diff --git a/cmake/GtsamBuildTypes.cmake b/cmake/GtsamBuildTypes.cmake
index 2f11df94e..1bead58d8 100644
--- a/cmake/GtsamBuildTypes.cmake
+++ b/cmake/GtsamBuildTypes.cmake
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ if(NOT FIRST_PASS_DONE)
 endif()
 
 # Clang on Mac uses a template depth that is less than standard and is too small
-if("${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID}" STREQUAL "Clang")
+if(${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID} STREQUAL "Clang")
 	if(NOT "${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_VERSION}" VERSION_LESS "5.0")
 		set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -ftemplate-depth=1024")
 	endif()
diff --git a/gtsam/3rdparty/metis/CMakeLists.txt b/gtsam/3rdparty/metis/CMakeLists.txt
index fd9c7eaf7..6ba17787f 100644
--- a/gtsam/3rdparty/metis/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/gtsam/3rdparty/metis/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -2,14 +2,14 @@ cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 2.8)
 project(METIS)
 
 # Add flags for currect directory and below
-if ("${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID}" STREQUAL "Clang")
+if (${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID} STREQUAL "Clang")
   add_definitions(-Wno-unused-variable)
   if (CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_VERSION VERSION_GREATER 5.0 OR CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_VERSION VERSION_EQUAL 5.0)
     add_definitions(-Wno-sometimes-uninitialized)
   endif()
 endif()
 
-if(NOT ("${CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID}" MATCHES "MSVC" OR "${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID}" MATCHES "MSVC"))
+if(NOT (${CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID} MATCHES "MSVC" OR ${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID} MATCHES "MSVC"))
   #add_definitions(-Wno-unknown-pragmas)
 endif()
 
diff --git a/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
index 008dbb78d..068b39eca 100644
--- a/tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 # note the source dir on each 
 set (tests_exclude "")
 
-if ("${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID}" STREQUAL "Clang") # might not be best test - Richard & Jason & Frank
+if (${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID} STREQUAL "Clang") # might not be best test - Richard & Jason & Frank
 	# clang linker segfaults on large testSerializationSLAM 
 	list (APPEND tests_exclude "testSerializationSLAM.cpp") 
 endif()