diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 5a70f6f8e..6d3c2240d 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -24,6 +24,24 @@ option(SIBLING_SEARCH "Search for other modules in sibling directories?" ON)
 set( USE_OPENMP_DEFAULT OFF ) # Use of OpenMP is considered experimental
 
 if(NOT OPM_COMMON_ROOT)
+  if(SIBLING_SEARCH AND NOT opm-common_DIR)
+    # guess the sibling dir
+    get_filename_component(_leaf_dir_name ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR} NAME)
+    get_filename_component(_parent_full_dir ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR} DIRECTORY)
+    get_filename_component(_parent_dir_name ${_parent_full_dir} NAME)
+    if(_parent_dir_name STREQUAL CMAKE_PROJECT_NAME)
+      #looks like <module-name>/<build-dir> is used
+      get_filename_component(_modules_dir ${_parent_full_dir} DIRECTORY)
+      if(IS_DIRECTORY ${_modules_dir}/opm-common/${_leaf_dir_name})
+        set(opm-common_DIR ${_modules_dir}/opm-common/${_leaf_dir_name})
+      endif()
+    elseif(_leaf_dir_name STREQUAL CMAKE_PROJECT_NAME)
+      # we assume <build-dir>/<module-name>
+      if(IS_DIRECTORY ${_parent_full_dir}/opm-common)
+        set(opm-common_DIR "${_parent_full_dir}/opm-common}")
+      endif()
+    endif()
+  endif()	
    find_package(opm-common QUIET)
 endif()