diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 8c70d46fa..40e3245e0 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ Until May 2022 (inclusive) no changelog was kept. We might try to reconstruct it
 
 ### Added
 
+* PCRE2, vdt: Add recipes to replace ROOT builtins
 * uv: Add recipe for fast Python package installation
 * Replace monolithic Python-modules with individual package recipes
 * alibuild, bitsorg: Add recipes
@@ -30,6 +31,7 @@ Until May 2022 (inclusive) no changelog was kept. We might try to reconstruct it
 
 ### Changed
 
+* ROOT: Build against external PCRE2 and VDT instead of builtins
 * EvtGen: Upgrade to R02-02-03 with HepMC3 support
 * PHOTOSPP, Tauolapp: Build with HepMC3 support
 * APFEL: Upgrade to 3.1.1 and switch to CMake build
diff --git a/geant3.sh b/geant3.sh
index fb003d3d6..be6b33712 100644
--- a/geant3.sh
+++ b/geant3.sh
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ cmake $SOURCEDIR -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=$INSTALLROOT      \
                  -DCMAKE_SKIP_RPATH=TRUE \
 		 -DCMAKE_POLICY_DEFAULT_CMP0074=NEW \
                  -DCMAKE_C_FLAGS="$CFLAGS -std=gnu17" \
+		 -DCMAKE_POLICY_DEFAULT_CMP0144=NEW \
                  ${SPECIALFFLAGS:+-DCMAKE_Fortran_FLAGS="-fallow-argument-mismatch -fallow-invalid-boz -fno-tree-loop-distribute-patterns"}
 make ${JOBS:+-j $JOBS} install
 
diff --git a/genfit.sh b/genfit.sh
index 8cf3061f6..c4a31c8e1 100644
--- a/genfit.sh
+++ b/genfit.sh
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ cmake $SOURCEDIR
       -DCMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR=lib                                                            \
       -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=$INSTALLROOT \
       -DCMAKE_POLICY_DEFAULT_CMP0074=NEW \
+      -DCMAKE_POLICY_DEFAULT_CMP0144=NEW \
       -DCMAKE_POLICY_VERSION_MINIMUM=3.5 \
       -DROOT_DIR="${ROOT_ROOT}" \
       -DBUILD_TESTING=${BUILD_TESTING}
diff --git a/pcre.sh b/pcre.sh
deleted file mode 100644
index ffa649ee4..000000000
--- a/pcre.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,18 +0,0 @@
-package: PCRE
-version: master
-tag: master
-source: https://github.com/ktf/pcre
-prefer_system: (?!slc5)
-prefer_system_check: |
-  printf "#include \"pcre.h\"\n" | gcc -xc++ - -c -o /dev/null
----
-#!/bin/sh
-echo "Building our own pcre. If you want to avoid this, please install pcre development package."
-
-$SOURCEDIR/configure --enable-unicode-properties \
-                     --enable-pcregrep-libz \
-                     --enable-pcregrep-libbz2 \
-                     --prefix=$INSTALLROOT
-
-make ${JOBS+-j $JOBS}
-make install
diff --git a/pcre2.sh b/pcre2.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..61d6a432e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pcre2.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+package: PCRE2
+version: "%(tag_basename)s"
+tag: pcre2-10.44
+source: https://github.com/PCRE2Project/pcre2
+build_requires:
+  - "GCC-Toolchain:(?!osx)"
+  - CMake
+  - alibuild-recipe-tools
+prefer_system: (?!slc5)
+prefer_system_check: |
+  printf "#include \"pcre2.h\"\n" | c++ -xc++ -DPCRE2_CODE_UNIT_WIDTH=8 - -c -M 2>&1
+---
+#!/bin/bash -e
+cmake "$SOURCEDIR" -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX="$INSTALLROOT" \
+                   -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE="$CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE" \
+                   -DPCRE2_SUPPORT_UNICODE=ON             \
+                   -DPCRE2_BUILD_PCRE2_8=ON               \
+                   -DPCRE2_BUILD_PCRE2_16=OFF             \
+                   -DPCRE2_BUILD_PCRE2_32=OFF
+
+cmake --build . ${JOBS:+-j$JOBS} --target install
+
+# Modulefile
+mkdir -p "$INSTALLROOT/etc/modulefiles"
+alibuild-generate-module --lib > "$INSTALLROOT/etc/modulefiles/$PKGNAME"
diff --git a/root.sh b/root.sh
index 1a6836d12..66327551e 100644
--- a/root.sh
+++ b/root.sh
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ requires:
   - XRootD
   - pythia
   - TBB
+  - PCRE2
+  - vdt
 build_requires:
   - CMake
   - libxml2
@@ -46,7 +48,7 @@ prefer_system_check: |
       echo "ROOT version $VERSION insufficient ($REQUESTED_VERSION requested)"
       exit 1
   fi
-  FEATURES="builtin_pcre mathmore xml ssl opengl http gdml pythia8 roofit soversion vdt xrootd"
+  FEATURES="mathmore xml ssl opengl http gdml pythia8 roofit soversion vdt xrootd"
   for FEATURE in $FEATURES; do
       root-config --has-$FEATURE | grep -q yes || { echo "$FEATURE missing"; exit 1; }
   done
@@ -70,7 +72,7 @@ cmake $SOURCEDIR \
 ${XROOTD_ROOT:+-DXROOTD_ROOT_DIR=$XROOTD_ROOT}            \
 -DCMAKE_CXX_STANDARD=$CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD                  \
 -Dbuiltin_freetype=OFF                                    \
--Dbuiltin_pcre=ON                                         \
+-Dbuiltin_pcre=OFF                                        \
 -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER=$COMPILER_CXX                        \
 -DCMAKE_C_COMPILER=$COMPILER_CC                           \
 -DCMAKE_LINKER=$COMPILER_LD                               \
@@ -81,15 +83,15 @@ ${PYTHIA_ROOT:+-Dpythia8=ON}                \
 -Dmathmore=ON \
 -Dsoversion=ON                                            \
 -Dshadowpw=OFF                                            \
--Dbuiltin_vdt=ON                                          \
+-Dbuiltin_vdt=OFF                                         \
 -Dbuiltin_davix=OFF                                                              \
 -Ddavix=OFF                                                                      \
 ${PYTHON_ROOT:+-DPYTHON_EXECUTABLE=$PYTHONHOME/bin/python3} \
 ${PYTHON_ROOT:+-DPython3_ROOT_DIR=$PYTHON_ROOT} \
--DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH="$FREETYPE_ROOT;$GSL_ROOT;$PYTHON_ROOT"
-FEATURES="builtin_pcre xml ssl opengl http gdml mathmore ${PYTHIA_ROOT:+pythia8}
+-DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH="$FREETYPE_ROOT;$GSL_ROOT;$PYTHON_ROOT;$PCRE2_ROOT;$VDT_ROOT"
+FEATURES="xml ssl opengl http gdml mathmore ${PYTHIA_ROOT:+pythia8}
     roofit soversion vdt ${XROOTD_ROOT:+xrootd}"
-NO_FEATURES="${FREETYPE_ROOT:+builtin_freetype}"
+NO_FEATURES="builtin_pcre builtin_vdt ${FREETYPE_ROOT:+builtin_freetype}"
 
 # Check if all required features are enabled
 bin/root-config --features
diff --git a/rootegpythia6.sh b/rootegpythia6.sh
index 83ba9e4e7..84587daa6 100644
--- a/rootegpythia6.sh
+++ b/rootegpythia6.sh
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ cmake "$SOURCEDIR" \
       -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX="$INSTALLROOT" \
       -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=${CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE} \
       -DROOTEGPythia6_Pythia6_BUILTIN=ON \
+      -DCMAKE_POLICY_DEFAULT_CMP0144=NEW \
       -DCMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR=lib
 
 cmake --build . ${JOBS:+-j$JOBS}
diff --git a/vdt.sh b/vdt.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..657cf7e03
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vdt.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+package: vdt
+version: "%(tag_basename)s"
+tag: v0.4.6
+source: https://github.com/dpiparo/vdt
+build_requires:
+  - CMake
+  - "GCC-Toolchain:(?!osx)"
+  - alibuild-recipe-tools
+prefer_system_check: |
+  printf "#include \"vdt/vdtMath.h\"\n" | c++ -xc++ - -c -M 2>&1
+---
+#!/bin/bash -e
+cmake "$SOURCEDIR" -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX="$INSTALLROOT" \
+	-DCMAKE_POLICY_VERSION_MINIMUM=3.5 \
+	-DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE="$CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE"
+
+cmake --build . ${JOBS:+-j$JOBS} --target install
+
+# Modulefile
+mkdir -p "$INSTALLROOT/etc/modulefiles"
+alibuild-generate-module --lib > "$INSTALLROOT/etc/modulefiles/$PKGNAME"
diff --git a/vgm.sh b/vgm.sh
index 9323440c6..229541ed5 100644
--- a/vgm.sh
+++ b/vgm.sh
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ cmake "$SOURCEDIR" \
   -DWITH_TEST=OFF                     \
   ${XERCESC_ROOT:+-DXercesC_ROOT=$XERCESC_ROOT} \
   -DCMAKE_POLICY_DEFAULT_CMP0074=NEW \
+  -DCMAKE_POLICY_DEFAULT_CMP0144=NEW \
   -DBUILD_SHARED_LIBS=OFF
 #  ${XERCESC_ROOT:+-DXercesC_INCLUDE_DIR=$XERCESC_ROOT/include -DXercesC_LIBRARY=$XERCESC_ROOT/lib} \