diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index c136e00f5..d4119660c 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -142,8 +142,8 @@ if(NOT INSTALLER_RUN)
 
 	add_subdirectory(libobs-opengl)
 	add_subdirectory(libobs)
-	add_subdirectory(UI)
 	add_subdirectory(plugins)
+	add_subdirectory(UI)
 	if (BUILD_TESTS)
 		add_subdirectory(test)
 	endif()
diff --git a/UI/CMakeLists.txt b/UI/CMakeLists.txt
index a11f2548a..8a7c8defd 100644
--- a/UI/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/UI/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -7,6 +7,10 @@ else()
 	set(FIND_MODE QUIET)
 endif()
 
+if(BROWSER_AVAILABLE_INTERNAL)
+	add_definitions(-DBROWSER_AVAILABLE)
+endif()
+
 add_subdirectory(obs-frontend-api)
 
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -56,7 +60,9 @@ include_directories(SYSTEM "obs-frontend-api")
 include_directories(SYSTEM "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/libobs")
 include_directories(SYSTEM "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/deps/libff")
 include_directories(SYSTEM "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/deps/json11")
-include_directories(SYSTEM "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/plugins/obs-browser/panel")
+if(BROWSER_AVAILABLE_INTERNAL)
+	include_directories(SYSTEM "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/plugins/obs-browser/panel")
+endif()
 
 find_package(Libcurl REQUIRED)
 include_directories(${LIBCURL_INCLUDE_DIRS})
diff --git a/UI/window-basic-main.cpp b/UI/window-basic-main.cpp
index 2b1b7d13f..4f8c9773c 100644
--- a/UI/window-basic-main.cpp
+++ b/UI/window-basic-main.cpp
@@ -70,16 +70,13 @@
 #include <QScreen>
 #include <QWindow>
 
-#ifdef _WIN32
-#include <browser-panel.hpp>
-#endif
-
 #include <json11.hpp>
 
 using namespace json11;
 using namespace std;
 
-#ifdef _WIN32
+#if defined(_WIN32) && defined(BROWSER_AVAILABLE)
+#include <browser-panel.hpp>
 static CREATE_BROWSER_WIDGET_PROC create_browser_widget = nullptr;
 #endif
 
@@ -1507,7 +1504,7 @@ void OBSBasic::OBSInit()
 	blog(LOG_INFO, "---------------------------------");
 	obs_post_load_modules();
 
-#ifdef _WIN32
+#if defined(_WIN32) && defined(BROWSER_AVAILABLE)
 	create_browser_widget = obs_browser_init_panel();
 #endif
 
@@ -1738,7 +1735,7 @@ void OBSBasic::OnFirstLoad()
 	if (api)
 		api->on_event(OBS_FRONTEND_EVENT_FINISHED_LOADING);
 
-#ifdef _WIN32
+#if defined(_WIN32) && defined(BROWSER_AVAILABLE)
 	/* Attempt to load init screen if available */
 	if (create_browser_widget) {
 		WhatsNewInfoThread *wnit = new WhatsNewInfoThread();
@@ -1776,6 +1773,7 @@ void OBSBasic::DeferredLoad(const QString &file, int requeueCount)
 /* shows a "what's new" page on startup of new versions using CEF */
 void OBSBasic::ReceivedIntroJson(const QString &text)
 {
+#ifdef BROWSER_AVAILABLE
 #ifdef _WIN32
 	std::string err;
 	Json json = Json::parse(QT_TO_UTF8(text), err);
@@ -1875,6 +1873,9 @@ void OBSBasic::ReceivedIntroJson(const QString &text)
 #else
 	UNUSED_PARAMETER(text);
 #endif
+#else
+	UNUSED_PARAMETER(text);
+#endif
 }
 
 void OBSBasic::UpdateMultiviewProjectorMenu()
diff --git a/plugins/CMakeLists.txt b/plugins/CMakeLists.txt
index e6fa3e530..537ed219e 100644
--- a/plugins/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/plugins/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -53,9 +53,13 @@ if(WIN32 OR APPLE)
 	if (BUILD_BROWSER)
 		if (EXISTS "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/obs-browser/CMakeLists.txt")
 			add_subdirectory(obs-browser)
+			set(BROWSER_AVAILABLE_INTERNAL ON CACHE BOOL "Interal global cmake variable" FORCE)
 		else()
 			message(STATUS "obs-browser submodule not found!  Please fetch submodules.  obs-browser plugin disabled.")
+			set(BROWSER_AVAILABLE_INTERNAL OFF CACHE BOOL "Interal global cmake variable" FORCE)
 		endif()
+	else()
+		set(BROWSER_AVAILABLE_INTERNAL OFF CACHE BOOL "Interal global cmake variable" FORCE)
 	endif()
 
 	if (EXISTS "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/obs-vst/CMakeLists.txt")