diff --git a/cmake/load_local_packages.cmake b/cmake/load_local_packages.cmake
index b2eccfa0a3..ac98393db5 100644
--- a/cmake/load_local_packages.cmake
+++ b/cmake/load_local_packages.cmake
@@ -7,24 +7,20 @@ include(cmake/local_package.cmake)
 
 if (EXISTS "${PROJECT_LIB_DIR}/detector")
   add_subdirectory(${PROJECT_LIB_DIR}/detector)
-  set(vt_find_detector_dep 0)
 else()
   # require directories for these packages
   require_pkg_directory(detector "VT detector library")
   # find these required packages locally
   find_package_local(detector "${detector_DIR}" detector)
-  set(vt_find_detector_dep 1)
 endif()
 
 if (EXISTS "${PROJECT_LIB_DIR}/checkpoint")
   add_subdirectory(${PROJECT_LIB_DIR}/checkpoint)
-  set(vt_find_checkpoint_dep 0)
 else()
   # require directories for these packages
   require_pkg_directory(checkpoint "VT checkpoint library")
   # find these required packages locally
   find_package_local(checkpoint "${checkpoint_DIR}" checkpoint)
-  set(vt_find_checkpoint_dep 1)
 endif()
 
 set(CHECKPOINT_LIBRARY vt::lib::checkpoint)
diff --git a/cmake/local_package.cmake b/cmake/local_package.cmake
index 7c2d22ae84..8f8227fda9 100644
--- a/cmake/local_package.cmake
+++ b/cmake/local_package.cmake
@@ -24,6 +24,10 @@ endmacro(require_pkg_directory)
 
 macro(find_package_local pkg_name pkg_directory pkg_other_name)
   get_directory_property(hasParent PARENT_DIRECTORY)
+
+  # Whether we loaded the package in the following loop with find_package()
+  set(${pkg_name}_PACKAGE_LOADED 0)
+
   if(hasParent)
     # Skip this logic when this macro was not invoked from the
     # top-level CMakeLists.txt file under the assumption that this
@@ -31,7 +35,7 @@ macro(find_package_local pkg_name pkg_directory pkg_other_name)
     # Note that this will also skip if you call this macro from
     # a subdirectory in your own package, so just don't do it!
 
-    #message(STATUS "skipping find_package for ${pkg_name}")
+    # message(STATUS "skipping find_package for ${pkg_name}")
   else()
     message(
       STATUS "find_package_local: pkg name=\"${pkg_name}\", "
@@ -45,9 +49,6 @@ macro(find_package_local pkg_name pkg_directory pkg_other_name)
     # Default search paths: root, /cmake and /CMake subdirectories
     list(APPEND prefix_args "/" "/cmake" "/CMake")
 
-    # Whether we loaded the package in the following loop with find_package()
-    set(${pkg_name}_PACKAGE_LOADED 0)
-
     foreach(prefix ${prefix_args})
       set(potential_path ${pkg_directory}/${prefix})
       # message("prefix: ${potential_path}")
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index de91b9e551..88d4f10ef7 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -318,12 +318,12 @@ if (vt_libfort_enabled)
   install(TARGETS ${FORT_LIBRARY} EXPORT ${VIRTUAL_TRANSPORT_LIBRARY})
 endif()
 
-if (vt_find_detector_dep EQUAL 0)
+if (NOT detector_PACKAGE_LOADED)
   install(TARGETS detector EXPORT ${VIRTUAL_TRANSPORT_LIBRARY})
   set(DETECTOR_EXPORT detector)
 endif()
 
-if (vt_find_checkpoint_dep EQUAL 0)
+if (NOT checkpoint_PACKAGE_LOADED)
   install(TARGETS checkpoint EXPORT ${VIRTUAL_TRANSPORT_LIBRARY})
   set(CHECKPOINT_EXPORT checkpoint)
 endif()