diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index f8da7f36be5d0315f0f8953b00902a91671dd2d6..16393c6634f342eb2a737c93738a76cb5e16da48 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ opt(SALOME "Enable Salome routines for CAD healing" ${DEFAULT})
 opt(SGEOM "Enable SGEOM interface to OCC (experimental)" OFF)
 opt(SLEPC "Enable SLEPc eigensolvers (required for conformal compounds)" ${DEFAULT})
 opt(SOLVER "Enable built-in finite element solvers (required for compounds)" ${DEFAULT})
-opt(TAUCS "Enable Taucs linear solver (alternative to PETSc)" ${DEFAULT})
+opt(TAUCS "Enable Taucs linear solver (alternative to PETSc)" OFF)
 opt(TCMALLOC "Enable libtcmalloc, a fast malloc implementation but that does not release memory" OFF)
 opt(TETGEN "Enable Tetgen 3D initial mesh generator" ${DEFAULT})
 opt(TETGEN_OLD "Enable older version of Tetgen" OFF)