diff --git a/cmake/FindHeffteFFTW.cmake b/cmake/FindHeffteFFTW.cmake
index 3e96d91..fc9a67f 100644
--- a/cmake/FindHeffteFFTW.cmake
+++ b/cmake/FindHeffteFFTW.cmake
@@ -73,22 +73,34 @@ if (NOT FFTW_LIBRARIES)
         PREFIX ${FFTW_ROOT}
         VAR FFTW_LIBRARIES
         REQUIRED "fftw3" "fftw3f"
-        OPTIONAL "fftw3_threads" "fftw3f_threads")
+        OPTIONAL "")
     heffte_find_fftw_libraries(
         PREFIX ${FFTW_ROOT}
         VAR FFTW_OMP_LIBRARIES
         REQUIRED ""
         OPTIONAL "fftw3_omp" "fftw3f_omp")
+    heffte_find_fftw_libraries(
+        PREFIX ${FFTW_ROOT}
+        VAR FFTW_THREADS_LIBRARIES
+        REQUIRED ""
+        OPTIONAL "fftw3_threads" "fftw3f_threads")
 
     if (FFTW_OMP_LIBRARIES)
-        list(APPEND FFTW_OMP_LIBRARIES "${FFTW_LIBRARIES}")
+        list(PREPEND FFTW_LIBRARIES "${FFTW_OMP_LIBRARIES}")
         if (Heffte_FFTW_LIBOMP)
             list(APPEND FFTW_LIBRARIES "${Heffte_FFTW_LIBOMP}")
         else()
             find_package(OpenMP REQUIRED)
             list(APPEND FFTW_LIBRARIES OpenMP::OpenMP_CXX)
         endif()
+    elseif (FFTW_THREADS_LIBRARIES)
+        list(PREPEND FFTW_LIBRARIES "${FFTW_THREADS_LIBRARIES}")
+        set(THREADS_PREFER_PTHREAD_FLAG TRUE)
+        find_package(Threads REQUIRED)
+        list(APPEND FFTW_LIBRARIES Threads::Threads)
     endif()
+
+    message(STATUS "FFTW_LIBRARIES = ${FFTW_LIBRARIES}")
 endif()
 
 # respect user provided FFTW_INCLUDES
diff --git a/cmake/HeffteConfig.cmake b/cmake/HeffteConfig.cmake
index 1c0e78f..2de4cca 100644
--- a/cmake/HeffteConfig.cmake
+++ b/cmake/HeffteConfig.cmake
@@ -8,13 +8,22 @@ endif()
 
 include("${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/HeffteTargets.cmake")
 
-if (@Heffte_ENABLE_FFTW@ AND NOT TARGET Heffte::FFTW)
-    add_library(Heffte::FFTW INTERFACE IMPORTED GLOBAL)
+if ("@Heffte_ENABLE_FFTW@")
+    # find dependencies
     if ("@OpenMP_FOUND@")
         find_package(OpenMP REQUIRED)
     endif()
-    target_link_libraries(Heffte::FFTW INTERFACE @FFTW_LIBRARIES@)
-    set_target_properties(Heffte::FFTW PROPERTIES INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES @FFTW_INCLUDES@)
+    if (NOT "@FFTW_THREADS_LIBRARIES@" STREQUAL "")
+        set(THREADS_PREFER_PTHREAD_FLAG TRUE)
+        find_package(Threads REQUIRED)
+    endif()
+
+    # add the target, if missing
+    if (NOT TARGET Heffte::FFTW)
+        add_library(Heffte::FFTW INTERFACE IMPORTED GLOBAL)
+        target_link_libraries(Heffte::FFTW INTERFACE @FFTW_LIBRARIES@)
+        set_target_properties(Heffte::FFTW PROPERTIES INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES @FFTW_INCLUDES@)
+    endif()
 endif()
 
 if (@Heffte_ENABLE_MKL@ AND NOT TARGET Heffte::MKL)