diff --git a/cmake/ug/autodiff.cmake b/cmake/ug/autodiff.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..579626471
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmake/ug/autodiff.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+# Copyright (c) 2020:  G-CSC, Goethe University Frankfurt
+# Author: Arne Naegel
+# 
+# This file is part of UG4.
+# 
+# UG4 is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the
+# terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License version 3 (as published by the
+# Free Software Foundation) with the following additional attribution
+# requirements (according to LGPL/GPL v3 §7):
+# 
+# (1) The following notice must be displayed in the Appropriate Legal Notices
+# of covered and combined works: "Based on UG4 (www.ug4.org/license)".
+# 
+# (2) The following notice must be displayed at a prominent place in the
+# terminal output of covered works: "Based on UG4 (www.ug4.org/license)".
+# 
+# (3) The following bibliography is recommended for citation and must be
+# preserved in all covered files:
+# "Reiter, S., Vogel, A., Heppner, I., Rupp, M., and Wittum, G. A massively
+#   parallel geometric multigrid solver on hierarchically distributed grids.
+#   Computing and visualization in science 16, 4 (2013), 151-164"
+# "Vogel, A., Reiter, S., Rupp, M., Nägel, A., and Wittum, G. UG4 -- a novel
+#   flexible software system for simulating pde based models on high performance
+#   computers. Computing and visualization in science 16, 4 (2013), 165-179"
+# 
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
+# GNU Lesser General Public License for more details.
+
+# included from ug_includes.cmake
+
+
+
+# Set Autodiff include path
+if(USE_AUTODIFF)
+  	# This sections adds autodiff to the include path.
+	# Note: Autodiff requires C++17-compliant compilers
+
+	IF (EXTERNAL_AUTODIFF) # Automatic
+    	FIND_PACKAGE(autodiff CONFIG REQUIRED)
+	else (EXTERNAL_AUTODIFF)# Builtin
+		SET(autodiff_DIR ${UG_ROOT_CMAKE_PATH}/../../externals/AutoDiffForUG4/autodiff)
+   	ENDIF(EXTERNAL_AUTODIFF)
+   	   	
+   	MESSAGE(STATUS "Info: Using Autodiff from ${autodiff_DIR}")
+	MESSAGE(STATUS "Info: ... compiling plugins will require at least C++17.")
+     
+	# These are the important lines...
+	include_directories(${autodiff_DIR})
+    add_definitions(-DUG_USE_AUTODIFF)
+
+
+	# As a next step, update the submodule.
+	find_package(Git QUIET)
+	if(GIT_FOUND AND EXISTS "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/.git")
+		# Update submodules as needed
+		option(GIT_SUBMODULE "Check submodules during build" ON)
+		if(GIT_SUBMODULE)
+			message(STATUS "Submodule update:${GIT_EXECUTABLE}  ${autodiff_DIR}/..")
+			execute_process(COMMAND ${GIT_EXECUTABLE} submodule update --init --recursive
+							WORKING_DIRECTORY "${autodiff_DIR}/.."
+							RESULT_VARIABLE GIT_SUBMOD_RESULT)
+			if(NOT GIT_SUBMOD_RESULT EQUAL "0")
+				message(FATAL_ERROR "git submodule update --init --recursive failed with ${GIT_SUBMOD_RESULT}, please checkout submodules")
+			endif()
+		endif()
+	endif()
+	
+	if(NOT EXISTS "${autodiff_DIR}/CMakeLists.txt")
+		message(ERROR "The submodules in ${autodiff_DIR} were not downloaded! GIT_SUBMODULE was turned off or failed. Please update submodules and try again.")
+	endif()
+
+
+else(USE_AUTODIFF)
+	set(USE_AUTODIFF OFF)
+endif(USE_AUTODIFF)
+
+
diff --git a/cmake/ug_includes.cmake b/cmake/ug_includes.cmake
index c4c4ba57f..f4e030fd5 100644
--- a/cmake/ug_includes.cmake
+++ b/cmake/ug_includes.cmake
@@ -190,6 +190,7 @@ else(APPLE)
 	option(USE_LUA2C "Use LUA2C" OFF)
 endif(APPLE)
 option(USE_LUAJIT "Use LUA just in time compiler" OFF)
+option(USE_AUTODIFF "Use Autodiff" OFF)
 option(USE_PYBIND11 "Use PYBIND11" OFF)
 option(USE_JSON "Use JSON" OFF)
 option(USE_XEUS "Use XEUS" OFF)
@@ -280,6 +281,7 @@ message(STATUS "Info: HLIBPRO:           ${HLIBPRO}")
 message(STATUS "Info: USE_JSON:          ${USE_JSON} (options are: ON, OFF)")
 message(STATUS "Info: USE_XEUS:          ${USE_XEUS} (options are: ON, OFF)")
 message(STATUS "Info: USE_PYBIND11:      ${USE_PYBIND11} (options are: ON, OFF)")
+message(STATUS "Info: USE_AUTODIFF:      ${USE_AUTODIFF} (options are: ON, OFF)")
 message(STATUS "")
 message(STATUS "Info: C   Compiler: ${CMAKE_C_COMPILER} (ID: ${CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID})")
 message(STATUS "Info: C++ Compiler: ${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER} (ID: ${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID})")
@@ -436,8 +438,10 @@ include(${UG_ROOT_CMAKE_PATH}/ug/lua2c.cmake)
 include(${UG_ROOT_CMAKE_PATH}/ug/luajit.cmake)
 # JSON
 include(${UG_ROOT_CMAKE_PATH}/ug/json.cmake)
-# XEUS
+# Pybind11
 include(${UG_ROOT_CMAKE_PATH}/ug/pybind11.cmake)
+# Autodiff
+include(${UG_ROOT_CMAKE_PATH}/ug/autodiff.cmake)
 # XEUS
 include(${UG_ROOT_CMAKE_PATH}/ug/xeus.cmake)