diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index c12fe95a561c..66d327ae8fb8 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -2047,6 +2047,11 @@ AC_ARG_WITH(bffvalidator,
          See https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=26794]),
 ,with_bffvalidator=no)
 
+libo_FUZZ_ARG_WITH(cppunit,
+    AS_HELP_STRING([--without-cppunit>],
+        [disable building(!) of cppunit stuff also built during make build]),
+,with_cppunit=yes)
+
 libo_FUZZ_ARG_WITH(junit,
     AS_HELP_STRING([--with-junit=<absolute path to JUnit 4 jar>],
         [Specifies the JUnit 4 jar file to use for JUnit-based tests.
@@ -7932,8 +7959,12 @@ dnl ===================================================================
 dnl Check for system cppunit
 dnl ===================================================================
 if test "$_os" != "Android" ; then
+  if test "$with_cppunit" != "no"; then
     libo_CHECK_SYSTEM_MODULE([cppunit],[CPPUNIT],[cppunit >= 1.14.0])
+    ENABLE_CPPUNIT=TRUE
+  fi
 fi
+AC_SUBST(ENABLE_CPPUNIT)
 
 dnl ===================================================================
 dnl Check whether freetype is available
diff --git a/config_host.mk.in b/config_host.mk.in
index 880895e3c00f..a3dab3e00979 100644
--- a/config_host.mk.in
+++ b/config_host.mk.in
@@ -114,6 +115,7 @@ export SYSTEM_COINMP=@SYSTEM_COINMP@
 export SYSTEM_COINMP=@SYSTEM_COINMP@
 export COINMP_CFLAGS=@COINMP_CFLAGS@
 export COINMP_LIBS=@COINMP_LIBS@
+export ENABLE_CPPUNIT=@ENABLE_CPPUNIT@
 export ENABLE_CUPS=@ENABLE_CUPS@
 export ENABLE_CURL=@ENABLE_CURL@
 export ENABLE_FUZZERS=@ENABLE_FUZZERS@
diff --git a/sal/Module_sal.mk b/sal/Module_sal.mk
index fe9523a7a6e2..719edf8c6252 100644
--- a/sal/Module_sal.mk
+++ b/sal/Module_sal.mk
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
 $(eval $(call gb_Module_Module,sal))
 
 $(eval $(call gb_Module_add_targets,sal,\
-	$(if $(CROSS_COMPILING),,$(if $(filter TRUE,$(DISABLE_DYNLOADING)),,Executable_cppunittester)) \
 	$(if $(filter $(OS),ANDROID), \
 		Library_lo-bootstrap) \
 	Library_sal \
@@ -33,4 +32,10 @@ $(eval $(call gb_Module_add_check_targets,sal,\
 
 endif
 
+ifeq ($(ENABLE_CPPUNIT),TRUE)
+$(eval $(call gb_Module_add_check_targets,sal,\
+	$(if $(CROSS_COMPILING),,$(if $(filter TRUE,$(DISABLE_DYNLOADING)),,Executable_cppunittester)) \
+))
+endif
+
 # vim: set noet sw=4 ts=4:
diff --git a/sdext/Executable_pdf2xml.mk b/sdext/Executable_pdf2xml.mk
index 373f40da36fd..c0401bef9c7a 100644
--- a/sdext/Executable_pdf2xml.mk
+++ b/sdext/Executable_pdf2xml.mk
@@ -13,10 +13,10 @@ $(eval $(call gb_Executable_use_sdk_api,pdf2xml))
 
 $(eval $(call gb_Executable_use_externals,pdf2xml,\
     boost_headers \
-    cppunit \
     zlib \
 ))
 
+
 $(eval $(call gb_Executable_set_include,pdf2xml,\
     -I$(SRCDIR)/sdext/source/pdfimport/inc \
     $$(INCLUDE) \
@@ -27,13 +27,21 @@ $(eval $(call gb_Executable_use_libraries,pdf2xml,\
     vcl \
     comphelper \
     cppu \
-    unotest \
     cppuhelper \
     sal \
     tl \
     xo \
 ))
 
+ifeq ($(ENABLE_CPPUNIT),TRUE)
+$(eval $(call gb_Executable_use_externals,pdf2xml,\
+    cppunit \
+))
+$(eval $(call gb_Executable_use_libraries,pdf2xml,\
+    unotest \
+))
+endif
+
 $(eval $(call gb_Executable_use_library_objects,pdf2xml,pdfimport))
 
 $(eval $(call gb_Executable_add_exception_objects,pdf2xml,\
diff --git a/smoketest/Module_smoketest.mk b/smoketest/Module_smoketest.mk
index 7e8b6d5f11f6..a084e254bf70 100644
--- a/smoketest/Module_smoketest.mk
+++ b/smoketest/Module_smoketest.mk
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ $(eval $(call gb_Module_Module,smoketest))
 
 ifeq ($(CROSS_COMPILING),)
 
+ifeq ($(ENABLE_CPPUNIT),TRUE)
+
 $(eval $(call gb_Module_add_targets,smoketest,\
 	Library_smoketest \
 	Zip_smoketestdoc \
@@ -42,6 +44,8 @@ endif
 
 endif
 
+endif
+
 ifneq ($(ENABLE_JAVA),)
 $(eval $(call gb_Module_add_targets,smoketest,\
 	Jar_smoketest \
diff --git a/test/Module_test.mk b/test/Module_test.mk
index e1051f16b5a0..d1787cb5789b 100644
--- a/test/Module_test.mk
+++ b/test/Module_test.mk
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ $(eval $(call gb_Module_Module,test))
 
 ifneq (,$(filter DESKTOP,$(BUILD_TYPE)))
 
+ifeq ($(ENABLE_CPPUNIT),TRUE)
 $(eval $(call gb_Module_add_targets,test,\
     Library_test \
     Library_test_setupvcl \
@@ -18,6 +19,7 @@ $(eval $(call gb_Module_add_targets,test,\
 $(eval $(call gb_Module_add_check_targets,test,\
     CppunitTest_test_xpath \
 ))
+endif
 
 endif
 
diff --git a/unotest/Module_unotest.mk b/unotest/Module_unotest.mk
index a47ca5d4b694..e243e06309f5 100644
--- a/unotest/Module_unotest.mk
+++ b/unotest/Module_unotest.mk
@@ -11,12 +11,15 @@
 $(eval $(call gb_Module_Module,unotest))
 
 ifneq (,$(filter DESKTOP,$(BUILD_TYPE)))
+
+ifeq ($(ENABLE_CPPUNIT),TRUE)
 $(eval $(call gb_Module_add_targets,unotest,\
 	Library_unobootstrapprotector \
 	Library_unoexceptionprotector \
 	Library_unotest \
 ))
 endif
+endif
 
 ifneq ($(ENABLE_JAVA),)
 $(eval $(call gb_Module_add_targets,unotest,\
diff --git a/testtools/Module_testtools.mk b/testtools/Module_testtools.mk
index a1b84e175b30..08e4aad24c11 100644
--- a/testtools/Module_testtools.mk
+++ b/testtools/Module_testtools.mk
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ $(eval $(call gb_Module_Module,testtools))
 
 ifeq ($(CROSS_COMPILING),)
 
+ifeq ($(ENABLE_CPPUNIT),TRUE)
+
 $(eval $(call gb_Module_add_targets,testtools,\
 	CustomTarget_bridgetest \
 	InternalUnoApi_bridgetest \
@@ -41,4 +43,6 @@ $(eval $(call gb_Module_add_check_targets,testtools,\
 
 endif
 
+endif
+
 # vim:set noet sw=4 ts=4: