diff --git a/cmake/Modules/Packages/KIM.cmake b/cmake/Modules/Packages/KIM.cmake
index 259d8f057c..40811c610d 100644
--- a/cmake/Modules/Packages/KIM.cmake
+++ b/cmake/Modules/Packages/KIM.cmake
@@ -1,16 +1,24 @@
 if(PKG_KIM)
+  set(KIM-API_MIN_VERSION 2.1)
   find_package(CURL)
   if(CURL_FOUND)
     include_directories(${CURL_INCLUDE_DIRS})
     list(APPEND LAMMPS_LINK_LIBS ${CURL_LIBRARIES})
     add_definitions(-DLMP_KIM_CURL)
   endif()
-  find_package(KIM-API 2.1 QUIET)
+  find_package(KIM-API QUIET)
   if(KIM-API_FOUND)
-    set(DOWNLOAD_KIM_DEFAULT OFF)
+    if (KIM-API_VERSION VERSION_LESS ${KIM-API_MIN_VERSION})
+      if ("${DOWNLOAD_KIM}" STREQUAL "")
+        message(WARNING "Unsuitable KIM-API version \"${KIM-API_VERSION}\" found, but required is at least \"${KIM-API_MIN_VERSION}\".  Default behavior set to download and build our own.")
+      endif()
+      set(DOWNLOAD_KIM_DEFAULT ON)
+    else()
+      set(DOWNLOAD_KIM_DEFAULT OFF)
+    endif()
   else()
-    if (NOT DOWNLOAD_KIM)
-      message(WARNING "KIM-API package not found.  We will download and build our own")
+    if ("${DOWNLOAD_KIM}" STREQUAL "")
+      message(WARNING "KIM-API package not found.  Default behaivor set to download and build our own")
     endif()
     set(DOWNLOAD_KIM_DEFAULT ON)
   endif()
@@ -42,7 +50,7 @@ if(PKG_KIM)
     set(KIM-API_LDFLAGS ${INSTALL_DIR}/${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}/libkim-api${CMAKE_SHARED_LIBRARY_SUFFIX})
     list(APPEND LAMMPS_DEPS kim_build)
   else()
-    find_package(KIM-API 2.1 REQUIRED)
+    find_package(KIM-API ${KIM-API_MIN_VERSION} REQUIRED)
   endif()
   list(APPEND LAMMPS_LINK_LIBS "${KIM-API_LDFLAGS}")
   include_directories(${KIM-API_INCLUDE_DIRS})