diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index af4c9e23..296ac1dd 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -35,8 +35,11 @@ SUBDIRS = \
     devices \
     include \
     master \
-    script \
-    tool
+    script
+
+if BUILD_TOOL
+SUBDIRS += tool
+endif
 
 if ENABLE_USERLIB
 SUBDIRS += lib
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index f2397a14..1abcd3a5 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -369,6 +369,28 @@ if test "x${cycles}" = "x1"; then
     AC_DEFINE([EC_HAVE_CYCLES], [1], [Use CPU timestamp counter])
 fi
 
+#------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Command-line tool
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+AC_ARG_ENABLE([tool],
+    AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-tool],
+                   [Build command-line tool (default: yes)]),
+    [
+        case "${enableval}" in
+            yes) tool=1
+                ;;
+            no) tool=0
+                ;;
+            *) AC_MSG_ERROR([Invalid value for --enable-tool])
+                ;;
+        esac
+    ],
+    [tool=1]
+)
+
+AM_CONDITIONAL(BUILD_TOOL, test "x$tool" = "x1")
+
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Userspace library generation
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------------