diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 0201f94..7c9d5d9 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -41,9 +41,6 @@ set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED ON)
 if (EXTERNAL_HIGHFIVE)
   find_package(HighFive REQUIRED)
 endif()
-if (EXTERNAL_GHC_FILESYSTEM)
-  find_package(ghc_filesystem REQUIRED)
-endif()
 if (EXTERNAL_PYBIND11)
   find_package(pybind11 REQUIRED CONFIG)
 endif()
diff --git a/MANIFEST.in b/MANIFEST.in
index 930eae7..b1c2325 100644
--- a/MANIFEST.in
+++ b/MANIFEST.in
@@ -17,10 +17,10 @@ include 3rdparty/lexertl14/CMakeLists.txt
 recursive-include 3rdparty/lexertl14/include/lexertl *
 
 # ghc::filesystem
-recursive-include 3rdparty/ghc_filesystem/include *
-recursive-include 3rdparty/ghc_filesystem/cmake *
-include 3rdparty/ghc_filesystem/CMakeLists.txt
-include 3rdparty/ghc_filesystem/LICENSE
+#recursive-include 3rdparty/ghc_filesystem/include *
+#recursive-include 3rdparty/ghc_filesystem/cmake *
+#include 3rdparty/ghc_filesystem/CMakeLists.txt
+#include 3rdparty/ghc_filesystem/LICENSE
 
 # pybind11 for python bindings
 recursive-include binds/python/pybind11/include *
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index d321d3c..bd1c414 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -67,8 +67,6 @@ target_include_directories(morphio_obj
    $<TARGET_PROPERTY:gsl-lite,INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES>
    $<TARGET_PROPERTY:HighFive,INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES>
    $<TARGET_PROPERTY:lexertl,INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES>
-  PRIVATE
-   $<TARGET_PROPERTY:ghc_filesystem,INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES>
   )
 
 set_target_properties(morphio_obj