diff --git a/meta/classes/cmake.bbclass b/meta/classes/cmake.bbclass
index b0a3972d47..c1742461ab 100644
--- a/meta/classes/cmake.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes/cmake.bbclass
@@ -27,6 +27,9 @@ OECMAKE_RPATH ?= ""
 OECMAKE_PERLNATIVE_DIR ??= ""
 OECMAKE_EXTRA_ROOT_PATH ?= ""
 
+OECMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH_MODE_PROGRAM = "ONLY"
+OECMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH_MODE_PROGRAM_class-native = "BOTH"
+
 cmake_do_generate_toolchain_file() {
 	cat > ${WORKDIR}/toolchain.cmake <<EOF
 # CMake system name must be something like "Linux".
@@ -50,7 +53,7 @@ set( CMAKE_CXX_LINK_FLAGS "${OECMAKE_CXX_LINK_FLAGS}" CACHE STRING "LDFLAGS" )
 # up libraries and tools from the native build machine
 set( CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH ${STAGING_DIR_HOST} ${STAGING_DIR_NATIVE} ${CROSS_DIR} ${OECMAKE_PERLNATIVE_DIR} ${OECMAKE_EXTRA_ROOT_PATH} ${EXTERNAL_TOOLCHAIN})
 set( CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH_MODE_PACKAGE ONLY )
-set( CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH_MODE_PROGRAM ONLY )
+set( CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH_MODE_PROGRAM ${OECMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH_MODE_PROGRAM} )
 set( CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH_MODE_LIBRARY ONLY )
 set( CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH_MODE_INCLUDE ONLY )