diff --git a/.github/workflows/c-cpp.yml b/.github/workflows/c-cpp.yml
index 62142851a1..737039b348 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/c-cpp.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/c-cpp.yml
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ jobs:
     - name: Run tests
       run: >-
            meson setup --cross-file meson.cross.x86_64-w64-mingw32
-           -Denable-debug-checks=true build_ci
+           -Denable-debug-checks=true -Dbuild-test=true build_ci
            && meson test -j4 -t8 -Cbuild_ci
 
   linaro-ubuntu-arm64:
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ jobs:
       run: >-
            export PATH=$(pwd)/llvm-mingw-20240308-ucrt-ubuntu-20.04-x86_64/bin:$PATH;
            meson setup --cross-file meson.cross.aarch64-w64-mingw32
-           -Denable-debug-checks=true build_ci
+           -Denable-debug-checks=true -Dbuild-test=true build_ci
            && meson test -j2 -t12 -Cbuild_ci
 
   msys2-ucrt64:
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ jobs:
 
     - name: Run tests
       run: >-
-           meson setup -Denable-debug-checks=true build_ci
+           meson setup -Denable-debug-checks=true -Dbuild-test=true build_ci
            && meson test -j4 -t2 -Cbuild_ci
 
   msys2-mingw32:
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ jobs:
 
     - name: Run tests
       run: >-
-           meson setup -Denable-debug-checks=true build_ci
+           meson setup -Denable-debug-checks=true -Dbuild-test=true build_ci
            && meson test -j4 -t2 -Cbuild_ci
 
   msys2-clang64:
@@ -141,5 +141,5 @@ jobs:
     - name: Run tests
       run: >-
            export CC=clang CXX=clang++;
-           meson setup -Denable-debug-checks=true build_ci
+           meson setup -Denable-debug-checks=true -Dbuild-test=true build_ci
            && meson test -j4 -t2 -Cbuild_ci
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index ced6a1b54a..fc95275796 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -336,44 +336,46 @@ import('pkgconfig').generate(lib_mcfgthread_dll,
 #===========================================================
 # Rules for tests
 #===========================================================
-foreach src: test_src
-  test_c_args = []
-  test_cpp_args = []
-  test_dependencies = []
-  test_link_with = lib_mcfgthread_dll
+if get_option('build-test')
+  foreach src: test_src
+    test_c_args = []
+    test_cpp_args = []
+    test_dependencies = []
+    test_link_with = lib_mcfgthread_dll
 
-  if src == 'test/win8.c' or src == 'test/win10.c'
-    test_link_with = lib_mcfgthread_a
-  endif
+    if src == 'test/win8.c' or src == 'test/win10.c'
+      test_link_with = lib_mcfgthread_a
+    endif
 
-  if src == 'test/memory.c'
-    test_dependencies = [ dep_advapi32, dep_ntdll ]
-  endif
+    if src == 'test/memory.c'
+      test_dependencies = [ dep_advapi32, dep_ntdll ]
+    endif
 
-  if src == 'test/gthr_c89_pedantic.c'
-    test_c_args = [ '-std=c89', '-Wpedantic', '-Wno-variadic-macros',
-                    '-Wno-long-long', '-Werror=declaration-after-statement' ]
-  endif
+    if src == 'test/gthr_c89_pedantic.c'
+      test_c_args = [ '-std=c89', '-Wpedantic', '-Wno-variadic-macros',
+                      '-Wno-long-long', '-Werror=declaration-after-statement' ]
+    endif
 
-  if src == 'test/c11_c99_pedantic.c'
-    test_c_args = [ '-std=c99', '-Wpedantic' ]
-  endif
+    if src == 'test/c11_c99_pedantic.c'
+      test_c_args = [ '-std=c99', '-Wpedantic' ]
+    endif
 
-  if src == 'test/cxx11_no_exceptions.cpp'
-    test_cpp_args = [ '-std=c++11', '-fno-rtti', '-fno-exceptions' ]
-  endif
+    if src == 'test/cxx11_no_exceptions.cpp'
+      test_cpp_args = [ '-std=c++11', '-fno-rtti', '-fno-exceptions' ]
+    endif
 
-  if src == 'test/cxx11_pedantic.cpp'
-    test_cpp_args = [ '-std=c++11', '-Wpedantic' ]
-  endif
+    if src == 'test/cxx11_pedantic.cpp'
+      test_cpp_args = [ '-std=c++11', '-Wpedantic' ]
+    endif
 
-  test_exe = executable(src.underscorify(), src,
-                        c_args: test_c_args,
-                        cpp_args: test_cpp_args,
-                        link_args: [ '-static-libgcc', '-static-libstdc++' ],
-                        dependencies: test_dependencies,
-                        link_with: test_link_with,
-                        install: false)
+    test_exe = executable(src.underscorify(), src,
+                          c_args: test_c_args,
+                          cpp_args: test_cpp_args,
+                          link_args: [ '-static-libgcc', '-static-libstdc++' ],
+                          dependencies: test_dependencies,
+                          link_with: test_link_with,
+                          install: false)
 
-  test('..' / src, test_exe)
-endforeach
+    test('..' / src, test_exe)
+  endforeach
+endif
diff --git a/meson.options b/meson.options
index d0342f83b2..b45d572315 100644
--- a/meson.options
+++ b/meson.options
@@ -15,3 +15,7 @@
 option('enable-debug-checks',
        type: 'boolean', value: false,
        description: 'enable run-time assertions')
+
+option('build-test',
+       type: 'boolean', value: false,
+       description: 'Build unit test')