diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index c032bbee0..ff4f88536 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -197,7 +197,14 @@ else()
   message(STATUS "Could not find DATABASE in env (not required unless you want to change database type from default: ${DATABASE})")
 endif()
 
-set(BERKELEY_DB 0)
+set(BERKELEY_DB_OVERRIDE 0)
+if (DEFINED ENV{BERKELEY_DB})
+  set(BERKELEY_DB_OVERRIDE 1)
+  set(BERKELEY_DB $ENV{BERKELEY_DB})
+elseif()
+  set(BERKELEY_DB 0)
+endif()
+
 if (DATABASE STREQUAL "lmdb")
   set(BLOCKCHAIN_DB DB_LMDB)
 
@@ -206,7 +213,9 @@ if (DATABASE STREQUAL "lmdb")
   if(NOT STATIC OR MINGW)
     find_package(BerkeleyDB)
 
-    if(NOT BERKELEY_DB_LIBRARIES)
+    if(BERKELEY_DB_OVERRIDE AND NOT BERKELEY_DB)
+      message(STATUS "BERKELEY_DB setting has been overridden and disabled")
+    elseif(NOT BERKELEY_DB_LIBRARIES)
       message(STATUS "BerkeleyDB not found and has been disabled.")
     else()
       message(STATUS "Found BerkeleyDB include (db.h) in ${BERKELEY_DB_INCLUDE_DIR}")