diff --git a/HepMC-2.06.07-nodoc.patch b/HepMC-2.06.07-nodoc.patch
deleted file mode 100644
index 6ac782ed5a4..00000000000
--- a/HepMC-2.06.07-nodoc.patch
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
-diff --git a/bootstrap b/bootstrap
-index 837aa4e..d848bff 100755
---- a/bootstrap
-+++ b/bootstrap
-@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ autoconf
- 
- # To avoid confusing people with failures in the documentation build, 
- # build documents during the bootstrap process.
--if [ $OSname != "Cygwin" ]; then
-+if [ $OSname != "Cygwin" ] && [ -z "$HEPMC_NODOC" ]; then
-   cd doc; ./buildDoc.sh
- fi
- 
diff --git a/HepMC-2.06.07-pyinit.patch b/HepMC-2.06.07-pyinit.patch
deleted file mode 100644
index 891c1caac34..00000000000
--- a/HepMC-2.06.07-pyinit.patch
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,11 +0,0 @@
---- HepMC-2.06.07.orig/HepMC/PythiaWrapper6_4.h	2019-10-11 16:52:08.917366436 +0200
-+++ HepMC-2.06.07/HepMC/PythiaWrapper6_4.h	2019-10-11 17:04:01.614803379 +0200
-@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@
- #define upevnt upevnt_
-     extern "C" {
- 	void pyhepc(int*);
--	void pyinit(const char*,const char*,const char*,double*,int,int,int);
-+        void pyinit(const char*,const char*,const char*,double*,std::size_t,std::size_t,std::size_t);
- 	void pylist(int*);
- 	void pystat(int*);
- 	void pyevnt();
diff --git a/hepmc-2.03.06-reflex.patch b/hepmc-2.03.06-reflex.patch
deleted file mode 100644
index 47e67356bb0..00000000000
--- a/hepmc-2.03.06-reflex.patch
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,18 +0,0 @@
-diff -Naur HepMC/SimpleVector.h HepMC/SimpleVector.h
---- HepMC/SimpleVector.h	2009-08-26 22:25:10.000000000 +0200
-+++ HepMC/SimpleVector.h	2009-08-26 17:26:20.000000000 +0200
-@@ -54,12 +54,14 @@
-   FourVector() 
-   : m_x(0), m_y(0), m_z(0), m_t(0) {}
- 
-+#ifndef __REFLEX__
-   /// templated constructor
-   /// this is used ONLY if T is not arithmetic
-   template <class T >
-   FourVector( const T& v,
-          typename detail::disable_if< detail::is_arithmetic<T>::value, void >::type * = 0 )
-   : m_x(v.x()), m_y(v.y()), m_z(v.z()), m_t(v.t()) {}
-+#endif
- 
-   /// copy constructor
-   FourVector(const FourVector & v)
diff --git a/hepmc-2.06.07-WeightContainer-fix-size_type.patch b/hepmc-2.06.07-WeightContainer-fix-size_type.patch
deleted file mode 100644
index 90234a3c279..00000000000
--- a/hepmc-2.06.07-WeightContainer-fix-size_type.patch
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
-diff --git a/HepMC/WeightContainer.h b/HepMC/WeightContainer.h
-index 980f75b..93f5e3b 100644
---- a/HepMC/WeightContainer.h
-+++ b/HepMC/WeightContainer.h
-@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ namespace HepMC {
- 
-     public:
-         /// defining the size type used by vector and map
--	typedef std::size_t size_type;
-+	typedef unsigned long long size_type;
-         /// iterator for the weight container
- 	typedef std::vector<double>::iterator iterator;
-         /// const iterator for the weight container
diff --git a/hepmc.spec b/hepmc.spec
index 809d9a8e54d..108da330559 100644
--- a/hepmc.spec
+++ b/hepmc.spec
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 ### RPM external hepmc 2.06.10
 
-%define tag d262dcafa9855927846f7b140a4bc3b31667ef03
+%define tag 91c4c217572ac25669e9ad8fdc0111d1d5c82289
 %define branch cms/%{realversion}
 Source: git+https://github.com/cms-externals/hepmc.git?obj=%{branch}/%{tag}&export=HepMC-%{realversion}&output=/HepMC-%{realversion}.tgz
 
-Requires: autotools
+BuildRequires: cmake
 
 %define keep_archives true
 %define drop_files %i/share
@@ -12,20 +12,23 @@ Requires: autotools
 %prep
 %setup -q -n HepMC-%{realversion}
 
-F77="$(which gfortran) -fPIC"
-CXX="$(which g++) -fPIC"
-PLATF_CONFIG_OPTS="--enable-static --disable-shared"
-
-perl -p -i -e 's|glibtoolize|libtoolize|g' ./bootstrap
+%build
 
-export HEPMC_NODOC=1
+rm -rf ../build
+mkdir ../build
+cd ../build
 
-./bootstrap
-./configure $PLATF_CONFIG_OPTS --prefix=%{i} --with-momentum=GEV --with-length=MM F77="$F77" CXX="$CXX"
+cmake ../HepMC-%{realversion} \
+    -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=%{i} \
+    -DCMAKE_CXX_FLAGS="-fPIC" \
+    -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE="Release" \
+    -Dmomentum:STRING=GEV \
+    -Dlength:STRING=MM 
 
-%build
 make %makeprocesses
 
 %install
+cd ../build
 make install
+rm -rf %i/lib/*.so
 rm -rf %i/lib/*.la
diff --git a/rivet.spec b/rivet.spec
index bd7e7f4e966..d85e507e53f 100644
--- a/rivet.spec
+++ b/rivet.spec
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 Source: git+https://gitlab.com/hepcedar/rivet.git?obj=master/%{n}-%{realversion}&export=%{n}-%{realversion}&output=/%{n}-%{realversion}.tgz
 
 Requires: hepmc fastjet fastjet-contrib yoda
-BuildRequires: python py2-cython py2-setuptools
+BuildRequires: python py2-cython py2-setuptools autotools
 
 Patch0: rivet-140-313
 
diff --git a/sherpa.spec b/sherpa.spec
index c84a54fec4d..71bc23af7a7 100644
--- a/sherpa.spec
+++ b/sherpa.spec
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 %define github_user cms-externals
 Source: http://www.hepforge.org/archive/sherpa/SHERPA-MC-%{realversion}.tar.gz
 Requires: hepmc lhapdf blackhat sqlite fastjet openssl scons python openmpi rivet
-BuildRequires: mcfm swig
+BuildRequires: mcfm swig autotools
 Patch0: sherpa-2.2.10-hepmcshort
 
 %ifos linux