diff --git a/src/mlpack/core/dists/CMakeLists.txt b/src/mlpack/core/dists/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..940ec92da2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/mlpack/core/dists/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 2.8)
+
+# Define the files we need to compile.
+# Anything not in this list will not be compiled into MLPACK.
+set(SOURCES
+  discrete_distribution.hpp
+  discrete_distribution.cpp
+  gaussian_distribution.hpp
+  gaussian_distribution.cpp
+)
+
+# add directory name to sources
+set(DIR_SRCS)
+foreach(file ${SOURCES})
+  set(DIR_SRCS ${DIR_SRCS} ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/${file})
+endforeach()
+# Append sources (with directory name) to list of all MLPACK sources (used at
+# the parent scope).
+set(MLPACK_SRCS ${MLPACK_SRCS} ${DIR_SRCS} PARENT_SCOPE)