diff --git a/BUILDING.md b/BUILDING.md
index 8636a23..be3b25b 100644
--- a/BUILDING.md
+++ b/BUILDING.md
@@ -22,8 +22,6 @@
 * Pass in `GEODE_ROOT` during the CMake configuration step.
   * e.g.  add `-DGEODE_ROOT=/path/to/geode` to the _initial_ `cmake` execution command.
 
-
-
 ## Steps to build
 
 ```console
@@ -35,6 +33,7 @@
 # build step
 $ cmake --build . -- <platform-specific parallelism parameters (see below)>
 ```
+If OpenSSL is installed in a custom location, then one must pass `OPENSSL_ROOT_DIR` during the CMake configuration step. e.g.  add `-DOPENSSL_ROOT_DIR=/path/to/openssl`.
 
 To explicitly specify the location in which the Native Client will be installed, add `-DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/path/to/installation/destination` to this initial `cmake` execution command.