diff --git a/src/modules/simulation/gz_bridge/CMakeLists.txt b/src/modules/simulation/gz_bridge/CMakeLists.txt
index 5fdc455cc8..531657503e 100644
--- a/src/modules/simulation/gz_bridge/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/modules/simulation/gz_bridge/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -31,43 +31,13 @@
 #
 ############################################################################
 
-if(NOT DEFINED ENV{GZ_DISTRO})
-    set(GZ_DISTRO "harmonic" CACHE STRING "Gazebo distribution to use")
+if(NOT DEFINED ENV{GZ_DISTRO} OR NOT "$ENV{GZ_DISTRO}" STREQUAL "harmonic")
+    find_package(gz-transport NAMES gz-transport14 gz-transport13)
 else()
-    set(GZ_DISTRO $ENV{GZ_DISTRO})
+    find_package(gz-transport NAMES gz-transport13)
 endif()
 
-# Define library version combinations for different Gazebo distributions
-# https://github.com/gazebo-tooling/gazebodistro/blob/master/collection-harmonic.yaml
-if(GZ_DISTRO STREQUAL "harmonic")
-    set(GZ_CMAKE_VERSION "3")
-    set(GZ_MSGS_VERSION "10")
-    set(GZ_TRANSPORT_VERSION "13")
-    set(GZ_PLUGIN_VERSION "2")
-    set(GZ_SIM_VERSION "8")
-    set(GZ_SENSORS_VERSION "8")
-    message(STATUS "Using Gazebo Harmonic (cmake:${GZ_CMAKE_VERSION}, msgs:${GZ_MSGS_VERSION}, transport:${GZ_TRANSPORT_VERSION})")
-elseif(GZ_DISTRO STREQUAL "ionic")
-    set(GZ_CMAKE_VERSION "4")
-    set(GZ_MSGS_VERSION "11")
-    set(GZ_TRANSPORT_VERSION "14")
-    set(GZ_PLUGIN_VERSION "3")
-    set(GZ_SIM_VERSION "9")
-    set(GZ_SENSORS_VERSION "9")
-    message(STATUS "Using Gazebo Ionic (cmake:${GZ_CMAKE_VERSION}, msgs:${GZ_MSGS_VERSION}, transport:${GZ_TRANSPORT_VERSION})")
-else()
-    message(FATAL_ERROR "Unknown Gazebo distribution: ${GZ_DISTRO}. Valid options are: harmonic or ionic")
-endif()
-
-# Use gz-transport as litmus test for prescence of gz
-find_package(gz-transport${GZ_TRANSPORT_VERSION})
-
-if (gz-transport${GZ_TRANSPORT_VERSION}_FOUND)
-
-	find_package(gz-cmake${GZ_CMAKE_VERSION} REQUIRED)
-	find_package(gz-msgs${GZ_MSGS_VERSION} REQUIRED)
-	find_package(Protobuf REQUIRED)
-
+if (gz-transport_FOUND)
 	px4_add_module(
 		MODULE modules__simulation__gz_bridge
 		MAIN gz_bridge
@@ -87,7 +57,7 @@ if (gz-transport${GZ_TRANSPORT_VERSION}_FOUND)
 		DEPENDS
 			mixer_module
 			px4_work_queue
-			gz-transport${GZ_TRANSPORT_VERSION}::core
+			gz-transport${gz-transport_VERSION_MAJOR}::core
 		MODULE_CONFIG
 			module.yaml
 	)
diff --git a/src/modules/simulation/gz_plugins/CMakeLists.txt b/src/modules/simulation/gz_plugins/CMakeLists.txt
index 8ee1bdd6ed..eab0df2204 100644
--- a/src/modules/simulation/gz_plugins/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/modules/simulation/gz_plugins/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -33,45 +33,19 @@
 
 project(px4_gz_plugins)
 
-if(NOT DEFINED ENV{GZ_DISTRO})
-    set(GZ_DISTRO "harmonic" CACHE STRING "Gazebo distribution to use")
+if(NOT DEFINED ENV{GZ_DISTRO} OR NOT "$ENV{GZ_DISTRO}"  STREQUAL "harmonic")
+    find_package(gz-transport NAMES gz-transport14 gz-transport13 gz-transport12)
+    find_package(gz-sim NAMES gz-sim9 gz-sim8)
+    find_package(gz-sensors NAMES gz-sensors9 gz-sensors8)
+    find_package(gz-plugin NAMES gz-plugin3 gz-plugin2 COMPONENTS register)
 else()
-    set(GZ_DISTRO $ENV{GZ_DISTRO})
+    find_package(gz-transport NAMES gz-transport13)
+    find_package(gz-sim NAMES gz-sim8)
+    find_package(gz-sensors NAMES gz-sensors8)
+    find_package(gz-plugin NAMES gz-plugin2 COMPONENTS register)
 endif()
 
-# Define library version combinations for different Gazebo distributions
-# https://github.com/gazebo-tooling/gazebodistro/blob/master/collection-harmonic.yaml
-if(GZ_DISTRO STREQUAL "harmonic")
-    set(GZ_CMAKE_VERSION "3")
-    set(GZ_MSGS_VERSION "10")
-    set(GZ_TRANSPORT_VERSION "13")
-    set(GZ_PLUGIN_VERSION "2")
-    set(GZ_SIM_VERSION "8")
-    set(GZ_SENSORS_VERSION "8")
-    message(STATUS "Using Gazebo Harmonic (cmake:${GZ_CMAKE_VERSION}, msgs:${GZ_MSGS_VERSION}, transport:${GZ_TRANSPORT_VERSION})")
-elseif(GZ_DISTRO STREQUAL "ionic")
-    set(GZ_CMAKE_VERSION "4")
-    set(GZ_MSGS_VERSION "11")
-    set(GZ_TRANSPORT_VERSION "14")
-    set(GZ_PLUGIN_VERSION "3")
-    set(GZ_SIM_VERSION "9")
-    set(GZ_SENSORS_VERSION "9")
-    message(STATUS "Using Gazebo Ionic (cmake:${GZ_CMAKE_VERSION}, msgs:${GZ_MSGS_VERSION}, transport:${GZ_TRANSPORT_VERSION})")
-else()
-    message(FATAL_ERROR "Unknown Gazebo distribution: ${GZ_DISTRO}. Valid options are: harmonic or ionic")
-endif()
-
-# Use gz-transport as litmus test for presence of gz
-find_package(gz-transport${GZ_TRANSPORT_VERSION})
-
-if (gz-transport${GZ_TRANSPORT_VERSION}_FOUND)
-    find_package(gz-cmake${GZ_CMAKE_VERSION} REQUIRED)
-    find_package(gz-msgs${GZ_MSGS_VERSION} REQUIRED)
-    find_package(Protobuf REQUIRED)
-    find_package(gz-plugin${GZ_PLUGIN_VERSION} REQUIRED COMPONENTS register)
-    find_package(gz-sim${GZ_SIM_VERSION} REQUIRED)
-    find_package(gz-sensors${GZ_SENSORS_VERSION} REQUIRED)
-
+if (gz-transport_FOUND)
     # Create a flat output directory for all plugin libraries
     set(PX4_GZ_PLUGIN_OUTPUT_DIR "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}" CACHE PATH "Directory for all Gazebo plugin libraries")
     file(MAKE_DIRECTORY ${PX4_GZ_PLUGIN_OUTPUT_DIR})
diff --git a/src/modules/simulation/gz_plugins/optical_flow/CMakeLists.txt b/src/modules/simulation/gz_plugins/optical_flow/CMakeLists.txt
index 2a57ba3c25..21c7afc3a3 100644
--- a/src/modules/simulation/gz_plugins/optical_flow/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/modules/simulation/gz_plugins/optical_flow/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ project(OpticalFlowSystem)
 include(${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/optical_flow.cmake)
 
 # Find OpenCV
-find_package(OpenCV REQUIRED)
+find_package(OpenCV REQUIRED COMPONENTS core imgproc)
 
 add_library(${PROJECT_NAME} SHARED
     OpticalFlowSensor.cpp
@@ -46,10 +46,10 @@ add_library(${PROJECT_NAME} SHARED
 
 target_link_libraries(${PROJECT_NAME}
     PUBLIC px4_gz_msgs
-    PUBLIC gz-sensors${GZ_SENSORS_VERSION}::gz-sensors${GZ_SENSORS_VERSION}
-    PUBLIC gz-plugin${GZ_PLUGIN_VERSION}::gz-plugin${GZ_PLUGIN_VERSION}
-    PUBLIC gz-sim${GZ_SIM_VERSION}::gz-sim${GZ_SIM_VERSION}
-    PUBLIC gz-transport${GZ_TRANSPORT_VERSION}::gz-transport${GZ_TRANSPORT_VERSION}
+    PUBLIC gz-sensors${gz-sensors_VERSION_MAJOR}::gz-sensors${gz-sensors_VERSION_MAJOR}
+    PUBLIC gz-plugin${gz-plugin_VERSION_MAJOR}::gz-plugin${gz-plugin_VERSION_MAJOR}
+    PUBLIC gz-sim${gz-sim_VERSION_MAJOR}::gz-sim${gz-sim_VERSION_MAJOR}
+    PUBLIC gz-transport${gz-transport_VERSION_MAJOR}::gz-transport${gz-transport_VERSION_MAJOR}
     PUBLIC ${OpenCV_LIBS}
     PUBLIC ${OpticalFlow_LIBS}
 )
diff --git a/src/modules/simulation/gz_plugins/template_plugin/CMakeLists.txt b/src/modules/simulation/gz_plugins/template_plugin/CMakeLists.txt
index f5e2935ef6..c7e582fd9f 100644
--- a/src/modules/simulation/gz_plugins/template_plugin/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/modules/simulation/gz_plugins/template_plugin/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -48,10 +48,10 @@ add_library(${PROJECT_NAME} SHARED
 
 target_link_libraries(${PROJECT_NAME}
     PUBLIC px4_gz_msgs
-    PUBLIC gz-sensors${GZ_SENSORS_VERSION}::gz-sensors${GZ_SENSORS_VERSION}
-    PUBLIC gz-plugin${GZ_PLUGIN_VERSION}::gz-plugin${GZ_PLUGIN_VERSION}
-    PUBLIC gz-sim${GZ_SIM_VERSION}::gz-sim${GZ_SIM_VERSION}
-    PUBLIC gz-transport${GZ_TRANSPORT_VERSION}::gz-transport${GZ_TRANSPORT_VERSION}
+    PUBLIC gz-sensors${gz-sensors_VERSION_MAJOR}::gz-sensors${gz-sensors_VERSION_MAJOR}
+    PUBLIC gz-plugin${gz-plugin_VERSION_MAJOR}::gz-plugin${gz-plugin_VERSION_MAJOR}
+    PUBLIC gz-sim${gz-sim_VERSION_MAJOR}::gz-sim${gz-sim_VERSION_MAJOR}
+    PUBLIC gz-transport${gz-transport_VERSION_MAJOR}::gz-transport${gz-transport_VERSION_MAJOR}
     # Add other dependencies as needed
     # PUBLIC ${OtherLib_LIBS}
 )