diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 5dacb22d..9d0fec10 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.20)
-if(NOT ZITI_SDK_C_BRANCH)
-    #allow using a different branch of the CSDK easily
-    set(ZITI_SDK_C_BRANCH 0.32.3)
-endif()
+
+
+set(ZITI_SDK_DIR "" CACHE FILEPATH "developer option: use local ziti-sdk-c checkout")
+set(ZITI_SDK_VERSION "0.32.6" CACHE STRING "ziti-sdk-c version or branch to use")
 
 # if TUNNEL_SDK_ONLY then don't descend into programs/ziti-edge-tunnel
 option(TUNNEL_SDK_ONLY "build only ziti-tunnel-sdk (without ziti)" OFF)
diff --git a/deps/CMakeLists.txt b/deps/CMakeLists.txt
index 3d0a8f7a..c0b5eeed 100644
--- a/deps/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/deps/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -2,13 +2,17 @@ include(FetchContent)
 
 if(NOT TUNNEL_SDK_ONLY)
 
-FetchContent_Declare(ziti-sdk-c
-        GIT_REPOSITORY https://github.com/openziti/ziti-sdk-c.git
-        GIT_TAG ${ZITI_SDK_C_BRANCH}
-        )
-set(ZITI_BUILD_TESTS off)
-set(ZITI_BUILD_PROGRAMS off)
-FetchContent_MakeAvailable(ziti-sdk-c)
+    if (ZITI_SDK_DIR)
+        add_subdirectory(${ZITI_SDK_DIR} ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/ziti-sdk)
+    else ()
+        FetchContent_Declare(ziti-sdk-c
+                GIT_REPOSITORY https://github.com/openziti/ziti-sdk-c.git
+                GIT_TAG ${ZITI_SDK_VERSION}
+                )
+        set(ZITI_BUILD_TESTS off)
+        set(ZITI_BUILD_PROGRAMS off)
+        FetchContent_MakeAvailable(ziti-sdk-c)
+    endif ()
 
 endif()