diff --git a/moose-core/CMakeLists.txt b/moose-core/CMakeLists.txt
index 4cb79023c3821b66a340ea7b92a962f08d1daf37..1be4010205191f76caaa704a2d46aaf7a248f170 100644
--- a/moose-core/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/moose-core/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -218,16 +218,21 @@ if(NOT HDF5_FOUND)
 endif(NOT HDF5_FOUND)
 
 if(HDF5_FOUND)
+    include_directories( ${HDF5_INCLUDE_DIRS} )
     add_definitions( -DUSE_HDF5 )
-    # Latest cmake could not find libhdf5_hl.a libraries despite of setting
-    # USE_HDF5_STATIC_LIBRARIES.
-    if(USE_HDF5_STATIC_LIBRARIES AND $ENV{HDF5_ROOT})
-        find_library(HDF5_CXX_LIBRARIES libhdf5.a PATHS $ENV{HDF5_ROOT})
-        find_library(HDF5_HL_LIBRARIES libhdf5_hl.a PATHS $ENV{HDF5_ROOT})
+    if(HDF5_USE_STATIC_LIBRARIES)
+	message(STATUS "Finding static HDF5 libraries in $ENV{HDF5_ROOT}")
+        find_library(HDF5_CXX_LIBRARIES NAMES libhdf5.a 
+            PATHS $ENV{HDF5_ROOT}/lib $ENV{HDF5_ROOT}/lib64
+            )
+        find_library(HDF5_HL_LIBRARIES NAMES libhdf5_hl.a
+            PATHS $ENV{HDF5_ROOT}/lib $ENV{HDF5_ROOT}/lib64 
+            )
     endif()
-    
-    include_directories( ${HDF5_INCLUDE_DIRS} )
-    foreach(HDF5_LIB ${HDF5_CXX_LIBRARIES} ${HDF5_HL_LIBRARIES} )
+
+    set(HDF5_LIBRARIES ${HDF5_CXX_LIBRARIES} ${HDF5_HL_LIBRARIES})
+    message(STATUS "MOOSE will use ${HDF5_LIBRARIES}" )
+    foreach(HDF5_LIB ${HDF5_LIBRARIES})
         if(HDF5_LIB)
             get_filename_component( HDF5_LIB_EXT ${HDF5_LIB} EXT )
             if(HDF5_LIB_EXT)
diff --git a/moose-core/VERSION b/moose-core/VERSION
index 753fb504c3f3c2d74abe31dd55b4eafc8f27922d..50e47c89cafc3ec95774b3110a3dba45256d0b24 100644
--- a/moose-core/VERSION
+++ b/moose-core/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-3.1.1-55-g1cd7d7e
\ No newline at end of file
+3.1.1
\ No newline at end of file