diff --git a/CMakeExternals/ITK.cmake b/CMakeExternals/ITK.cmake
index 94cb65e476..aad3234068 100644
--- a/CMakeExternals/ITK.cmake
+++ b/CMakeExternals/ITK.cmake
@@ -1,35 +1,44 @@
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # ITK
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 # Sanity checks
 IF(DEFINED ITK_DIR AND NOT EXISTS ${ITK_DIR})
   MESSAGE(FATAL_ERROR "ITK_DIR variable is defined but corresponds to non-existing directory")
 ENDIF()
 
 SET(proj ITK)
 SET(proj_DEPENDENCIES GDCM)
 SET(ITK_DEPENDS ${proj})
 
 IF(NOT DEFINED ITK_DIR)
+
+  SET(additional_cmake_args )
+  IF(MINGW)
+    SET(additional_cmake_args
+        -DCMAKE_USE_WIN32_THREADS:BOOL=ON
+        -DCMAKE_USE_PTHREADS:BOOL=OFF)
+  ENDIF()
+
   ExternalProject_Add(${proj}
      URL http://mitk.org/download/thirdparty/InsightToolkit-3.20.0.tar.gz
      BINARY_DIR ${proj}-build
      INSTALL_COMMAND ""
      CMAKE_GENERATOR ${gen}
      CMAKE_ARGS
        ${ep_common_args}
+       ${additional_cmake_args}
        -DBUILD_TESTING:BOOL=OFF
        -DBUILD_EXAMPLES:BOOL=OFF
        -DITK_USE_SYSTEM_GDCM:BOOL=ON
        -DGDCM_DIR:PATH=${GDCM_DIR}
      DEPENDS ${proj_DEPENDENCIES}
     )
 
   SET(ITK_DIR ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/${proj}-build)
 
 ELSE()
 
   mitkMacroEmptyExternalProject(${proj} "${proj_DEPENDENCIES}")
 
 ENDIF()
diff --git a/CMakeExternals/VTK.cmake b/CMakeExternals/VTK.cmake
index c451c5083b..1ab2f3cf2b 100644
--- a/CMakeExternals/VTK.cmake
+++ b/CMakeExternals/VTK.cmake
@@ -1,45 +1,56 @@
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # VTK
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 IF(WIN32)
   OPTION(VTK_USE_SYSTEM_FREETYPE OFF)
 ELSE(WIN32)
   OPTION(VTK_USE_SYSTEM_FREETYPE ON)
 ENDIF(WIN32)
 
 # Sanity checks
 IF(DEFINED VTK_DIR AND NOT EXISTS ${VTK_DIR})
   MESSAGE(FATAL_ERROR "VTK_DIR variable is defined but corresponds to non-existing directory")
 ENDIF()
 
 SET(proj VTK)
 SET(proj_DEPENDENCIES )
 SET(VTK_DEPENDS ${proj})
 
 IF(NOT DEFINED VTK_DIR)
+
+  SET(additional_cmake_args )
+  IF(MINGW)
+    SET(additional_cmake_args
+        -DCMAKE_USE_WIN32_THREADS:BOOL=ON
+        -DCMAKE_USE_PTHREADS:BOOL=OFF
+        -DVTK_USE_VIDEO4WINDOWS:BOOL=OFF # no header files provided by MinGW
+        )
+  ENDIF()
+
   ExternalProject_Add(${proj}
     URL http://mitk.org/download/thirdparty/vtk-5.6.1.tar.gz
     BINARY_DIR ${proj}-build
     INSTALL_COMMAND ""
     CMAKE_GENERATOR ${gen}
     CMAKE_ARGS
         ${ep_common_args}
+        ${additional_cmake_args}
         -DVTK_WRAP_TCL:BOOL=OFF
         -DVTK_WRAP_PYTHON:BOOL=OFF
         -DVTK_WRAP_JAVA:BOOL=OFF
         -DBUILD_SHARED_LIBS:BOOL=ON 
         -DVTK_USE_PARALLEL:BOOL=ON
         -DVTK_USE_CHARTS:BOOL=OFF
         -DVTK_USE_GEOVIS:BOOL=OFF
         -DVTK_USE_SYSTEM_FREETYPE:BOOL=${VTK_USE_SYSTEM_FREETYPE}
         ${vtk_QT_ARGS}
      DEPENDS ${proj_DEPENDENCIES}
     )
   SET(VTK_DIR ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/${proj}-build)
 
 ELSE()
 
   mitkMacroEmptyExternalProject(${proj} "${proj_DEPENDENCIES}")
   
 ENDIF()