diff --git a/SConstruct b/SConstruct
index 6d6ff9104..ce40e1831 100644
--- a/SConstruct
+++ b/SConstruct
@@ -881,7 +881,7 @@ if env['system_fmt'] in ('y', 'default'):
 if env['system_fmt'] in ('n', 'default'):
     env['system_fmt'] = False
     print("""INFO: Using private installation of fmt library.""")
-    if not os.path.exists('ext/fmt/fmt/ostream.h'):
+    if not os.path.exists('ext/fmt/include/fmt/ostream.h'):
         if not os.path.exists('.git'):
             config_error('fmt is missing. Install source in ext/fmt.')
 
@@ -895,6 +895,18 @@ if env['system_fmt'] in ('n', 'default'):
                          'Try manually checking out the submodule with:\n\n'
                          '    git submodule update --init --recursive ext/fmt\n')
 
+fmt_include = '<fmt/format.h>' if env['system_fmt'] else '"../ext/fmt/include/fmt/format.h"'
+fmt_version_source = get_expression_value([fmt_include], 'FMT_VERSION')
+retcode, fmt_lib_version = conf.TryRun(fmt_version_source, '.cpp')
+try:
+    fmt_lib_version = divmod(float(fmt_lib_version.strip()), 10000)
+    (fmt_maj, (fmt_min, fmt_pat)) = fmt_lib_version[0], divmod(fmt_lib_version[1], 100)
+    env['FMT_VERSION'] = '{major:.0f}.{minor:.0f}.{patch:.0f}'.format(major=fmt_maj, minor=fmt_min, patch=fmt_pat)
+    print('INFO: Found fmt version {}'.format(env['FMT_VERSION']))
+except ValueError:
+    env['FMT_VERSION'] = '0.0.0'
+    print('INFO: Could not find version of fmt')
+
 # Check for googletest and checkout submodule if needed
 if env['system_googletest'] in ('y', 'default'):
     has_gtest = conf.CheckCXXHeader('gtest/gtest.h', '""')
diff --git a/ext/SConscript b/ext/SConscript
index 0a143509f..3b9c89c03 100644
--- a/ext/SConscript
+++ b/ext/SConscript
@@ -37,16 +37,23 @@ def prep_gmock(env):
 def prep_fmt(env):
     localenv = prep_default(env)
     if not env['system_fmt']:
+        localenv.Prepend(CPPPATH=Dir('#include/cantera/ext'))
         license_files.append(('fmtlib', 'fmt/LICENSE.rst'))
-        for name in ('format.h', 'ostream.h'):
+        for name in ('format.h', 'ostream.h', 'printf.h', 'core.h', 'format-inl.h', 'posix.h'):
             build(copyenv.Command("#include/cantera/ext/fmt/" + name,
-                                  "#ext/fmt/fmt/" + name,
+                                  "#ext/fmt/include/fmt/" + name,
                                   Copy('$TARGET', '$SOURCE')))
     return localenv
 
 # each element of libs is: (subdir, (file extensions), prepfunction)
-libs = [('libexecstream', ['cpp'], prep_default),
-        ('fmt/fmt', ['cc'], prep_fmt)]
+libs = [('libexecstream', ['cpp'], prep_default)]
+
+# fmtlib versions less than 5.0.0 had the source files for the library in a different folder.
+# Also, we expect system-installed versions of fmtlib >= 5.0.0 to have a library already compiled
+if LooseVersion(env['FMT_VERSION']) < LooseVersion('5.0.0'):
+    libs.append(('fmt/fmt', ['cc'], prep_fmt))
+elif not env['system_fmt']:
+    libs.append(('fmt/src', ['cc'], prep_fmt))
 
 for subdir, extensions, prepFunction in libs:
     localenv = prepFunction(env)
diff --git a/ext/fmt b/ext/fmt
index 7fa8f8fa4..5386f1df2 160000
--- a/ext/fmt
+++ b/ext/fmt
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 7fa8f8fa48b0903deab5bb42e6760477173ac485
+Subproject commit 5386f1df20392a08844f5034e8436c6ec7ce0b03