diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index f4073d0..9afcc90 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1211,6 +1211,21 @@ if test "${enable_async_push}" = "yes"; then
 	)
 fi
 
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(
+	[tests],
+	AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-tests], [enable unit tests @<:@default=no@:>@])
+)
+
+if test "${enable_tests}" = "yes"; then
+	PKG_CHECK_MODULES([CMOCKA], [cmocka])
+	TEST_CFLAGS="${CMOCKA_CFLAGS}"
+	TEST_LDFLAGS="${CMOCKA_LIBS}"
+	AC_SUBST([TEST_CFLAGS])
+	AC_SUBST([TEST_LDFLAGS])
+fi
+AM_CONDITIONAL([ENABLE_TESTS], [test "${enable_tests}" = "yes"])
+AM_CONDITIONAL([CMOCKA_INITIALIZED], [false])
+
 CONFIGURE_DEFINES="`set | grep '^enable_.*=' ; set | grep '^with_.*='`"
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([CONFIGURE_DEFINES], ["`echo ${CONFIGURE_DEFINES}`"], [Configuration settings])
 
@@ -1257,28 +1272,6 @@ AC_SUBST([VENDOR_SRC_ROOT])
 AC_SUBST([VENDOR_BUILD_ROOT])
 AC_SUBST([VENDOR_DIST_ROOT])
 
-TEST_LDFLAGS="-lcmocka -L\$(abs_top_builddir)/vendor/dist/lib -Wl,-rpath,\$(abs_top_builddir)/vendor/dist/lib"
-TEST_CFLAGS="-I\$(top_srcdir)/include -I\$(abs_top_builddir)/vendor/dist/include"
-
-AC_SUBST([TEST_LDFLAGS])
-AC_SUBST([TEST_CFLAGS])
-
-# Check if cmake is available and cmocka git submodule is initialized,
-# needed for unit testing
-AC_CHECK_PROGS([CMAKE], [cmake])
-if test -n "${CMAKE}"; then
-   if test -f "${srcdir}/vendor/cmocka/CMakeLists.txt"; then
-      AM_CONDITIONAL([CMOCKA_INITIALIZED], [true])
-   else
-      AM_CONDITIONAL([CMOCKA_INITIALIZED], [false])
-      AC_MSG_RESULT([!! WARNING !! The cmoka git submodule has not been initialized or updated.  Unit testing cannot be performed.])
-   fi
-else
-   AC_MSG_RESULT([!! WARNING !! CMake is NOT available.  Unit testing cannot be performed.])
-   AM_CONDITIONAL([CMOCKA_INITIALIZED], [false])
-fi
-
-
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([
 	version.sh
 	Makefile
diff --git a/tests/unit_tests/Makefile.am b/tests/unit_tests/Makefile.am
index 31d37b8..4b7fb41 100644
--- a/tests/unit_tests/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/unit_tests/Makefile.am
@@ -3 +3 @@ AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS = foreign
-if CMOCKA_INITIALIZED
+if ENABLE_TESTS