diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index de5126e2c..0c0f29153 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ endif()
 option(SIBLING_SEARCH "Search for other modules in sibling directories?" ON)
 set( USE_OPENMP_DEFAULT OFF ) # Use of OpenMP is considered experimental
 option(BUILD_FLOW "Build the production oriented flow simulator?" ON)
+option(BUILD_FLOW_BLACKOIL_ONLY "Build the production oriented flow simulator only supporting the blackoil model?" OFF)
 option(BUILD_FLOW_VARIANTS "Build the variants for flow by default?" OFF)
 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)
@@ -175,6 +176,24 @@ opm_add_test(flow
   flow/flow_ebos_oilwater_polymer.cpp
   flow/flow_ebos_oilwater_polymer_injectivity.cpp)
 
+if (NOT BUILD_FLOW_BLACKOIL_ONLY)
+  set(FLOW_BLACKOIL_ONLY_DEFAULT_ENABLE_IF "FALSE")
+else()
+  set(FLOW_BLACKOIL_ONLY_DEFAULT_ENABLE_IF "TRUE")
+endif()
+
+# the production oriented general-purpose ECL simulator
+opm_add_test(flow_blackoil
+  ONLY_COMPILE
+  ALWAYS_ENABLE
+  DEFAULT_ENABLE_IF ${FLOW_BLACKOIL_ONLY_DEFAULT_ENABLE_IF}
+  DEPENDS "opmsimulators"
+  LIBRARIES "opmsimulators"
+  SOURCES
+  flow/flow.cpp
+  flow/flow_ebos_blackoil.cpp)
+target_compile_definitions(flow_blackoil PRIVATE "FLOW_BLACKOIL_ONLY")
+
 if (NOT BUILD_FLOW_VARIANTS)
   set(FLOW_VARIANTS_DEFAULT_ENABLE_IF "FALSE")
 else()
diff --git a/flow/flow.cpp b/flow/flow.cpp
index f671cd826..a2f1b613e 100644
--- a/flow/flow.cpp
+++ b/flow/flow.cpp
@@ -20,7 +20,10 @@
 */
 #include "config.h"
 
+
 #include <flow/flow_ebos_blackoil.hpp>
+
+#ifndef FLOW_BLACKOIL_ONLY
 #include <flow/flow_ebos_gasoil.hpp>
 #include <flow/flow_ebos_oilwater.hpp>
 #include <flow/flow_ebos_solvent.hpp>
@@ -30,6 +33,7 @@
 #include <flow/flow_ebos_energy.hpp>
 #include <flow/flow_ebos_oilwater_polymer.hpp>
 #include <flow/flow_ebos_oilwater_polymer_injectivity.hpp>
+#endif
 
 #include <opm/simulators/flow/SimulatorFullyImplicitBlackoilEbos.hpp>
 #include <opm/simulators/flow/FlowMainEbos.hpp>
@@ -381,8 +385,10 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
         // TODO: make sure that no illegal combinations like thermal and twophase are
         //       requested.
 
+        if ( false ) {}
+#ifndef FLOW_BLACKOIL_ONLY
         // Twophase cases
-        if( phases.size() == 2 ) {
+        else if( phases.size() == 2 ) {
             // oil-gas
             if (phases.active( Opm::Phase::GAS ))
             {
@@ -447,6 +453,7 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
             Opm::flowEbosEnergySetDeck(externalSetupTimer.elapsed(), *deck, *eclipseState, *schedule, *summaryConfig);
             return Opm::flowEbosEnergyMain(argc, argv, outputCout, outputFiles);
         }
+#endif // FLOW_BLACKOIL_ONLY
         // Blackoil case
         else if( phases.size() == 3 ) {
             Opm::flowEbosBlackoilSetDeck(externalSetupTimer.elapsed(), *deck, *eclipseState, *schedule, *summaryConfig);