diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 8f0c46698..41818e96d 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ set(USE_SDL2_DEFAULT ON)
 set(USE_SNDFILE_DEFAULT ON)
 set(SYSTEM_SDL2_DEFAULT OFF)
 
+include(CheckIncludeFile)
+
 if (ANDROID)
   set(USE_RTMIDI_DEFAULT OFF)
   set(USE_BACKWARD_DEFAULT OFF)
@@ -31,7 +33,17 @@ if (ANDROID)
   endif()
 else()
   set(USE_RTMIDI_DEFAULT ON)
-  set(USE_BACKWARD_DEFAULT ON)
+  CHECK_INCLUDE_FILE(execinfo.h EXECINFO_FOUND)
+  if (EXECINFO_FOUND)
+    set(USE_BACKWARD_DEFAULT ON)
+  else()
+    find_library(EXECINFO_IS_LIBRARY execinfo)
+    if (EXECINFO_IS_LIBRARY)
+      set(USE_BACKWARD_DEFAULT ON)
+    else()
+      set(USE_BACKWARD_DEFAULT OFF)
+    endif()
+  endif()
 endif()
 
 find_package(PkgConfig)
@@ -548,8 +560,6 @@ endif()
 if (NOT WIN32 AND NOT APPLE)
   list(APPEND GUI_SOURCES src/gui/icon.c)
 
-  include(CheckIncludeFile)
-
   CHECK_INCLUDE_FILE(sys/io.h SYS_IO_FOUND)
   CHECK_INCLUDE_FILE(linux/input.h LINUX_INPUT_FOUND)
   CHECK_INCLUDE_FILE(linux/kd.h LINUX_KD_FOUND)
@@ -574,6 +584,10 @@ if (USE_BACKWARD)
   if (WIN32 AND CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID STREQUAL "GNU")
     list(APPEND DEPENDENCIES_LIBRARIES dbghelp psapi)
   endif()
+  find_library(EXECINFO_IS_LIBRARY execinfo)
+  if (EXECINFO_IS_LIBRARY)
+    list(APPEND DEPENDENCIES_LIBRARIES execinfo)
+  endif()
   message(STATUS "Using backward-cpp")
 else()
   message(STATUS "Not using backward-cpp")