diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index adac2c7a5..deea71cfa 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -213,7 +213,13 @@ pkgconfig.generate(
 subdir('data')
 subdir('src')
 subdir('document-portal')
-subdir('tests')
+
+enable_pytest = false
+enable_tests = get_option('tests')
+if enable_tests
+    subdir('tests')
+endif
+
 subdir('po')
 subdir('doc')
 
@@ -227,6 +233,7 @@ summary({
     'Enable libportal support': have_libportal,
     'Enable gudev support': have_gudev,
     'Enable installed tests:': enable_installed_tests,
+    'Enable test suite': enable_tests,
     'Enable python test suite': enable_pytest,
     'Build man pages': rst2man.found(),
     'Build flatpak interfaces': flatpak_intf_dir != '',
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 64d9bd3d3..cab398cf2 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -38,6 +38,10 @@ option('datarootdir',
         type: 'string',
         value: '',
         description: 'Define the datarootdir for the pkgconf file')
+option('tests',
+        type: 'boolean',
+        value: true,
+        description: 'Build unit tests')
 option('installed-tests',
         type: 'boolean',
         value: false,