diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 2e970c9544fcdf995648b40b010005a814311f8f..b8ce061d0341999447a9cd5fcbf70ec23b11b60a 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -40,6 +40,13 @@ set(CMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS ON)
 #     "${CONAN_PKG_LIBS}")
 
 
+find_package(linkahead CONFIG REQUIRED)
+find_package(GTest CONFIG REQUIRED)
+find_package(gRPC CONFIG REQUIRED)
+find_package(protobuf CONFIG REQUIRED)
+
+
+
 set(CMAKE_MODULE_PATH "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake" ${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH})
 enable_testing()
 add_subdirectory(test)
diff --git a/test/CMakeLists.txt b/test/CMakeLists.txt
index 9fcfff044d98b4b5129aa2db057e6caa4f8f809a..f655e74dbade34de923c10bdc38b4693b336c425 100644
--- a/test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@ set(test_cases
 
 add_compile_definitions(BUILD_ACM)
 
+# copy DLLs from linkahead_LIB_DIRS_RELEASE to the binary directory
+file(COPY ${linkahead_LIB_DIRS_RELEASE}/ DESTINATION ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR})
+
 include(CheckCXXCompilerFlag)
 include(CheckCCompilerFlag)
 
@@ -99,14 +102,10 @@ endif()
 ### Set up tests using GoogleTest (GTest)
 ###################################################
 
+
 # add special cmake functions for gtest
 include(GoogleTest REQUIRED)
 
-find_package(linkahead)
-find_package(GTest)
-find_package(gRPC)
-find_package(protobuf)
-
 # loop over all test cases and add them to the test runner
 list(LENGTH test_cases len_test_cases)
 math(EXPR len_test_cases "${len_test_cases} - 1")
@@ -114,10 +113,13 @@ foreach (i RANGE "${len_test_cases}")
     list(GET test_cases ${i} test_case_name)
     add_executable(${test_case_name} ${test_case_name}.cpp)
     target_link_libraries(${test_case_name} PRIVATE
-        linkahead::linkahead gtest::gtest grpc::grpc protobuf::protobuf
+        linkahead::linkahead linkahead clinkahead caosdb_grpc 
+        gtest::gtest grpc::grpc protobuf::protobuf
     )   
     target_include_directories(${test_case_name}
         PUBLIC  ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR})
+    set_target_properties(${test_case_name} PROPERTIES RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY  "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}")
+
     if(LINTING)
         set_target_properties(${test_case_name}
             PROPERTIES
@@ -125,6 +127,6 @@ foreach (i RANGE "${len_test_cases}")
             CXX_INCLUDE_WHAT_YOU_USE "${_CMAKE_CXX_INCLUDE_WHAT_YOU_USE}")
     endif()
     gtest_discover_tests(${test_case_name}
-        PROPERTIES
+       PROPERTIES
             LABELS "linkahead-cpplib-int-tests")
 endforeach ()