diff --git a/Tools/ardupilotwaf/gtest.py b/Tools/ardupilotwaf/gtest.py
index 2ff016df1e..0337a8ac57 100644
--- a/Tools/ardupilotwaf/gtest.py
+++ b/Tools/ardupilotwaf/gtest.py
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@ from waflib.Configure import conf
 import boards
 
 def configure(cfg):
+    cfg.env.HAS_GTEST = False
+    if cfg.options.disable_tests:
+        return
+
     board = cfg.get_board()
     if isinstance(board, boards.px4):
         # toolchain is currently broken for gtest
@@ -21,8 +25,6 @@ def configure(cfg):
         )
         return
 
-    cfg.env.HAS_GTEST = False
-
     if cfg.env.STATIC_LINKING:
         # gtest uses a function (getaddrinfo) that is supposed to be linked
         # dynamically
diff --git a/wscript b/wscript
index c600c25c7b..269f8d681b 100644
--- a/wscript
+++ b/wscript
@@ -90,6 +90,10 @@ revisions.
         default=False,
         help="Don't use libiio even if supported by board and dependencies available")
 
+    g.add_option('--disable-tests', action='store_true',
+        default=False,
+        help="Disable compilation and test execution")
+
     g.add_option('--static',
         action='store_true',
         default=False,
@@ -235,7 +239,8 @@ def _build_common_taskgens(bld):
         use='mavlink',
     )
 
-    bld.libgtest(cxxflags=['-include', 'ap_config.h'])
+    if bld.env.HAS_GTEST:
+        bld.libgtest(cxxflags=['-include', 'ap_config.h'])
 
     if bld.env.HAS_GBENCHMARK:
         bld.libbenchmark()