diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -32,7 +32,9 @@
 LIBBITCOIN_CONSENSUS=libbitcoin_consensus.a
 LIBBITCOIN_CLI=libbitcoin_cli.a
 LIBBITCOIN_UTIL=libbitcoin_util.a
+LIBBITCOIN_CTAES=crypto/libbitcoin_crypto_ctaes.a
 LIBBITCOIN_CRYPTO_BASE=crypto/libbitcoin_crypto_base.a
+LIBBITCOIN_CRYPTO_BASE += $(LIBBITCOIN_CTAES)
 LIBBITCOINQT=qt/libbitcoinqt.a
 LIBSECP256K1=secp256k1/libsecp256k1.la
 
@@ -346,6 +348,12 @@
 crypto_libbitcoin_crypto_base_a_SOURCES += crypto/sha256_sse4.cpp
 endif
 
+crypto_libbitcoin_crypto_ctaes_a_CFLAGS = $(AM_CFLAGS) $(PIE_FLAGS)
+crypto_libbitcoin_crypto_ctaes_a_CPPFLAGS = $(AM_CPPFLAGS)
+crypto_libbitcoin_crypto_ctaes_a_SOURCES = \
+  crypto/ctaes/ctaes.c \
+  crypto/ctaes/ctaes.h
+
 crypto_libbitcoin_crypto_sse41_a_CXXFLAGS = $(AM_CXXFLAGS) $(PIE_FLAGS)
 crypto_libbitcoin_crypto_sse41_a_CPPFLAGS = $(AM_CPPFLAGS)
 crypto_libbitcoin_crypto_sse41_a_CXXFLAGS += $(SSE41_CXXFLAGS)
diff --git a/src/crypto/CMakeLists.txt b/src/crypto/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/src/crypto/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/crypto/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -2,6 +2,11 @@
 
 project(crypto)
 
+# The ctaes library is a dependency for crypto
+add_library(ctaes
+    ctaes/ctaes.c
+)
+
 # The library
 add_library(crypto
 	aes.cpp
@@ -16,6 +21,8 @@
 	siphash.cpp
 )
 
+target_link_libraries(crypto ctaes)
+
 target_include_directories(crypto
 	PRIVATE
 		..
diff --git a/src/crypto/aes.cpp b/src/crypto/aes.cpp
--- a/src/crypto/aes.cpp
+++ b/src/crypto/aes.cpp
@@ -8,10 +8,6 @@
 #include <cassert>
 #include <cstring>
 
-extern "C" {
-#include <crypto/ctaes/ctaes.c>
-}
-
 AES128Encrypt::AES128Encrypt(const uint8_t key[16]) {
     AES128_init(&ctx, key);
 }