diff --git a/SuiteSparse_config/CMakeLists.txt b/SuiteSparse_config/CMakeLists.txt
index bf09ff10f..84d84ad85 100644
--- a/SuiteSparse_config/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/SuiteSparse_config/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -57,24 +57,32 @@ endif ( )
 # find OpenMP
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-if ( SUITESPARSE_USE_OPENMP )
+option ( SUITESPARSE_CONFIG_USE_OPENMP "ON: Use OpenMP in SuiteSparse_config if available.  OFF: Do not use OpenMP.  (Default: SUITESPARSE_USE_OPENMP)" ${SUITESPARSE_USE_OPENMP} )
+if ( NOT SUITESPARSE_USE_OPENMP )
+    set ( SUITESPARSE_CONFIG_USE_OPENMP "OFF" CACHE STRING "" FORCE )
+endif ( )
+if ( SUITESPARSE_CONFIG_USE_OPENMP OR SUITESPARSE_USE_OPENMP )
     find_package ( OpenMP GLOBAL )
 else ( )
     # OpenMP has been disabled
-    message ( STATUS "OpenMP disabled" )
     set ( OpenMP_C_FOUND OFF )
 endif ( )
 
 if ( OpenMP_C_FOUND )
     set ( SUITESPARSE_HAS_OPENMP ON )
+    set ( SUITESPARSE_CONFIG_HAS_OPENMP ON )
 else ( )
     set ( SUITESPARSE_HAS_OPENMP OFF )
+    set ( SUITESPARSE_CONFIG_HAS_OPENMP OFF )
 endif ( )
 
 # check for strict usage
 if ( SUITESPARSE_USE_STRICT AND SUITESPARSE_USE_OPENMP AND NOT SUITESPARSE_HAS_OPENMP )
     message ( FATAL_ERROR "OpenMP required for SuiteSparse but not found" )
 endif ( )
+if ( SUITESPARSE_USE_STRICT AND SUITESPARSE_CONFIG_USE_OPENMP AND NOT SUITESPARSE_CONFIG_HAS_OPENMP )
+    message ( FATAL_ERROR "OpenMP required for SuiteSparse_config but not found" )
+endif ( )
 
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # find the BLAS
@@ -163,7 +171,7 @@ if ( NOT WIN32 )
 endif ( )
 
 # OpenMP:
-if ( OpenMP_C_FOUND )
+if ( SUITESPARSE_CONFIG_USE_OPENMP )
     message ( STATUS "OpenMP C libraries:      ${OpenMP_C_LIBRARIES} ")
     message ( STATUS "OpenMP C include:        ${OpenMP_C_INCLUDE_DIRS} ")
     message ( STATUS "OpenMP C flags:          ${OpenMP_C_FLAGS} ")