diff --git a/GDALmake.opt.in b/GDALmake.opt.in
index 07955b2..0d79ac3 100644
--- a/GDALmake.opt.in
+++ b/GDALmake.opt.in
@@ -660,3 +660,6 @@ O_OBJ =	$(foreach file,$(OBJ),../o/$(file))
 
 %-clean:
 	$(MAKE) -C $* clean
+
+
+BUILD_TOOLS = @BUILD_TOOLS@
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/apps/GNUmakefile b/apps/GNUmakefile
index 9624cf7..f91403d 100644
--- a/apps/GNUmakefile
+++ b/apps/GNUmakefile
@@ -43,6 +43,11 @@ NON_DEFAULT_LIST = 	multireadtest$(EXE) dumpoverviews$(EXE) \
 	gdaltorture$(EXE) gdal2ogr$(EXE) test_ogrsf$(EXE) \
 	gdalasyncread$(EXE) testreprojmulti$(EXE)
 
+ifeq ($(BUILD_TOOLS),no)
+BIN_LIST =
+NON_DEFAULT_LIST =
+endif
+
 default:	gdal-config-inst gdal-config $(BIN_LIST)
 
 all: default $(NON_DEFAULT_LIST)
diff --git a/apps/makefile.vc b/apps/makefile.vc
index 6e1fc9b..66f9b29 100644
--- a/apps/makefile.vc
+++ b/apps/makefile.vc
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ GNM_PROGRAMS =	gnmmanage.exe gnmanalyse.exe
 !ENDIF
 
 
+!IF "$(BUILD_TOOLS)" == "1"
 default:	gdal_translate.exe gdalinfo.exe gdaladdo.exe gdalwarp.exe \
 		nearblack.exe gdalmanage.exe gdalenhance.exe gdaltransform.exe\
 		gdaldem.exe gdallocationinfo.exe gdalsrsinfo.exe gdalmdiminfo.exe \
@@ -28,6 +29,10 @@ default:	gdal_translate.exe gdalinfo.exe gdaladdo.exe gdalwarp.exe \
 all:	default multireadtest.exe \
 			dumpoverviews.exe gdalwarpsimple.exe gdalflattenmask.exe \
 			gdaltorture.exe gdal2ogr.exe test_ogrsf.exe
+!ELSE
+default:
+all:
+!ENDIF
 OBJ = commonutils.obj gdalinfo_lib.obj gdal_translate_lib.obj gdalwarp_lib.obj ogr2ogr_lib.obj \
 	gdaldem_lib.obj nearblack_lib.obj gdal_grid_lib.obj gdal_rasterize_lib.obj gdalbuildvrt_lib.obj \
 	gdalmdiminfo_lib.obj gdalmdimtranslate_lib.obj
@@ -223,5 +228,9 @@ clean:
 	-del *.manifest
 	-del *.exp
 
+!IF "$(BUILD_TOOLS)" == "1"
 install:	default
 	copy *.exe $(BINDIR)
+!ELSE
+install:
+!ENDIF
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index b88676a..0a46a9c 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -6150,6 +6150,16 @@ case "${host_os}" in
         ;;
 esac
 
+BUILD_TOOLS=yes
+AC_ARG_WITH([tools], AS_HELP_STRING([--with-tools], [Build the tools]),,)
+if test "$with_tools" = "yes"; then
+    AC_MSG_RESULT([enabled])
+else
+    BUILD_TOOLS=no
+    AC_MSG_RESULT([disabled by user])
+fi
+AC_SUBST(BUILD_TOOLS,$BUILD_TOOLS)
+
 AC_OUTPUT(GDALmake.opt)
 
 dnl ---------------------------------------------------------------------------