diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index abe87da..b5f36ef 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -19,7 +19,11 @@
 
 ACLOCAL_AMFLAGS = -I ./aclocal
 
-SUBDIRS = compiler/cpp lib test
+SUBDIRS = compiler/cpp lib
+
+if WITH_TESTS
+SUBDIRS += test
+endif
 
 dist-hook:
 	find $(distdir) -type f \( -iname ".deps" -or -iname ".libs" -or -iname ".gitignore" \
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index b7c3bc8..f4c408a 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -277,6 +277,12 @@
 fi
 AM_CONDITIONAL(WITH_GO, [test "$have_go" = "yes"])
 
+have_tests=yes
+if test "$with_tests" = "no"; then
+  have_tests="no"
+fi
+AM_CONDITIONAL(WITH_TESTS, [test "$have_tests" = "yes"])
+
 AC_C_CONST
 AC_C_INLINE
 AC_C_VOLATILE
diff --git a/lib/cpp/Makefile.am b/lib/cpp/Makefile.am
index 35bc8a8..d5bc489 100644
--- a/lib/cpp/Makefile.am
+++ b/lib/cpp/Makefile.am
@@ -17,7 +17,11 @@
 # under the License.
 #
 
-SUBDIRS = . test
+SUBDIRS = .
+
+if WITH_TESTS
+SUBDIRS += test
+endif
 
 pkgconfigdir = $(libdir)/pkgconfig