diff --git a/preferences/Preferences.cpp b/preferences/Preferences.cpp
index 4a13224..bd2426d 100644
--- a/preferences/Preferences.cpp
+++ b/preferences/Preferences.cpp
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 #include <QFont>
 #include <QPalette>
 #include <QtGlobal>
-#include <yaml-cpp/yaml.h>
+#include <yaml.h>
 #include <fstream>
 
 // TODO: implement versioning for preference files
diff --git a/preferences/TextColor.cpp b/preferences/TextColor.cpp
index a2ebf42..9214b42 100644
--- a/preferences/TextColor.cpp
+++ b/preferences/TextColor.cpp
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 #include "session/SessionCommon.h"
 #include <QApplication>
 #include <QColor>
-#include <yaml-cpp/yaml.h>
+#include <yaml.h>
 
 const std::string FOREGROUND_KEY = "foreground";
 const std::string BACKGROUND_KEY = "background";
diff --git a/session/AppSession.cpp b/session/AppSession.cpp
index f1070cc..54f8922 100644
--- a/session/AppSession.cpp
+++ b/session/AppSession.cpp
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 #include "FileSession.h"
 #include "SearchSession.h"
 #include "SessionCommon.h"
-#include <yaml-cpp/yaml.h>
+#include <yaml.h>
 #include <fstream>
 
 const std::string AppSession::GEOMETRY_KEY = "geometry";
diff --git a/session/FileSession.cpp b/session/FileSession.cpp
index e37357a..b223a65 100644
--- a/session/FileSession.cpp
+++ b/session/FileSession.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #include "FileSession.h"
 #include "SessionCommon.h"
-#include <yaml-cpp/yaml.h>
+#include <yaml.h>
 
 const std::string FileSession::PATH_KEY = "path";
 const std::string FileSession::ADDRESS_KEY = "address";
diff --git a/session/SearchSession.cpp b/session/SearchSession.cpp
index a3a6531..c80e37b 100644
--- a/session/SearchSession.cpp
+++ b/session/SearchSession.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #include "SearchSession.h"
 #include "SessionCommon.h"
-#include <yaml-cpp/yaml.h>
+#include <yaml.h>
 
 
 const std::string SearchSession::EXPRESSION_KEY = "expression";
diff --git a/session/SessionCommon.h b/session/SessionCommon.h
index 8ba14fd..5df3c1e 100644
--- a/session/SessionCommon.h
+++ b/session/SessionCommon.h
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 // TODO: move this to a yaml subdirectory, since it's being used by preferences serialization, not just session.
 
-#include <yaml-cpp/yaml.h>
+#include <yaml.h>
 #include <string>
 
 template <typename T> T getValue(const YAML::Node & in, const std::string & key)
diff --git a/yata.pro b/yata.pro
index 422f19e..b8fcf8d 100644
--- a/yata.pro
+++ b/yata.pro
@@ -107,8 +107,6 @@ SOURCES += \
 RESOURCES += \
     resource/resources.qrc
 
-#QT += widgets
-
 win32 {
     isEmpty(YAMLCPP): YAMLCPP = $$PWD/../yaml-cpp
     INCLUDEPATH += $$YAMLCPP/include
@@ -120,12 +118,37 @@ win32 {
             /DVERSION=$$VERSION $$PWD\\win\\installer.nsi
         INSTALLS += target
     }
+	LIBS += -lyaml-cpp
+}
+
+defineReplace(findFile) {
+	baseDirs=$$1
+	components=$$2
+	for(baseDir, baseDirs) {
+		for(component, components) {
+			path=$$baseDir/$$component
+			exists($$path) {
+				return($$path)
+			}
+		}
+	}
 }
 
 unix {
+	isEmpty(YAMLCPPINC) {
+
+		includeDirs=/usr/local/include /usr/include
+		prospectives=yaml-cpp03 yaml-cpp
+
+		YAMLCPPINC=$$findFile($$includeDirs, $$prospectives)
+
+		isEmpty(YAMLCPPINC): error(Could not find yaml-cpp include path)
+	}
+	message(YAMLCPPINC: $$YAMLCPPINC)
+	INCLUDEPATH += $$YAMLCPPINC
     isEmpty(INSTALLDIR): INSTALLDIR = /usr/local/bin
     target.path = $$INSTALLDIR
     INSTALLS += target
-}
 
-LIBS += -lyaml-cpp
+	LIBS += -l:libyaml-cpp.so.0.3
+}