diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index a8797277a..b344b2d76 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ACLOCAL_AMFLAGS = -I m4
-SUBDIRS = include @ZLIBDIR@ src @EXAMPLESDIR@ test
+SUBDIRS = include @ZLIBDIR@ src @EXAMPLESDIR@ @TESTSDIR@
 EXTRA_DIST = autotool.sh docs/manual.html docs/manual.rst docs/extension_protocol.rst \
 docs/extension_protocol.html \
 docs/projects.rst docs/projects.html \
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 4874cdba6..3cde7df3f 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -336,6 +336,36 @@ esac
 dnl make $examples visible to Makefiles
 AC_SUBST([EXAMPLESDIR])
 
+dnl Check whether the tests should be build
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(
+	[tests],
+	AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-tests],[Build test files. Default is not to build them.]),
+	[[tests=$enableval]],
+	[[tests=no]]
+)
+dnl Check the value of the --with-tests switch
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([if test files should be build])
+case "$tests" in
+	"yes")
+		AC_MSG_RESULT(yes)
+		TESTSDIR="test"
+		;;
+	"no")
+		AC_MSG_RESULT(no)
+		TESTSDIR=""
+		;;
+	"")
+		AC_MSG_RESULT(yes (default))
+		TESTSDIR="test"
+		;;
+	*)
+		AC_MSG_RESULT()
+		AC_MSG_ERROR([Unknown --enable-tests option "$examples". Use either "yes" or "no".])
+		;;
+esac
+dnl make $examples visible to Makefiles
+AC_SUBST([TESTSDIR])
+
 dnl Set some defines if we are building a shared library
 if [[ "x$enable_shared" == "xyes" ]]; then
 	AC_DEFINE(TORRENT_BUILDING_SHARED,,[Make sure the functions and classes are exported.])
@@ -368,8 +398,11 @@ AC_SUBST(DEBUGFLAGS)
 dnl Compile time options.
 AC_SUBST(COMPILETIME_OPTIONS)
 
-AC_CONFIG_FILES(Makefile src/Makefile include/Makefile test/Makefile libtorrent-rasterbar.pc)
+AC_CONFIG_FILES(Makefile src/Makefile include/Makefile libtorrent-rasterbar.pc)
 if [[ "x$examples" == "xyes" ]]; then
 	AC_CONFIG_FILES(examples/Makefile)
 fi
+if [[ "x$tests" == "xyes"  ]]; then
+	AC_CONFIG_FILES(test/Makefile)
+fi
 AC_OUTPUT