diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index 3b30009df..c181cba67 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ jobs:
             -DCMAKE_CXX_STANDARD=${{ matrix.CXX_STANDARD }} \
             -DCMAKE_CXX_FLAGS=" -fdiagnostics-color=always -Werror -Wno-error=deprecated-declarations " \
             -DUSE_EXTERNAL_CATCH2=OFF \
+            -DPODIO_USE_CLANG_FORMAT=AUTO \
             -G Ninja ..
           echo "::endgroup::"
           echo "::group::Build"
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 270d5e05b..e2376e4cf 100755
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ option(CREATE_DOC        "Whether or not to create doxygen doc target." OFF)
 option(ENABLE_SIO        "Build SIO I/O support" OFF)
 option(PODIO_RELAX_PYVER "Do not require exact python version match with ROOT" OFF)
 option(ENABLE_RNTUPLE    "Build with support for the new ROOT NTtuple format" OFF)
+option(PODIO_USE_CLANG_FORMAT "Use clang-format to format the code" OFF)
 
 
 #--- Declare ROOT dependency ---------------------------------------------------