--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
 
 MESSAGE(STATUS "Running cmake version ${CMAKE_VERSION}")
 
+SET(CMAKE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES_PROJECT_BEFORE ON)
 SET(CMAKE_MODULE_PATH ${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH}
   ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/Internal/CPack)
 
@@ -288,6 +289,9 @@
 ELSEIF (NOT ENABLED_LOCAL_INFILE MATCHES "^(ON|OFF|AUTO)$")
   MESSAGE(FATAL_ERROR "ENABLED_LOCAL_INFILE must be one of OFF, ON, AUTO")
 ENDIF()
+IF(SYSCONFDIR)
+  SET(DEFAULT_SYSCONFDIR "${SYSCONFDIR}")
+ENDIF()
 
 # Set DBUG_OFF and other optional release-only flags for non-debug project types
 FOREACH(BUILD_TYPE RELEASE RELWITHDEBINFO MINSIZEREL)