diff --git a/cmake/Modules/FindN2P2.cmake b/cmake/Modules/FindN2P2.cmake
index 6bf4da5a79..975f424a39 100644
--- a/cmake/Modules/FindN2P2.cmake
+++ b/cmake/Modules/FindN2P2.cmake
@@ -33,26 +33,28 @@ find_package_handle_standard_args(N2P2 DEFAULT_MSG
   N2P2_CMAKE_EXTRA)
 
 if(N2P2_FOUND)
-  add_library(N2P2::LIBNNP UNKNOWN IMPORTED)
-  set_target_properties(N2P2::LIBNNP PROPERTIES
-    INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES ${N2P2_INCLUDE_DIR}
-    IMPORTED_LOCATION ${N2P2_LIBNNP})
-  add_library(N2P2::LIBNNPIF UNKNOWN IMPORTED)
-  set_target_properties(N2P2::LIBNNPIF PROPERTIES
-    INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES ${N2P2_INCLUDE_DIR}
-    IMPORTED_LOCATION ${N2P2_LIBNNPIF})
-  add_library(N2P2::N2P2 INTERFACE IMPORTED)
-  set_property(TARGET N2P2::N2P2 PROPERTY
-    INTERFACE_LINK_LIBRARIES N2P2::LIBNNPIF N2P2::LIBNNP)
-  #set(N2P2_INCLUDE_DIRS ${N2P2_INCLUDE_DIR})
-  #set(N2P2_LIBRARIES ${N2P2_LIBNNPIF} ${N2P2_LIBNNP})
-  set(N2P2_CMAKE_EXTRAS ${N2P2_CMAKE_EXTRA})
-
-  mark_as_advanced(
-    N2P2_DIR
-    N2P2_INCLUDE_DIR
-    N2P2_LIBNNP
-    N2P2_LIBNNPIF
-    N2P2_CMAKE_EXTRA
-  )
+  if (NOT TARGET N2P2::N2P2)
+    add_library(N2P2::LIBNNP UNKNOWN IMPORTED)
+    set_target_properties(N2P2::LIBNNP PROPERTIES
+      INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES ${N2P2_INCLUDE_DIR}
+      IMPORTED_LOCATION ${N2P2_LIBNNP})
+    add_library(N2P2::LIBNNPIF UNKNOWN IMPORTED)
+    set_target_properties(N2P2::LIBNNPIF PROPERTIES
+      INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES ${N2P2_INCLUDE_DIR}
+      IMPORTED_LOCATION ${N2P2_LIBNNPIF})
+    add_library(N2P2::N2P2 INTERFACE IMPORTED)
+    set_property(TARGET N2P2::N2P2 PROPERTY
+      INTERFACE_LINK_LIBRARIES N2P2::LIBNNPIF N2P2::LIBNNP)
+    #set(N2P2_INCLUDE_DIRS ${N2P2_INCLUDE_DIR})
+    #set(N2P2_LIBRARIES ${N2P2_LIBNNPIF} ${N2P2_LIBNNP})
+    set(N2P2_CMAKE_EXTRAS ${N2P2_CMAKE_EXTRA})
+  endif()
 endif()
+
+mark_as_advanced(
+  N2P2_DIR
+  N2P2_INCLUDE_DIR
+  N2P2_LIBNNP
+  N2P2_LIBNNPIF
+  N2P2_CMAKE_EXTRA
+)
diff --git a/cmake/Modules/Packages/USER-HDNNP.cmake b/cmake/Modules/Packages/USER-HDNNP.cmake
index 2d5fb406be..2517e3304d 100644
--- a/cmake/Modules/Packages/USER-HDNNP.cmake
+++ b/cmake/Modules/Packages/USER-HDNNP.cmake
@@ -1,42 +1,41 @@
-find_package(N2P2 REQUIRED)
-#target_include_directories(lammps PRIVATE ${N2P2_INCLUDE_DIRS})
-#target_link_libraries(lammps PRIVATE ${N2P2_LIBRARIES})
-target_link_libraries(lammps PRIVATE N2P2::N2P2)
-include(${N2P2_CMAKE_EXTRAS})
+find_package(N2P2 QUIET)
+if(N2P2_FOUND)
+  set(DOWNLOAD_N2P2_DEFAULT OFF)
+else()
+  set(DOWNLOAD_N2P2_DEFAULT ON)
+endif()
+option(DOWNLOAD_N2P2 "Download n2p2 library instead of using an already installed one)" ${DOWNLOAD_N2P2_DEFAULT})
+if(DOWNLOAD_N2P2)
+  set(N2P2_URL "https://github.com/CompPhysVienna/n2p2/archive/v2.1.2.tar.gz" CACHE STRING "URL for n2p2 tarball")
+  set(N2P2_MD5 "20cf194d14b1f1c72f38879bafda67e2" CACHE STRING "MD5 checksum of N2P2 tarball")
+  mark_as_advanced(N2P2_URL)
+  mark_as_advanced(N2P2_MD5)
 
-#find_package(N2P2 QUIET)
-#if(N2P2_FOUND)
-#  set(DOWNLOAD_N2P2_DEFAULT OFF)
-#else()
-#  set(DOWNLOAD_N2P2_DEFAULT ON)
-#endif()
-#option(DOWNLOAD_N2P2 "Download n2p2 library instead of using an already installed one)" ${DOWNLOAD_N2P2_DEFAULT})
-#if(DOWNLOAD_N2P2)
-#  set(N2P2_URL "https://github.com/CompPhysVienna/n2p2/archive/v2.1.2.tar.gz" CACHE STRING "URL for n2p2 tarball")
-#  set(N2P2_MD5 "20cf194d14b1f1c72f38879bafda67e2" CACHE STRING "MD5 checksum of N2P2 tarball")
-#  mark_as_advanced(N2P2_URL)
-#  mark_as_advanced(N2P2_MD5)
-#
-#  include(ExternalProject)
-#  ExternalProject_Add(n2p2_build
-#    URL     ${N2P2_URL}
-#    URL_MD5 ${N2P2_MD5}
-#    SOURCE_SUBDIR src/
-#    BUILD_COMMAND make libnnpif
-#    INSTALL_COMMAND ""
-#    BUILD_BYPRODUCTS <INSTALL_DIR>/lib/libnnp.a <INSTALL_DIR>/lib/libnnpif.a
-#    )
-#  ExternalProject_get_property(n2p2_build INSTALL_DIR)
-#  add_library(LAMMPS::N2P2 UNKNOWN IMPORTED)
-#  set_target_properties(LAMMPS::N2P2 PROPERTIES
-#    IMPORTED_LOCATION "${INSTALL_DIR}/lib/libnnp.a"
-#    INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES "${INSTALL_DIR}/include")
-#  target_link_libraries(lammps PRIVATE LAMMPS::N2P2)
-#  add_dependencies(LAMMPS::N2P2 n2p2_build)
-#else()
-#  find_package(N2P2)
-#  if(NOT N2P2_FOUND)
-#    message(FATAL_ERROR "n2p2 not found, help CMake to find it by setting N2P2_DIR, or set DOWNLOAD_N2P2=ON to download it")
-#  endif()
-#  target_link_libraries(lammps PRIVATE N2P2::N2P2)
-#endif()
+  include(ExternalProject)
+  ExternalProject_Add(n2p2_build
+    DOWNLOAD_DIR ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}
+    URL     ${N2P2_URL}
+    URL_MD5 ${N2P2_MD5}
+    UPDATE_COMMAND ""
+    SOURCE_SUBDIR src/
+    BUILD_IN_SOURCE 1
+    CONFIGURE_COMMAND ""
+    BUILD_COMMAND "make libnnpif"
+    INSTALL_COMMAND ""
+    #BUILD_BYPRODUCTS <INSTALL_DIR>/lib/libnnp.a <INSTALL_DIR>/lib/libnnpif.a
+    )
+  ExternalProject_get_property(n2p2_build INSTALL_DIR)
+  add_library(LAMMPS::N2P2 STATIC IMPORTED GLOBAL)
+  set_target_properties(LAMMPS::N2P2 PROPERTIES
+    IMPORTED_LOCATION "${INSTALL_DIR}/lib/libnnp.a"
+    INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES "${INSTALL_DIR}/include")
+  target_link_libraries(lammps PRIVATE LAMMPS::N2P2)
+  add_dependencies(LAMMPS::N2P2 n2p2_build)
+else()
+  find_package(N2P2)
+  if(NOT N2P2_FOUND)
+    message(FATAL_ERROR "n2p2 not found, help CMake to find it by setting N2P2_DIR, or set DOWNLOAD_N2P2=ON to download it")
+  endif()
+  target_link_libraries(lammps PRIVATE N2P2::N2P2)
+  include(${N2P2_CMAKE_EXTRAS})
+endif()