diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index ec03c2643..bbbe241ef 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -185,6 +185,14 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE(gb,
         [enable_gb=$enableval], [enable_gb="yes"])
 AM_CONDITIONAL(ENABLE_GB, test x"$enable_gb" = x"yes")
 
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(ctrl,
+        [AS_HELP_STRING(
+                [--disable-ctrl],
+                [Disable building CTRL library],
+        )],
+        [enable_ctrl=$enableval], [enable_ctrl="yes"])
+AM_CONDITIONAL(ENABLE_CTRL, test x"$enable_ctrl" = x"yes")
+
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(embedded,
 	[AS_HELP_STRING(
 		[--enable-embedded],
@@ -198,6 +206,7 @@ then
 	AM_CONDITIONAL(ENABLE_MSGFILE, false)
 	AM_CONDITIONAL(ENABLE_SERIAL, false)
 	AM_CONDITIONAL(ENABLE_VTY, false)
+	AM_CONDITIONAL(ENABLE_CTRL, false)
 	AM_CONDITIONAL(ENABLE_UTILITIES, false)
 	AM_CONDITIONAL(ENABLE_GB, false)
 	AC_DEFINE([PANIC_INFLOOP],[1],[Use infinite loop on panic rather than fprintf/abort])
diff --git a/src/ctrl/Makefile.am b/src/ctrl/Makefile.am
index 8bf344290..1817caca9 100644
--- a/src/ctrl/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/ctrl/Makefile.am
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ LIBVERSION=0:0:0
 
 AM_CFLAGS = -Wall $(all_includes) -I$(top_srcdir)/include -I$(top_builddir)/include $(TALLOC_CFLAGS)
 
+if ENABLE_CTRL
 lib_LTLIBRARIES = libosmoctrl.la
 
 libosmoctrl_la_SOURCES = control_cmd.c control_if.c
@@ -18,3 +19,5 @@ libosmoctrl_la_LIBADD = \
 if ENABLE_VTY
 libosmoctrl_la_SOURCES += control_vty.c
 endif
+
+endif