diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index 5d0dd1d3..096b560f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -6,15 +6,28 @@ jobs:
   build-macos:
 
     runs-on: macOS-latest
+    strategy:
+      fail-fast: false
+      matrix:
+        toolchain:
+          - name: "qmake"
+            cmd: "export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/opt/qt/bin && ./build.sh"
+            output: build/release/bin/monero-wallet-gui.app/Contents/MacOS/monero-wallet-gui
+          - name: "cmake"
+            cmd: "USE_SINGLE_BUILDDIR=ON DEV_MODE=ON make release -j3"
+            output: build/release/bin/monero-wallet-gui
+    name: build-macos-${{ matrix.toolchain.name }}
 
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v1
+      with:
+        submodules: recursive
     - name: update brew and install dependencies
-      run: brew update && brew install boost hidapi zmq libpgm miniupnpc ldns expat libunwind-headers protobuf qt5 libgcrypt
+      run: brew update && brew install boost hidapi zmq libpgm miniupnpc ldns expat libunwind-headers protobuf qt5 pkg-config
     - name: build
-      run: export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/opt/qt/bin && ./build.sh
+      run: ${{ matrix.toolchain.cmd }}
     - name: test qml
-      run: build/release/bin/monero-wallet-gui.app/Contents/MacOS/monero-wallet-gui --test-qml
+      run: ${{ matrix.toolchain.output }} --test-qml
 
   build-ubuntu:
 
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 298902f8..f8431d5f 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ endif()
 set(BUILD_GUI_DEPS ON)
 set(ARCH "x86-64")
 set(BUILD_64 ON)
-set(INSTALL_VENDORED_LIBUNBOUND ${STATIC})
 
 function (add_c_flag_if_supported flag var)
   string(REPLACE "-" "_" supported ${flag}_c)
@@ -82,6 +81,7 @@ endif()
 add_subdirectory(monero)
 set_property(TARGET wallet_merged PROPERTY FOLDER "monero")
 get_directory_property(ARCH_WIDTH DIRECTORY "monero" DEFINITION ARCH_WIDTH)
+get_directory_property(UNBOUND_LIBRARY DIRECTORY "monero" DEFINITION UNBOUND_LIBRARY)
 
 if (NOT CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE STREQUAL "Debug")
   add_definitions(-DQT_NO_DEBUG)
@@ -139,6 +139,9 @@ monero_gui_add_library(gui_version SOURCES version.js DEPENDS genversiongui)
 message(STATUS "${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH}")
 
 # OpenSSL
+if(APPLE AND NOT OPENSSL_ROOT_DIR)
+  execute_process(COMMAND brew --prefix openssl OUTPUT_VARIABLE OPENSSL_ROOT_DIR OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE)
+endif()
 find_package(OpenSSL REQUIRED)
 message(STATUS "OpenSSL: Version ${OPENSSL_VERSION}")
 message(STATUS "OpenSSL: include dir at ${OPENSSL_INCLUDE_DIR}")
@@ -170,6 +173,9 @@ message(STATUS "libhidapi: libraries at ${HIDAPI_LIBRARIES}")
 if(DEBUG)
     set(Boost_DEBUG ON)
 endif()
+if(APPLE AND NOT BOOST_ROOT)
+  execute_process(COMMAND brew --prefix boost OUTPUT_VARIABLE BOOST_ROOT OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE)
+endif()
 find_package(Boost 1.58 REQUIRED COMPONENTS
 		system
 		filesystem
@@ -222,6 +228,19 @@ if(WITH_SCANNER)
   list(APPEND QT5_LIBRARIES Qt5Multimedia)
 endif()
 
+if(APPLE)
+  list(APPEND QT5_LIBRARIES Qt5MacExtras)
+
+  if(NOT CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH)
+    execute_process(COMMAND brew --prefix qt5 OUTPUT_VARIABLE QT5_DIR OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE)
+    list(APPEND CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH ${QT5_DIR})
+  endif()
+
+  if(CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH)
+    include_directories(${CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH}/include)
+  endif()
+endif()
+
 # TODO: drop this once we switch to Qt 5.14+
 find_package(Qt5QmlModels QUIET)
 if(Qt5QmlModels_FOUND)
@@ -247,6 +266,11 @@ if(QT5_PKG_CONFIG_FOUND)
     set(QT5_PKG_CONFIG "${QT5_PKG_CONFIG}_STATIC")
   endif()
 
+  if(APPLE)
+    list(JOIN ${QT5_PKG_CONFIG}_LDFLAGS_OTHER " " ${QT5_PKG_CONFIG}_LDFLAGS_OTHER)
+    list(JOIN ${QT5_PKG_CONFIG}_LIBRARIES " " ${QT5_PKG_CONFIG}_LIBRARIES)
+  endif()
+
   set(QT5_LIBRARIES ${${QT5_PKG_CONFIG}_LIBRARIES} ${${QT5_PKG_CONFIG}_LDFLAGS_OTHER})
   include_directories(${${QT5_PKG_CONFIG}_INCLUDE_DIRS})
   link_directories(${${QT5_PKG_CONFIG}_LIBRARY_DIRS})
@@ -361,7 +385,9 @@ if(MINGW)
   else()
     set(ICU_LIBRARIES icuio icuin icuuc icudt icutu iconv)
   endif()
-elseif(APPLE OR OPENBSD OR ANDROID)
+elseif(APPLE)
+  set(EXTRA_LIBRARIES "-framework AppKit")
+elseif(OPENBSD OR ANDROID)
   set(EXTRA_LIBRARIES "")
 elseif(FREEBSD)
   set(EXTRA_LIBRARIES execinfo)
@@ -425,7 +451,7 @@ if (NOT (CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID STREQUAL "GNU" AND NOT CMAKE_C_COMPILER_VERSION VER
 endif()
 
 # linker
-if (NOT (WIN32 AND CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID STREQUAL "GNU"))
+if (NOT APPLE AND NOT (WIN32 AND CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID STREQUAL "GNU"))
   # Windows binaries die on startup with PIE when compiled with GCC
   add_linker_flag_if_supported(-pie LD_SECURITY_FLAGS)
 endif()
@@ -488,6 +514,5 @@ if (HIDAPI_FOUND OR LibUSB_COMPILE_TEST_PASSED)
 endif()
 
 add_subdirectory(translations)
-get_directory_property(TRANSLATIONS_QRC DIRECTORY translations DEFINITION TRANSLATIONS_QRC)
 
 add_subdirectory(src)
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 8800c2fb..b73bff79 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ add_subdirectory(model)
 add_subdirectory(openpgp)
 add_subdirectory(zxcvbn-c)
 
-qt5_add_resources(RESOURCES ../qml.qrc ${TRANSLATIONS_QRC})
+qt5_add_resources(RESOURCES ../qml.qrc)
 
 # Compile source files (.h/.cpp)
 file(GLOB SOURCE_FILES
@@ -44,13 +44,16 @@ file(GLOB SOURCE_FILES
     "libwalletqt/Subaddress.h"
     "libwalletqt/SubaddressAccount.h"
     "libwalletqt/UnsignedTransaction.h"
-	"daemon/*.h"
-	"daemon/*.cpp"
-	"model/*.h"
-	"model/*.cpp"
-	"qt/*.h"
+    "daemon/*.h"
+    "daemon/*.cpp"
+    "model/*.h"
+    "model/*.cpp"
+    "qt/*.h"
     "qt/*.cpp"
 )
+if(APPLE)
+    list(APPEND SOURCE_FILES "qt/macoshelper.mm")
+endif()
 
 if(ENABLE_PASS_STRENGTH_METER)
     file(GLOB PASS_STRENGTH_FILES
@@ -130,7 +133,7 @@ target_link_libraries(monero-wallet-gui
     wallet_merged
     ${LMDB_LIBRARY}
     epee
-    unbound
+    ${UNBOUND_LIBRARY}
     ${SODIUM_LIBRARY}
     easylogging
     blockchain_db
@@ -145,6 +148,7 @@ target_link_libraries(monero-wallet-gui
     ${EXTRA_LIBRARIES}
     ${ICU_LIBRARIES}
     openpgp
+    translations
 )
 
 if(DEVICE_TREZOR_READY)
diff --git a/src/main/main.cpp b/src/main/main.cpp
index 18986409..d7788dc6 100644
--- a/src/main/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main/main.cpp
@@ -147,6 +147,8 @@ bool isOpenGL = true;
 
 int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
+    Q_INIT_RESOURCE(translations);
+
     // platform dependant settings
 #if !defined(Q_OS_ANDROID) && !defined(Q_OS_IOS)
     bool isDesktop = true;
diff --git a/translations/CMakeLists.txt b/translations/CMakeLists.txt
index 8f1c0bc6..ab10fa4a 100644
--- a/translations/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/translations/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,23 +1,48 @@
+find_package(Qt5Core REQUIRED)
+
+find_package(Qt5LinguistTools QUIET)
+if(NOT Qt5_LRELEASE_EXECUTABLE)
+  find_program(Qt5_LRELEASE_EXECUTABLE lrelease REQUIRED)
+endif()
+
 file(GLOB TS_FILES *.ts)
 
-set(QRC "<RCC><qresource prefix=\"/\">")
+set(QM_FILES)
+set(QRC_CONTENTS "<RCC><qresource prefix=\"/\">")
 foreach(TS_FILE ${TS_FILES})
   get_filename_component(QM_FILE ${TS_FILE} NAME_WE)
   set(QM_FILE ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/${QM_FILE}.qm)
+  list(APPEND QM_FILES ${QM_FILE})
 
-  execute_process(COMMAND lrelease -compress -nounfinished -removeidentical ${TS_FILE} -qm ${QM_FILE}
-    RESULT_VARIABLE RET
-    OUTPUT_VARIABLE OUT
-    ERROR_VARIABLE ERR
+  add_custom_command(
+    OUTPUT ${QM_FILE}
+    COMMAND ${Qt5_LRELEASE_EXECUTABLE} -compress -nounfinished -removeidentical ${TS_FILE} -qm ${QM_FILE}
+    DEPENDS ${TS_FILE}
   )
-  if(RET)
-    message(FATAL_ERROR "${TS_FILE}: lrelease returned non-zero exit code: ${RET} ${OUT} ${ERR}")
-  endif()
 
   get_filename_component(QM_FILE_NAME ${QM_FILE} NAME)
-  string(APPEND QRC "<file>${QM_FILE_NAME}</file>")
+  string(APPEND QRC_CONTENTS "<file>${QM_FILE_NAME}</file>")
 endforeach()
-string(APPEND QRC "</qresource></RCC>")
+string(APPEND QRC_CONTENTS "</qresource></RCC>")
 
 set(TRANSLATIONS_QRC ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/translations.qrc)
-file(WRITE ${TRANSLATIONS_QRC} ${QRC})
+add_custom_command(
+  OUTPUT ${TRANSLATIONS_QRC}
+  COMMAND echo ${QRC_CONTENTS} > ${TRANSLATIONS_QRC}
+  VERBATIM
+)
+set_source_files_properties(${TRANSLATIONS_QRC} PROPERTIES SKIP_AUTORCC ON)
+
+set(TRANSLATIONS_CPP ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/qrc_translations.cpp)
+add_custom_command(
+  OUTPUT ${TRANSLATIONS_CPP}
+  COMMAND ${Qt5Core_RCC_EXECUTABLE}
+  ARGS --name translations --output ${TRANSLATIONS_CPP} ${TRANSLATIONS_QRC}
+  MAIN_DEPENDENCY ${TRANSLATIONS_QRC}
+  DEPENDS ${QM_FILES}
+  VERBATIM
+)
+set_source_files_properties(${TRANSLATIONS_CPP} PROPERTIES SKIP_AUTOMOC ON)
+set_source_files_properties(${TRANSLATIONS_CPP} PROPERTIES SKIP_AUTOUIC ON)
+
+add_library(translations ${TRANSLATIONS_CPP})