diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index d0dc010bd1c..7227f87edc6 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -311,6 +311,9 @@ CHECK_C_SOURCE_COMPILES("
       choke me
 #endif
 int main() {return 0;}" HAVE_NETCDF_PAR)
+if (HAVE_NETCDF_PAR)
+  set(_NETCDF4 1)
+endif ()
 
 ###
 # Check to see if szip write capability is present in netcdf-c.
diff --git a/cmake_config.h.in b/cmake_config.h.in
index b7ed181b372..943da4d0939 100644
--- a/cmake_config.h.in
+++ b/cmake_config.h.in
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@
 
 #define USE_VARD @USE_VARD@
 
+#cmakedefine HAVE_NETCDF4
+#cmakedefine HAVE_NETCDF_PAR
+
 /* Does netCDF and HDF5 support parallel I/O filters? */
 #cmakedefine HAVE_PAR_FILTERS
 
diff --git a/src/clib/CMakeLists.txt b/src/clib/CMakeLists.txt
index 8380701c93c..59e0aebc930 100644
--- a/src/clib/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/clib/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -98,10 +98,10 @@ if (NetCDF_C_FOUND)
   #   PUBLIC _NETCDF)
   target_link_libraries (pioc
     PUBLIC ${NetCDF_C_LIBRARIES})
-  # if (${NetCDF_C_HAS_PARALLEL})
+  if (${NetCDF_C_HAS_PARALLEL})
   #   target_compile_definitions (pioc
   #     PUBLIC _NETCDF4)
-  # endif ()
+  endif ()
   if (${NetCDF_C_LOGGING_ENABLED})
     target_compile_definitions (pioc
       PUBLIC NETCDF_C_LOGGING_ENABLED)