diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 8cf89dd17..ae842918b 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ set(RUN_IN_PLACE ${DEFAULT_RUN_IN_PLACE} CACHE BOOL
 
 set(BUILD_CLIENT TRUE CACHE BOOL "Build client")
 set(BUILD_SERVER FALSE CACHE BOOL "Build server")
+set(BUILD_UNITTESTS TRUE CACHE BOOL "Build unittests")
 
 
 set(WARN_ALL TRUE CACHE BOOL "Enable -Wall for Release build")
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 3c41ce0f4..7c1107288 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ RUN apk add --no-cache git build-base irrlicht-dev cmake bzip2-dev libpng-dev \
 		-DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr/local \
 		-DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release \
 		-DBUILD_SERVER=TRUE \
+		-DBUILD_UNITTESTS=FALSE \
 		-DBUILD_CLIENT=FALSE && \
 	make -j2 && \
 	make install
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index cfd5a8ae0..e9065dfa7 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -218,6 +218,7 @@ General options and their default values:
 
     BUILD_CLIENT=TRUE          - Build Minetest client
     BUILD_SERVER=FALSE         - Build Minetest server
+    BUILD_UNITTESTS=TRUE       - Build unittest sources
     CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release   - Type of build (Release vs. Debug)
         Release                - Release build
         Debug                  - Debug build
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index c3f4f439f..dbd6b5922 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -435,9 +435,12 @@ set(common_SRCS
 	${JTHREAD_SRCS}
 	${common_SCRIPT_SRCS}
 	${UTIL_SRCS}
-	${UNITTEST_SRCS}
 )
 
+if(BUILD_UNITTESTS)
+	set(common_SRCS ${common_SRCS} ${UNITTEST_SRCS})
+endif()
+
 
 # This gives us the icon and file version information
 if(WIN32)
@@ -472,8 +475,12 @@ set(client_SRCS
 	${client_network_SRCS}
 	${client_irrlicht_changes_SRCS}
 	${client_SCRIPT_SRCS}
-	${UNITTEST_CLIENT_SRCS}
 )
+
+if(BUILD_UNITTESTS)
+	set(client_SRCS ${client_SRCS} ${UNITTEST_CLIENT_SRCS})
+endif()
+
 list(SORT client_SRCS)
 
 # Server sources
diff --git a/src/cmake_config.h.in b/src/cmake_config.h.in
index cb54cb488..cac6335d4 100644
--- a/src/cmake_config.h.in
+++ b/src/cmake_config.h.in
@@ -34,3 +34,4 @@
 #cmakedefine01 CURSES_HAVE_NCURSES_CURSES_H
 #cmakedefine01 CURSES_HAVE_NCURSESW_NCURSES_H
 #cmakedefine01 CURSES_HAVE_NCURSESW_CURSES_H
+#cmakedefine01 BUILD_UNITTESTS
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index db020661a..82666e463 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -187,7 +187,13 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 #ifndef __ANDROID__
 	// Run unit tests
 	if (cmd_args.getFlag("run-unittests")) {
+#if BUILD_UNITTESTS
 		return run_tests();
+#else
+		errorstream << "Unittest support is not enabled in this binary. "
+			<< "If you want to enable it, compile project with BUILD_UNITTESTS=1 flag."
+			<< std::endl;
+#endif
 	}
 #endif