diff --git a/external/googleapis/CMakeLists.txt b/external/googleapis/CMakeLists.txt
index 5e93f522..30132c06 100644
--- a/external/googleapis/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/external/googleapis/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ include(GoogleCloudCppCommonOptions)
 # the generated libraries.  The Conan packages (https://conan.io), will need to
 # patch this value.  Setting the value in a single place makes such patching
 # easier.
-set(EXTERNAL_GOOGLEAPIS_PREFIX "${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/external/googleapis")
+set(EXTERNAL_GOOGLEAPIS_PREFIX "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/external/googleapis")
 set(EXTERNAL_GOOGLEAPIS_SOURCE
     "${EXTERNAL_GOOGLEAPIS_PREFIX}/src/googleapis_download"
     PARENT_SCOPE)
@@ -138,6 +138,7 @@ foreach (file IN LISTS protolists)
     endforeach ()
 endforeach ()
 
+if(0)
 include(ExternalProject)
 
 externalproject_add(
@@ -163,6 +164,7 @@ externalproject_add(
     INSTALL_COMMAND ""
     BUILD_BYPRODUCTS ${EXTERNAL_GOOGLEAPIS_BYPRODUCTS}
     LOG_DOWNLOAD OFF)
+endif()
 
 google_cloud_cpp_find_proto_include_dir(PROTO_INCLUDE_DIR)
 
@@ -204,7 +206,6 @@ function (external_googleapis_add_library proto)
 endfunction ()
 
 function (external_googleapis_set_version_and_alias short_name)
-    add_dependencies("google_cloud_cpp_${short_name}" googleapis_download)
     set_target_properties(
         "google_cloud_cpp_${short_name}"
         PROPERTIES EXPORT_NAME google-cloud-cpp::${short_name}