diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 33899f489..6775ae356 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ option(BUILD_EBOS "Build the research oriented ebos simulator?" ON)
 option(BUILD_EBOS_EXTENSIONS "Build the variants for various extensions of ebos by default?" OFF)
 option(BUILD_EBOS_DEBUG_EXTENSIONS "Build the ebos variants which are purely for debugging by default?" OFF)
 option(BUILD_FLOW_POLY_GRID "Build flow blackoil with polyhedral grid" OFF)
+option(OPM_ENABLE_PYTHON "Enable python bindings?" OFF)
+option(OPM_ENABLE_PYTHON_TESTS "Enable tests for the python bindings?" ON)
 
 if(SIBLING_SEARCH AND NOT opm-common_DIR)
   # guess the sibling dir
diff --git a/python/simulators/CMakeLists.txt b/python/simulators/CMakeLists.txt
index f62e629cb..3c5681453 100644
--- a/python/simulators/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/python/simulators/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -25,8 +25,10 @@ file( COPY ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/python/test
 file( COPY ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/python/test_data
       DESTINATION ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/python)
 
-add_test(NAME python_tests
-    WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/python
-    COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND}
-          -E env PYTHONPATH=${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/python:$ENV{PYTHONPATH}
-          ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} -m unittest )
+if(OPM_ENABLE_PYTHON_TESTS)
+  add_test(NAME python_tests
+      WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/python
+      COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND}
+            -E env PYTHONPATH=${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/python:$ENV{PYTHONPATH}
+            ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} -m unittest )
+endif()