diff --git a/cmake/CMakePresets-components.json b/cmake/CMakePresets-components.json
index e645ac51c50485e303200204c767dfe8734bfc57..e55e9313b3dd487452e154fa3008493d239f97a0 100644
--- a/cmake/CMakePresets-components.json
+++ b/cmake/CMakePresets-components.json
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@
         },
         "CMAKE_DISABLE_FIND_PACKAGE_METIS": {
           "type": "BOOL",
-          "value": false
+          "value": true
         },
         "CMAKE_DISABLE_FIND_PACKAGE_ParMETIS": {
           "type": "BOOL",
@@ -241,6 +241,10 @@
           "type": "BOOL",
           "value": false
         },
+        "CMAKE_DISABLE_FIND_PACKAGE_METIS": {
+          "type": "BOOL",
+          "value": false
+        },
         "CMAKE_DISABLE_FIND_PACKAGE_ParMETIS": {
           "type": "BOOL",
           "value": false
@@ -320,6 +324,10 @@
           "type": "BOOL",
           "value": true
         },
+        "CMAKE_REQUIRE_FIND_PACKAGE_METIS": {
+          "type": "BOOL",
+          "value": true
+        },
         "CMAKE_REQUIRE_FIND_PACKAGE_ParMETIS": {
           "type": "BOOL",
           "value": true
diff --git a/cmake/Octopus_PackagesInfo.cmake b/cmake/Octopus_PackagesInfo.cmake
index 07b3fb899781098ead426551223015afb821483c..9ba8f1157855a33c1ee6443f4d3d37221968f018 100644
--- a/cmake/Octopus_PackagesInfo.cmake
+++ b/cmake/Octopus_PackagesInfo.cmake
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ set_package_properties(CGAL PROPERTIES
 		PURPOSE "Geometry library"
 )
 set_package_properties(METIS PROPERTIES
-		TYPE REQUIRED
+		TYPE OPTIONAL
 		PURPOSE "Geometry library"
 )
 set_package_properties(ParMETIS PROPERTIES
diff --git a/src/grid/mesh_partition.F90 b/src/grid/mesh_partition.F90
index bce555a4b8798341001a0be60f02e879689883da..9f56b4f0f13c89a7332d2d66f39d0f5d14031b35 100644
--- a/src/grid/mesh_partition.F90
+++ b/src/grid/mesh_partition.F90
@@ -149,7 +149,10 @@ contains
     !%Option part_hilbert 3
     !% Use the ordering along the Hilbert curve for partitioning.
     !%End
+    default = HILBERT
+#ifdef HAVE_METIS
     default = METIS
+#endif
 #ifdef HAVE_PARMETIS
     default = PARMETIS
 #endif
diff --git a/testsuite/functionals/07-sic.01-gs.inp b/testsuite/functionals/07-sic.01-gs.inp
index 9a87a14fa4b819fc9dc12c73b56a61e29fa6e48b..98c4d9c930423226e31aa02824a55d284070641b 100644
--- a/testsuite/functionals/07-sic.01-gs.inp
+++ b/testsuite/functionals/07-sic.01-gs.inp
@@ -25,5 +25,3 @@ EigensolverMaxIter = 50
 EigensolverTolerance = 1e-8
 CGEnergyChangeThreshold = 1e-2
 MaximumIter = 300
-
-MeshPartitionPackage = metis
diff --git a/testsuite/functionals/07-sic.02-scdm.inp b/testsuite/functionals/07-sic.02-scdm.inp
index f50c15d1194f0c6ae9a5f1c14b55d3109603399b..af6521bc8ee1a9eff8b8df0341d8e8f0033551ef 100644
--- a/testsuite/functionals/07-sic.02-scdm.inp
+++ b/testsuite/functionals/07-sic.02-scdm.inp
@@ -26,6 +26,4 @@ EigensolverTolerance = 1e-8
 CGEnergyChangeThreshold = 1e-2
 MaximumIter = 300
 
-MeshPartitionPackage = metis
-
 SCDMforPZSIC = yes