diff --git a/rclcpp/CMakeLists.txt b/rclcpp/CMakeLists.txt
index 88cddf4..20db4d1 100644
--- a/rclcpp/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/rclcpp/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -3,36 +3,14 @@ cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 2.8.3)
 project(rclcpp)
 
 find_package(ament_cmake REQUIRED)
-find_package(ros_middleware_interface REQUIRED)
 
 ament_export_dependencies(ros_middleware_interface)
 
-set(_dds_vendor "$ENV{ROS_DDS_IMPLEMENTATION}")
-set(_dds_type "$ENV{ROS_DDS_TYPE}")
-
-if(NOT "${_dds_type}" STREQUAL "dynamic" AND NOT "${_dds_type}" STREQUAL "static")
-  message(FATAL_ERROR "Set the environment variable 'ROS_DDS_TYPE' to either 'dynamic' or 'static'.")
-endif()
-
-if("${_dds_vendor}" STREQUAL "connext")
-  if("${_dds_type}" STREQUAL "dynamic")
-    ament_export_dependencies(ros_dds_connext_dynamic)
-  elseif("${_dds_type}" STREQUAL "static")
-    ament_export_dependencies(rosidl_typesupport_connext_cpp ros_middleware_connext_cpp)
-  endif()
-elseif("${_dds_vendor}" STREQUAL "opensplice")
-  if("${_dds_type}" STREQUAL "dynamic")
-    message(FATAL_ERROR "The DDS implementation '${_dds_vendor}' does not support the type '${_dds_type}'.")
-  elseif("${_dds_type}" STREQUAL "static")
-    ament_export_dependencies(rosidl_typesupport_opensplice_cpp)
-  endif()
-else()
-  message(FATAL_ERROR "Set the environment variable 'ROS_DDS_IMPLEMENTATION' to either 'connext' or 'opensplice'.")
-endif()
-
 ament_export_include_directories(include)
 
-ament_package()
+ament_package(
+  CONFIG_EXTRAS "rclcpp-extras.cmake"
+)
 
 install(
   DIRECTORY include/
diff --git a/rclcpp/include/rclcpp/Node.h b/rclcpp/include/rclcpp/Node.h
index 7043bb8..418eb78 100644
--- a/rclcpp/include/rclcpp/Node.h
+++ b/rclcpp/include/rclcpp/Node.h
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 #include "ros_middleware_interface/functions.h"
 #include "ros_middleware_interface/handles.h"
 
+#include "ros_middleware_interface/get_type_support_handle.h"
+
 
 namespace rclcpp
 {
@@ -21,7 +23,7 @@ public:
   template<typename ROSMessage>
   Publisher<ROSMessage>* create_publisher(const char * topic_name)
   {
-    const rosidl_generator_cpp::MessageTypeSupportHandle & type_support_handle = rosidl_generator_cpp::MessageTypeSupport<ROSMessage>::get_type_support_handle();
+    const rosidl_generator_cpp::MessageTypeSupportHandle & type_support_handle = ::ros_middleware_interface::get_type_support_handle<ROSMessage>();
     ros_middleware_interface::PublisherHandle publisher_handle = ::ros_middleware_interface::create_publisher(node_handle_, type_support_handle, topic_name);
     return new Publisher<ROSMessage>(publisher_handle);
   }
diff --git a/rclcpp/package.xml b/rclcpp/package.xml
index 25fa3f6..39bb7d8 100644
--- a/rclcpp/package.xml
+++ b/rclcpp/package.xml
@@ -8,8 +8,5 @@
 
   <buildtool_depend>ament_cmake</buildtool_depend>
 
-  <build_depend>ros_middleware_interface</build_depend>
-  <build_depend>rosidl_default_generators</build_depend>
-
-  <build_depend>ros_dds_connext_dynamic</build_depend>
+  <build_export_depend>ros_middleware_interface</build_export_depend>
 </package>
diff --git a/rclcpp/rclcpp-extras.cmake b/rclcpp/rclcpp-extras.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8f428c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rclcpp/rclcpp-extras.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+# copied from rclcpp/rclcpp-extras.cmake
+
+# option()
+set(_middleware_implementation "")
+if(NOT "${ROS_MIDDLEWARE_IMPLEMENTATION}" STREQUAL "")
+  set(_middleware_implementation "${ROS_MIDDLEWARE_IMPLEMENTATION}")
+elseif(NOT "$ENV{ROS_MIDDLEWARE_IMPLEMENTATION}" STREQUAL "")
+  set(_middleware_implementation "$ENV{ROS_MIDDLEWARE_IMPLEMENTATION}")
+else()
+  # detemine "default" implementation based on the available ones
+  set(_middleware_implementation "ros_middleware_connext_cpp")
+  if("${_middleware_implementation}" STREQUAL "")
+    message(FATAL_ERROR "No middleware implementation available.")
+  endif()
+endif()
+
+message("rclcpp_DEFINITIONS ${rclcpp_DEFINITIONS}")
+message("rclcpp_INCLUDE_DIRS ${rclcpp_INCLUDE_DIRS}")
+message("rclcpp_LIBRARIES ${rclcpp_LIBRARIES}")
+
+message(STATUS "Using middleware implementation: ${_middleware_implementation}")
+find_package("${_middleware_implementation}" REQUIRED)
+
+# persist implementation decision in cache
+set(
+  ROS_MIDDLEWARE_IMPLEMENTATION "${_middleware_implementation}"
+  CACHE STRING "Select ROS middleware implementation to link against" FORCE
+)
+
+list(APPEND rclcpp_DEFINITIONS ${${ROS_MIDDLEWARE_IMPLEMENTATION}_DEFINITIONS})
+list(APPEND rclcpp_INCLUDE_DIRS ${${ROS_MIDDLEWARE_IMPLEMENTATION}_INCLUDE_DIRS})
+list(APPEND rclcpp_LIBRARIES ${${ROS_MIDDLEWARE_IMPLEMENTATION}_LIBRARIES})
+
+message("rclcpp_DEFINITIONS ${rclcpp_DEFINITIONS}")
+message("rclcpp_INCLUDE_DIRS ${rclcpp_INCLUDE_DIRS}")
+message("rclcpp_LIBRARIES ${rclcpp_LIBRARIES}")