diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 1c4a1b0a..0babff96 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -33,6 +33,10 @@
 
 # Build
 /examples/build/*
+.cmake*
+
+# IDE files
+.idea
 
 # vim temp files
 *.sw*
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index bb2decd8..0db46e4a 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.8 FATAL_ERROR)
 project(matplotlib_cpp LANGUAGES CXX)
 
+add_subdirectory(minimal-standalone-example)
+
 include(GNUInstallDirs)
 set(PACKAGE_NAME matplotlib_cpp)
 set(INSTALL_CONFIGDIR ${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}/${PACKAGE_NAME}/cmake)
 
-
 # Library target
 add_library(matplotlib_cpp INTERFACE)
 target_include_directories(matplotlib_cpp
diff --git a/matplotlibcpp.cmake b/matplotlibcpp.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bbfffc07
--- /dev/null
+++ b/matplotlibcpp.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+find_package(Python3 COMPONENTS Interpreter Development REQUIRED)
+find_package(Python3 COMPONENTS NumPy)
+
+target_link_libraries(${PROJECT_NAME} PRIVATE
+        Python3::Python
+        Python3::Module
+)
+
+if (Python3_NumPy_FOUND)
+    target_link_libraries(${PROJECT_NAME} PRIVATE Python3::NumPy)
+else ()
+    target_compile_definitions(${PROJECT_NAME} WITHOUT_NUMPY)
+endif ()
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/minimal-standalone-example/CMakeLists.txt b/minimal-standalone-example/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c0c80300
--- /dev/null
+++ b/minimal-standalone-example/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.25)
+project(smwe)
+
+set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 17)
+
+add_executable(smwe main.cpp)
+
+include(../matplotlibcpp.cmake)
diff --git a/minimal-standalone-example/main.cpp b/minimal-standalone-example/main.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c728a93f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/minimal-standalone-example/main.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+#include "../matplotlibcpp.h"
+int main() {
+    matplotlibcpp::plot({1,3,2,4});
+    matplotlibcpp::show();
+}
\ No newline at end of file