diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -84,8 +84,8 @@
                         )
 endif()
 
-find_package(libssh 0.7.0)
-set_package_properties(LibSSH PROPERTIES DESCRIPTION "the SSH library with SFTP support"
+find_package(libssh 0.7.0 MODULE)
+set_package_properties(libssh PROPERTIES DESCRIPTION "the SSH library with SFTP support"
                        URL "http://www.libssh.org/"
                        TYPE OPTIONAL
                        PURPOSE "Needed to build the SFTP kioslave"
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@
 endif()
 add_subdirectory( thumbnail )
 add_subdirectory( docfilter )
-if (LIBSSH_LIBRARY AND HAVE_UTIME_H)
+if (libssh_FOUND AND HAVE_UTIME_H)
     # does not compile on Windows: kio_sftp.cpp(28): fatal error C1083: Cannot open include file: 'utime.h': No such file or directory
     add_subdirectory(sftp)
 endif ()
diff --git a/cmake/Findlibssh.cmake b/cmake/Findlibssh.cmake
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmake/Findlibssh.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,113 @@
+# - Try to find libssh
+# Once done this will define
+#
+#  LIBSSH_FOUND - system has libssh
+#  LIBSSH_INCLUDE_DIRS - the libssh include directory
+#  LIBSSH_LIBRARIES - Link these to use libssh
+#  LIBSSH_DEFINITIONS - Compiler switches required for using libssh
+#
+#  Copyright (c) 2009-2014 Andreas Schneider <asn@cryptomilk.org>
+#
+# Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
+# modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions
+# are met:
+# 1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
+#    notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
+# 2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
+#    notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the
+#    documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
+# 3. Neither the name of the University nor the names of its contributors
+#    may be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software
+#    without specific prior written permission.
+#
+# THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE REGENTS AND CONTRIBUTORS ``AS IS'' AND
+# ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE
+# IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE
+# ARE DISCLAIMED.  IN NO EVENT SHALL THE REGENTS OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE
+# FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL
+# DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS
+# OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION)
+# HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT
+# LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY
+# OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF
+# SUCH DAMAGE.
+
+# We prefer the config, but on Ubuntu 18.04 LTS (and to some extent later
+# versions it seems) they've not packaged the config properly. So, go for the
+# config by default and fall back to manual lookup iff the config was not found.
+# https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=400291
+# https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/libssh/+bug/1800135
+find_package(libssh ${libssh_FIND_VERSION} NO_MODULE QUIET)
+if(libssh_FOUND)
+  return()
+endif()
+
+find_path(LIBSSH_INCLUDE_DIR
+  NAMES
+    libssh/libssh.h
+  PATHS
+    /usr/include
+    /usr/local/include
+    /opt/local/include
+    /sw/include
+    ${CMAKE_INCLUDE_PATH}
+    ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/include
+)
+
+find_library(SSH_LIBRARY
+  NAMES
+    ssh
+    libssh
+  PATHS
+    /usr/lib
+    /usr/local/lib
+    /opt/local/lib
+    /sw/lib
+    ${CMAKE_LIBRARY_PATH}
+    ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/lib
+)
+
+set(LIBSSH_LIBRARIES
+    ${LIBSSH_LIBRARIES}
+    ${SSH_LIBRARY}
+)
+
+message("LIB: ${LIBSSH_LIBRARIES}; INC: ${LIBSSH_INCLUDE_DIR};")
+
+if (LIBSSH_INCLUDE_DIR AND libssh_FIND_VERSION)
+  file(STRINGS ${LIBSSH_INCLUDE_DIR}/libssh/libssh.h LIBSSH_VERSION_MAJOR
+    REGEX "#define[ ]+LIBSSH_VERSION_MAJOR[ ]+[0-9]+")
+
+  # Older versions of libssh like libssh-0.2 have LIBSSH_VERSION but not LIBSSH_VERSION_MAJOR
+  if (LIBSSH_VERSION_MAJOR)
+    string(REGEX MATCH "[0-9]+" LIBSSH_VERSION_MAJOR ${LIBSSH_VERSION_MAJOR})
+    file(STRINGS ${LIBSSH_INCLUDE_DIR}/libssh/libssh.h LIBSSH_VERSION_MINOR
+      REGEX "#define[ ]+LIBSSH_VERSION_MINOR[ ]+[0-9]+")
+    string(REGEX MATCH "[0-9]+" LIBSSH_VERSION_MINOR ${LIBSSH_VERSION_MINOR})
+    file(STRINGS ${LIBSSH_INCLUDE_DIR}/libssh/libssh.h LIBSSH_VERSION_PATCH
+      REGEX "#define[ ]+LIBSSH_VERSION_MICRO[ ]+[0-9]+")
+    string(REGEX MATCH "[0-9]+" LIBSSH_VERSION_PATCH ${LIBSSH_VERSION_PATCH})
+
+    set(LIBSSH_VERSION ${LIBSSH_VERSION_MAJOR}.${LIBSSH_VERSION_MINOR}.${LIBSSH_VERSION_PATCH})
+
+  else (LIBSSH_VERSION_MAJOR)
+    message(STATUS "LIBSSH_VERSION_MAJOR not found in ${LIBSSH_INCLUDE_DIR}/libssh/libssh.h, assuming libssh is too old")
+    set(LIBSSH_FOUND FALSE)
+  endif (LIBSSH_VERSION_MAJOR)
+endif (LIBSSH_INCLUDE_DIR AND libssh_FIND_VERSION)
+
+# If the version is too old, but libs and includes are set,
+# find_package_handle_standard_args will set LIBSSH_FOUND to TRUE again,
+# so we need this if() here.
+include(FindPackageHandleStandardArgs)
+find_package_handle_standard_args(libssh
+                                  FOUND_VAR
+                                    LIBSSH_FOUND
+                                  REQUIRED_VARS
+                                    LIBSSH_LIBRARIES
+                                    LIBSSH_INCLUDE_DIR
+                                  VERSION_VAR
+                                    LIBSSH_VERSION)
+
+# show the LIBSSH_INCLUDE_DIRS and LIBSSH_LIBRARIES variables only in the advanced view
+mark_as_advanced(LIBSSH_INCLUDE_DIR LIBSSH_LIBRARIES)