diff --git a/.github/workflows/CI.yml b/.github/workflows/CI.yml
index ada1e6b..3a7a6b4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/CI.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/CI.yml
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ concurrency:
 jobs:
   # The CI test job
   test:
-    name: ${{ matrix.gap-version }} ${{ matrix.os }}
+    name: ${{ matrix.gap-version }} ${{ matrix.os }}${{ matrix.system-libnormaliz && ' libnormaliz' || '' }}
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
@@ -31,15 +31,19 @@ jobs:
           - '4.13'
           - '4.12'
         os: [ubuntu-latest]
+        system-libnormaliz: [true,false]
         include:
-          - gap-version: master
+          - gap-version: 'devel'
             os: macos-latest
+            system-libnormaliz: false
 
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v6
-      - uses: Chocobo1/setup-ccache-action@v1
-        with:
-          update_packager_index: false
+      - name: "Install and use system libnormaliz"
+        if: ${{ matrix.system-libnormaliz }}
+        run: |
+          rm prerequisites.sh   # prevent build-pkg from building Normaliz
+          sudo apt install libnormaliz-dev   # install system libnormaliz
       - uses: gap-actions/setup-gap@v3
         with:
           gap-version: ${{ matrix.gap-version }}
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 6d3f062..64f31c7 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -58,14 +58,24 @@ Not specifying GAPDIR is equivalent to passing `../..` as GAPDIR. If
 more than one argument is specified, then any arguments beyond the
 first are passed on to the Normaliz `configure` script.
 
-Once the script completed successfully, you can build NormalizInterface
-like this:
+If you already have a suitable Normaliz installation in a standard
+location such as `/opt/homebrew`, `/usr/local`, `/opt/local`, `/usr`,
+or `/opt`, then `configure` will try to detect and use it
+automatically. Otherwise, or if you want to override the detected
+location, you can still use `prerequisites.sh` to build a local copy
+or pass `--with-normaliz=PATH` explicitly.
+
+Once the script completed successfully, or if you rely on an installed
+Normaliz found by `configure`, you can build NormalizInterface like
+this:
 
     ./configure --with-gaproot=GAPDIR
     make
 
 The ` --with-gaproot=GAPDIR` parameter is actually optional, and if omitted,
 the package will search for GAP in `../..`.
+Likewise, `--with-normaliz=PATH` is optional and only needed if
+automatic detection does not pick the desired installation.
 
 
 ## Documentation and tests
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 7415482..5c74749 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -68,20 +68,62 @@ dnl ## Locate Normaliz
 dnl ##
 
 NORMALIZ_RPATH_EXTRA=""
+NORMALIZ_LIBDIR=""
 
 AC_ARG_WITH([normaliz],
     [AS_HELP_STRING([--with-normaliz=<path>], [specify root of Normaliz installation])],
     [NORMALIZ="$with_normaliz"],
-    [NORMALIZ="$PWD/NormalizInstallDir"
-     # The following is a hack to ensure compatibility with versions of gac that
-     # don't use GNU libtool anymore, and thus don't set a run path pointing to
-     # the specific version of libnormaliz we requested. Without this, when GAP
-     # loads NormalizInterface.so it may not find the libnormaliz shared library.
-     NORMALIZ_RPATH_EXTRA="-Wl,-rpath,$NORMALIZ/lib"
+    [NORMALIZ=""
+     NORMALIZ_DIRS=${NORMALIZ_DIRS:-"/opt/homebrew /usr/local /opt/local /usr /opt"}
+     AC_MSG_CHECKING([for an installed Normaliz])
+     for normaliz_dir in $NORMALIZ_DIRS; do
+         if test -f "$normaliz_dir/include/libnormaliz/cone.h"; then
+             if test -d "$normaliz_dir/lib64"; then
+                 normaliz_libdir="$normaliz_dir/lib64"
+             elif test -d "$normaliz_dir/lib"; then
+                 normaliz_libdir="$normaliz_dir/lib"
+             else
+                 continue
+             fi
+
+             old_CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS"
+             CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS -I$normaliz_dir/include $GMP_CPPFLAGS"
+             AC_COMPILE_IFELSE([AC_LANG_PROGRAM([[@%:@include "libnormaliz/cone.h"]],
+                            [[#if !defined(NMZ_RELEASE) || NMZ_RELEASE < 30504
+                            #error Normaliz too old
+                            #endif
+                            return 0;]])],
+                    [NORMALIZ="$normaliz_dir"
+                     NORMALIZ_LIBDIR="$normaliz_libdir"
+                     break],
+                    [])
+             CPPFLAGS="$old_CPPFLAGS"
+         fi
+     done
+
+     if test "x$NORMALIZ" != "x"; then
+         AC_MSG_RESULT([$NORMALIZ])
+     else
+         NORMALIZ="$PWD/NormalizInstallDir"
+         NORMALIZ_LIBDIR="$NORMALIZ/lib"
+         AC_MSG_RESULT([not found, falling back to $NORMALIZ])
+         # The following is a hack to ensure compatibility with versions of gac that
+         # don't use GNU libtool anymore, and thus don't set a run path pointing to
+         # the specific version of libnormaliz we requested. Without this, when GAP
+         # loads NormalizInterface.so it may not find the libnormaliz shared library.
+         NORMALIZ_RPATH_EXTRA="-Wl,-rpath,$NORMALIZ_LIBDIR"
+     fi
     ]
 )
+if test "x$NORMALIZ_LIBDIR" = "x"; then
+    if test -d "$NORMALIZ/lib64"; then
+        NORMALIZ_LIBDIR="$NORMALIZ/lib64"
+    else
+        NORMALIZ_LIBDIR="$NORMALIZ/lib"
+    fi
+fi
 NORMALIZ_CPPFLAGS="-I$NORMALIZ/include"
-NORMALIZ_LDFLAGS="$NORMALIZ_RPATH_EXTRA -L$NORMALIZ/lib"
+NORMALIZ_LDFLAGS="$NORMALIZ_RPATH_EXTRA -L$NORMALIZ_LIBDIR"
 AC_SUBST(NORMALIZ_LDFLAGS)
 AC_SUBST(NORMALIZ_CPPFLAGS)
 
diff --git a/examples/docs.g b/examples/docs.g
index 843ab23..91ff073 100644
--- a/examples/docs.g
+++ b/examples/docs.g
@@ -13,16 +13,16 @@ NmzHasConeProperty(cone, "ExtremeRays");
 #! @EndChunk
 
 #! @BeginChunk NmzKnownConeProperties_example
-#! @BeginExample
-NmzKnownConeProperties(cone);
+#! @BeginLogSession
+#! NmzKnownConeProperties(cone);
 #! [  ]
-#! @EndExample
+#! @EndLogSession
 #! @EndChunk
 
 #! @BeginChunk NmzCompute_example
 #! @BeginExample
-NmzKnownConeProperties(cone);
-#! [  ]
+NmzHasConeProperty(cone, "SupportHyperplanes");
+#! false
 NmzCompute(cone, ["SupportHyperplanes", "IsPointed"]);
 #! true
 NmzKnownConeProperties(cone);
diff --git a/tst/normalizinterface01.tst b/tst/normalizinterface01.tst
index b4ce4ef..d94b750 100644
--- a/tst/normalizinterface01.tst
+++ b/tst/normalizinterface01.tst
@@ -18,13 +18,9 @@ gap> cone := NmzCone(["integral_closure",[[2,1],[1,3]]]);
 gap> NmzHasConeProperty(cone, "ExtremeRays");
 false
 
-# doc/_Chunks.xml:123-126
-gap> NmzKnownConeProperties(cone);
-[  ]
-
 # doc/_Chunks.xml:131-148
-gap> NmzKnownConeProperties(cone);
-[  ]
+gap> NmzHasConeProperty(cone, "SupportHyperplanes");
+false
 gap> NmzCompute(cone, ["SupportHyperplanes", "IsPointed"]);
 true
 gap> NmzKnownConeProperties(cone);