diff --git a/netutils/libwebsockets/CMakeLists.txt b/netutils/libwebsockets/CMakeLists.txt
index ed3f58674..8f308e292 100644
--- a/netutils/libwebsockets/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/netutils/libwebsockets/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -26,12 +26,19 @@ if(CONFIG_NETUTILS_LIBWEBSOCKETS)
 
   set(LIBWEBSOCKETS_DIR ${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/libwebsockets)
 
-  if(NOT EXISTS ${LIBWEBSOCKETS_DIR})
+  # Match Makefile: strip kconfig quotes; default when olddefconfig has not run
+  set(LWS_VERSION ${CONFIG_NETUTILS_LIBWEBSOCKETS_VERSION})
+  string(REGEX REPLACE "^\"(.*)\"$" "\\1" LWS_VERSION "${LWS_VERSION}")
+  if(NOT LWS_VERSION)
+    set(LWS_VERSION "4.3.1")
+  endif()
+
+  if(NOT EXISTS "${LIBWEBSOCKETS_DIR}/lib/plat/unix/unix-caps.c")
     set(LIBWEBSOCKETS_URL "https://github.com/warmcat/libwebsockets/archive")
     FetchContent_Declare(
       libwebsockets_fetch
-      URL ${LIBWEBSOCKETS_URL}/v${CONFIG_NETUTILS_LIBWEBSOCKETS_VERSION}.zip
-          SOURCE_DIR ${LIBWEBSOCKETS_DIR} BINARY_DIR
+      URL ${LIBWEBSOCKETS_URL}/v${LWS_VERSION}.zip SOURCE_DIR
+          ${LIBWEBSOCKETS_DIR} BINARY_DIR
           ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/apps/netutils/libwebsockets/libwebsockets
       DOWNLOAD_NO_PROGRESS true
       TIMEOUT 30)
@@ -52,17 +59,26 @@ if(CONFIG_NETUTILS_LIBWEBSOCKETS)
   # Flags
   # ############################################################################
 
-  string(REGEX MATCHALL "[0-9]" versions
-               "${CONFIG_NETUTILS_LIBWEBSOCKETS_VERSION}")
-  list(GET versions 0 VERSION_MAJOR)
-  list(GET versions 1 VERSION_MINOR)
-  list(GET versions 2 VERSION_PATCH)
+  string(REPLACE "." ";" LWS_VERSION_PARTS "${LWS_VERSION}")
+  list(GET LWS_VERSION_PARTS 0 VERSION_MAJOR)
+  list(LENGTH LWS_VERSION_PARTS LWS_VERSION_PARTS_LEN)
+  if(LWS_VERSION_PARTS_LEN GREATER 1)
+    list(GET LWS_VERSION_PARTS 1 VERSION_MINOR)
+  else()
+    set(VERSION_MINOR 0)
+  endif()
+  if(LWS_VERSION_PARTS_LEN GREATER 2)
+    list(GET LWS_VERSION_PARTS 2 VERSION_PATCH)
+  else()
+    set(VERSION_PATCH 0)
+  endif()
+
   set(FLAGS
       -DLWS_LIBRARY_VERSION_MAJOR=${VERSION_MAJOR}
       -DLWS_LIBRARY_VERSION_MINOR=${VERSION_MINOR}
       -DLWS_LIBRARY_VERSION_PATCH=${VERSION_PATCH}
       -DLWS_LIBRARY_VERSION_PATCH_ELABORATED=${VERSION_PATCH}-unknown
-      -DLWS_LIBRARY_VERSION="${CONFIG_NETUTILS_LIBWEBSOCKETS_VERSION}-unknown"
+      -DLWS_LIBRARY_VERSION="${LWS_VERSION}-unknown"
       -Wno-shadow
       -Wno-format)