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://web.archive.org/web/20200804155745/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 8888355642ef..ac8a4b64967e 100644
--- a/config_host.mk.in
+++ b/config_host.mk.in
@@ -147,6 +147,7 @@ export ENABLE_COINMP=@ENABLE_COINMP@
 SYSTEM_COINMP=@SYSTEM_COINMP@
 export COINMP_CFLAGS=@COINMP_CFLAGS@
 export COINMP_LIBS=@COINMP_LIBS@
+export ENABLE_CPPUNIT=@ENABLE_CPPUNIT@
 export ENABLE_ATSPI_TESTS=@ENABLE_ATSPI_TESTS@
 export ENABLE_CPDB=@ENABLE_CPDB@
 export ENABLE_CUPS=@ENABLE_CUPS@
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 EMSCRIPTEN), \
 		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) \
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ $(eval $(call gb_Executable_use_libraries,pdf2xml,\
     cppu \
     drawinglayercore \
     drawinglayer \
-    unotest \
     cppuhelper \
     sal \
     salhelper \
@@ -38,6 +37,15 @@ $(eval $(call gb_Executable_use_libraries,pdf2xml,\
     i18nutil \
 ))
 
+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 217dbfa6543a..fa2d0d489bd7 100644
--- a/smoketest/Module_smoketest.mk
+++ b/smoketest/Module_smoketest.mk
@@ -13,8 +13,12 @@ $(eval $(call gb_Module_Module,smoketest))
 ifeq ($(CROSS_COMPILING),)
 
 ifneq (,$(filter DESKTOP,$(BUILD_TYPE)))
+ifeq ($(ENABLE_CPPUNIT),TRUE)
 $(eval $(call gb_Module_add_targets,smoketest,\
 	Library_smoketest \
+))
+endif
+$(eval $(call gb_Module_add_targets,smoketest,\
 	Zip_smoketestdoc \
 ))
 endif
@@ -26,6 +30,7 @@ $(eval $(call gb_Module_add_targets,smoketest,\
 endif
 endif
 
+ifeq ($(ENABLE_CPPUNIT),TRUE)
 ifneq (MACOSX/TRUE,$(OS)/$(ENABLE_MACOSX_SANDBOX))
 ifneq ($(filter EXTENSIONS,$(BUILD_TYPE)),)
 $(eval $(call gb_Module_add_subsequentcheck_targets,smoketest,\
@@ -33,6 +38,7 @@ $(eval $(call gb_Module_add_subsequentcheck_targets,smoketest,\
 ))
 endif
 endif
+endif
 
 endif
 
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,\
     CppunitTest_test_a11y \
     CppunitTest_test_xpath \
 ))
+endif
 
 endif
 
diff --git a/unotest/Module_unotest.mk b/unotest/Module_unotest.mk
index bdffe8e8ac14..acdd4da6c539 100644
--- a/unotest/Module_unotest.mk
+++ b/unotest/Module_unotest.mk
@@ -12,12 +12,14 @@ $(eval $(call gb_Module_Module,unotest))
 
 ifeq ($(gb_Side),host)
 ifneq (,$(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:
diff --git a/Repository.mk b/Repository.mk
index dbb628f2a6b3..4387e665624e 100644
--- a/Repository.mk
+++ b/Repository.mk
@@ -799,8 +805,12 @@ endif
 
 # 'test_unittest' is only package delivering to workdir.
 # Other packages could be potentially autoinstalled.
+ifeq ($(ENABLE_CPPUNIT),TRUE)
 $(eval $(call gb_Helper_register_packages, \
 	test_unittest \
+))
+endif
+$(eval $(call gb_Helper_register_packages, \
 	$(if $(ENABLE_CLI),cli_basetypes_copy) \
 	extras_wordbook \
 	instsetoo_native_setup \