bazel equivs. checklist
+# 
+# bazel: pybind_library: enum_type_caster
+#   - enum_type_caster.h
+# 
+# bazel: pybind_library: native_proto_caster
+#   - native_proto_caster.h
+#
+#     check_unknown_fields
+#     enum_type_caster
+#     proto_cast_util
+# 
+# bazel: pybind_library: proto_cast_util
+#   - proto_cast_util.cc
+#   - proto_cast_util.h
+#   - proto_caster_impl.h
+# 
+#     check_unknown_fields
+# 
+# bazel: pybind_library: wrapped_proto_caster
+#   - wrapped_proto_caster.h
+# 
+#     proto_cast_util
+# 
diff --git a/cmake/dependencies/CMakeLists.txt b/cmake/dependencies/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8b172aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmake/dependencies/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+include(FetchContent)
+
+#============================================================================
+# Declare all dependencies first
+
+if(BUILD_absl)
+  FetchContent_Declare(
+    absl
+    GIT_REPOSITORY "https://github.com/abseil/abseil-cpp.git"
+    GIT_TAG "20220623.1"
+  )
+endif()
+
+# https://stackoverflow.com/questions/63309544/cmake-protobuf-external-to-application-code
+# https://cmake.org/cmake/help/latest/policy/CMP0077.html
+# https://gitlab.kitware.com/cmake/cmake/-/merge_requests/7565/diffs
+if(BUILD_protobuf)
+  set(protobuf_BUILD_TESTS OFF CACHE INTERNAL "")
+  FetchContent_Declare(
+    protobuf
+    GIT_REPOSITORY "https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf.git"
+    GIT_TAG "v21.5"
+    GIT_SUBMODULES ""
+  )
+endif()
+
+if(BUILD_pybind11)
+  set(PYBIND11_TEST OFF)
+  FetchContent_Declare(
+    pybind11
+    GIT_REPOSITORY "https://github.com/pybind/pybind11.git"
+    GIT_TAG "v2.10.1"
+  )
+endif()
+
+#============================================================================
+# Make dependencies avaialble
+
+if(BUILD_absl)
+  message(CHECK_START "Fetching Abseil-cpp")
+  list(APPEND CMAKE_MESSAGE_INDENT "  ")
+  FetchContent_MakeAvailable(absl)
+  list(POP_BACK CMAKE_MESSAGE_INDENT)
+  message(CHECK_PASS "fetched")
+endif()
+
+if(BUILD_protobuf)
+  message(CHECK_START "Fetching protobuf")
+  list(APPEND CMAKE_MESSAGE_INDENT "  ")
+  FetchContent_MakeAvailable(protobuf)
+  list(POP_BACK CMAKE_MESSAGE_INDENT)
+  message(CHECK_PASS "fetched")
+endif()
+
+if(BUILD_pybind11)
+  message(CHECK_START "Fetching pybind11")
+  list(APPEND CMAKE_MESSAGE_INDENT "  ")
+  FetchContent_MakeAvailable(pybind11)
+  list(POP_BACK CMAKE_MESSAGE_INDENT)
+  message(CHECK_PASS "fetched")
+endif()
+
diff --git a/cmake/deps.cmake b/cmake/deps.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1de23be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmake/deps.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+if(NOT BUILD_absl)
+  find_package(absl REQUIRED)
+endif()
+
+if(NOT BUILD_protobuf)
+  find_package(protobuf REQUIRED)
+endif()
+
+if(NOT BUILD_pybind11)
+  find_package(pybind11 REQUIRED)
+endif()
+
diff --git a/pybind11_protobuf/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/pybind11_protobuf/tests/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8a0222b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pybind11_protobuf/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+#============================================================================
+# tests
+#============================================================================
+
+#============================================================================
+# generate protobuf bindings
+
+set(Protobuf_IMPORT_DIRS
+  "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/../../..;${Protobuf_IMPORT_DIRS}"
+)
+
+protobuf_generate_cpp(PROTO_SRCS PROTO_HDRS
+  # extension.proto
+  test.proto
+)
+
+protobuf_generate_python(PROTO_PYS
+  # extension.proto
+  test.proto
+)
+
+#============================================================================
+# adding a custom target forces CMake to generate the bindings
+
+add_custom_target(pybind11_test_proto_cpp ALL DEPENDS ${PROTO_SRCS} ${PROTO_HDRS})
+add_custom_target(pybind11_test_proto_python ALL DEPENDS ${PROTO_PYS})
+
+#============================================================================
+# generate protobuf library
+
+add_library(pybind11_test_proto ${PROTO_SRCS} ${PROTO_HDR})
+
+target_include_directories(pybind11_test_proto
+  PUBLIC
+    ${Protobuf_INCLUDE_DIR}
+)