diff --git a/bin/dunecontrol b/bin/dunecontrol
index 2bd80f666c78238ab7d7972ca583a0fffa2a9b8c..73cc3982b9856e11e181b467446873b5099609ed 100755
--- a/bin/dunecontrol
+++ b/bin/dunecontrol
@@ -172,6 +172,10 @@ load_opts() {
         if test -n "$OPTS_FILE_USE_CMAKE"; then
           USE_CMAKE="$OPTS_FILE_USE_CMAKE"
         fi
+        # if still no USE_CMAKE is set, default to true
+        if test -z "$USE_CMAKE"; then
+          USE_CMAKE="yes"
+        fi
       fi
       if test -n "$USE_CMAKE" && test -z "$CMAKE"; then
         # We use cmake for building, but CMAKE is not yet set.
@@ -581,7 +585,7 @@ run_default_update () {
 }
 
 run_default_autogen () {
-  if test "x$USE_CMAKE" != "xyes" || test  ! -e "$(eval "echo \$PATH_$module")/CMakeLists.txt" ; then
+  if test "x$USE_CMAKE" = "xno" || test  ! -e "$(eval "echo \$PATH_$module")/CMakeLists.txt" ; then
     PARAMS="$CMD_FLAGS"
     local M4_PATH=""
     if test -f configure.ac && \
@@ -608,7 +612,7 @@ run_default_autogen () {
 run_default_configure () {
   extract_multiarch
   PARAMS="$CMD_FLAGS"
-  if test "x$USE_CMAKE" = "xyes" && test -e "$(eval "echo \$PATH_$module")/CMakeLists.txt"; then
+  if test "x$USE_CMAKE" != "xno" && test -e "$(eval "echo \$PATH_$module")/CMakeLists.txt"; then
     LOCAL_USE_CMAKE=yes
   else
     LOCAL_USE_CMAKE=no