diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index 5f7a8b7b..7ca36f9a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ jobs:
       run: cmake -E make_directory build
     - name: Run CMake (for Windows)
       working-directory: build
-      run: cmake -G "Ninja" -DCMAKE_C_COMPILER=cl.exe -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER=cl.exe -DVCPKG_TARGET_TRIPLET=x64-windows-static -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=${{ env.VCPKG_ROOT }}\scripts\buildsystems\vcpkg.cmake -DBUILD_STATIC=1 -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=RelWithDebInfo -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${{ github.workspace }}\build\install -DDEV_BUILD=1 -DPORTABLE=1 -DTOOLS=1 -DTESTS=1 -DDESKTOP=1 ..
+      run: cmake -G "Ninja" -DCMAKE_C_COMPILER=cl.exe -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER=cl.exe -DVCPKG_TARGET_TRIPLET=x64-windows-static -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=${{ env.VCPKG_ROOT }}\scripts\buildsystems\vcpkg.cmake -DUSE_STATIC_RUNTIME=1 -DCBOT_STATIC=1 -DBOOST_STATIC=1 -DGLEW_STATIC=1 -DSNDFILE_STATIC=1 -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=RelWithDebInfo -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${{ github.workspace }}\build\install -DDEV_BUILD=1 -DPORTABLE=1 -DTOOLS=1 -DTESTS=1 -DDESKTOP=1 ..
     - name: Build
       working-directory: build
       run: |
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 38474ef0..3ef580ba 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ elseif(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "MSVC")
 
     # Disable some useless warnings
     set(NORMAL_CXX_FLAGS "/wd\"4244\" /wd\"4309\" /wd\"4800\" /wd\"4996\" /wd\"4351\"")
-    if(BUILD_STATIC)
+    if(USE_STATIC_RUNTIME)
         set(CMAKE_MSVC_RUNTIME_LIBRARY "MultiThreaded$<$<CONFIG:Debug>:Debug>")
     else()
         set(CMAKE_MSVC_RUNTIME_LIBRARY "MultiThreadedDLL$<$<CONFIG:Debug>:Debug>")
@@ -260,20 +260,20 @@ option(INSTALL_DOCS "Install Doxygen-generated documentation" OFF)
 # Build OpenAL sound support
 option(OPENAL_SOUND "Build OpenAL sound support" ON)
 
-# Build Colobot with static libraries
-option(BUILD_STATIC "The default linking option for external libraries" OFF)
+# Link runtime library statically (currently only works for MSVC)
+option(USE_STATIC_RUNTIME "Link the runtime library statically" OFF)
 
 # CBot can also be a static library
-option(CBOT_STATIC "Build CBot as static libary" ${BUILD_STATIC})
+option(CBOT_STATIC "Build CBot as static libary" OFF)
 
 # This is useful in case you want to use static boost libraries
-option(BOOST_STATIC "Link with static boost libraries" ${BUILD_STATIC})
+option(BOOST_STATIC "Link with static boost libraries" OFF)
 
 # This is useful on Windows, if linking against standard GLEW dll fails
-option(GLEW_STATIC "Link statically with GLEW" ${BUILD_STATIC})
+option(GLEW_STATIC "Link statically with GLEW" OFF)
 
 # Link statically with LibSndFile
-option(SNDFILE_STATIC "Link statically with LibSndFile" ${BUILD_STATIC})
+option(SNDFILE_STATIC "Link statically with LibSndFile" OFF)
 
 # Sometimes helpful if there is a different version of gtest installed on system vs bundled
 option(FORCE_BUNDLED_GTEST "Force the use of bundled gtest" OFF)
@@ -292,6 +292,21 @@ if(DEV_BUILD)
     message(STATUS "Building with development extensions")
 endif()
 
+##
+# Additional settings to use when cross-compiling with MXE (http://mxe.cc/)
+##
+
+include("${colobot_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/mxe.cmake")
+
+##
+# Additional settings for MSYS
+##
+include("${colobot_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/msys.cmake")
+
+##
+# Additional functions for colobot-lint
+##
+include("${colobot_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/colobot-lint.cmake")
 
 ##
 # Searching for packages
@@ -307,7 +322,7 @@ find_package(PhysFS REQUIRED)
 
 set(Boost_USE_STATIC_LIBS ${BOOST_STATIC})
 set(Boost_USE_MULTITHREADED ON)
-set(Boost_USE_STATIC_RUNTIME OFF)
+set(Boost_USE_STATIC_RUNTIME ${USE_STATIC_RUNTIME})
 
 set(Boost_ADDITIONALVERSION "1.51" "1.51.0")
 find_package(Boost COMPONENTS system filesystem regex REQUIRED)
@@ -335,22 +350,6 @@ if(DEV_BUILD)
     add_definitions(-DDEV_BUILD)
 endif()
 
-##
-# Additional settings to use when cross-compiling with MXE (http://mxe.cc/)
-##
-
-include("${colobot_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/mxe.cmake")
-
-##
-# Additional settings for MSYS
-##
-include("${colobot_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/msys.cmake")
-
-##
-# Additional functions for colobot-lint
-##
-include("${colobot_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/colobot-lint.cmake")
-
 
 ##
 # MSVC specific settings
diff --git a/cmake/mxe.cmake b/cmake/mxe.cmake
index ed01d8f7..aa904cf0 100644
--- a/cmake/mxe.cmake
+++ b/cmake/mxe.cmake
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@ if((${CMAKE_CROSSCOMPILING}) AND (DEFINED MSYS))
     set(PLATFORM_LINUX 0)
     set(PLATFORM_OTHER 0)
     # All must be static, CBOT and GLEW too
-    set(BUILD_STATIC ON)
     set(CBOT_STATIC ON)
+    set(BOOST_STATIC ON)
     set(GLEW_STATIC ON)
     set(SNDFILE_STATIC ON)
 
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 1b71851d..c578eb14 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -516,9 +516,11 @@ if(MXE) # MXE requires special treatment
 elseif(PLATFORM_WINDOWS)
     # because it isn't included in standard linking libraries
     if(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "MSVC")
-        if(BUILD_STATIC)
+        # TODO: this shouldn't be needed, the libraries targets should care of those transitive dependencies
+        # This should be treated as a temporary workaround
+        if(USE_STATIC_RUNTIME) # Since we're using static runtime, assume every external library is static too
             find_package(Intl REQUIRED)
-            # TODO: figure out why those dependencies are needed and find/link them in a better way
+            
             find_library(BZ2_LIBRARY NAMES bz2.lib)
             find_library(JPEG_LIBRARY NAMES jpeg.lib)
             find_library(TIFF_LIBRARY NAMES tiff.lib)