diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 91e7be2c0..6a3e256ac 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ On command line:
   * `-DBUILD_TESTING=OFF` disables building of tests.
   * `-DBUILD_EXAMPLES=OFF` disables building of examples.
   * `-DBUILD_DOCS=ON` enables building of API docs.
+  * `-DFAIRMQ_CHANNEL_DEFAULT_AUTOBIND=OFF` disable channel `autoBind` by default
   * You can hint non-system installations for dependent packages, see the #installation-from-source section above
 
 After the `find_package(FairMQ)` call the following CMake variables are defined:
diff --git a/cmake/FairMQSummary.cmake b/cmake/FairMQSummary.cmake
index af55ac75d..68eab32cc 100644
--- a/cmake/FairMQSummary.cmake
+++ b/cmake/FairMQSummary.cmake
@@ -96,7 +96,10 @@ endmacro()
 
 macro(fairmq_summary_compile_definitions)
   message(STATUS "  ")
-  message(STATUS "  ${Cyan}COMPILE DEFINITION           VALUE${CR}")
-  message(STATUS "  ${BWhite}FAIRMQ_HAS_STD_FILESYSTEM${CR}    ${FAIRMQ_HAS_STD_FILESYSTEM}  (overridable with ${BMagenta}-DFAIRMQ_HAS_STD_FILESYSTEM=0|1${CR})")
-  message(STATUS "  ${BWhite}FAIRMQ_HAS_STD_PMR${CR}           ${FAIRMQ_HAS_STD_PMR}  (overridable with ${BMagenta}-DFAIRMQ_HAS_STD_PMR=0|1${CR})")
+  message(STATUS "  ${Cyan}COMPILE DEFINITION               VALUE${CR}")
+  message(STATUS "  ${BWhite}FAIRMQ_HAS_STD_FILESYSTEM${CR}        ${FAIRMQ_HAS_STD_FILESYSTEM}  (overridable with ${BMagenta}-DFAIRMQ_HAS_STD_FILESYSTEM=0|1${CR})")
+  message(STATUS "  ${BWhite}FAIRMQ_HAS_STD_PMR${CR}               ${FAIRMQ_HAS_STD_PMR}  (overridable with ${BMagenta}-DFAIRMQ_HAS_STD_PMR=0|1${CR})")
+  if(DEFINED FAIRMQ_CHANNEL_DEFAULT_AUTOBIND)
+    message(STATUS "  ${BWhite}FAIRMQ_CHANNEL_DEFAULT_AUTOBIND${CR}  ${FAIRMQ_CHANNEL_DEFAULT_AUTOBIND}")
+  endif()
 endmacro()
diff --git a/fairmq/CMakeLists.txt b/fairmq/CMakeLists.txt
index 491bca872..c21399c5c 100644
--- a/fairmq/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/fairmq/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -174,6 +174,15 @@ if(BUILD_FAIRMQ)
     FAIRMQ_HAS_STD_FILESYSTEM=${FAIRMQ_HAS_STD_FILESYSTEM}
     FAIRMQ_HAS_STD_PMR=${FAIRMQ_HAS_STD_PMR}
   )
+  if(DEFINED FAIRMQ_CHANNEL_DEFAULT_AUTOBIND)
+    # translate CMake boolean (TRUE, FALSE, 0, 1, OFF, ON) into C++ boolean literal (true, false)
+    if(FAIRMQ_CHANNEL_DEFAULT_AUTOBIND)
+      set(value "true")
+    else()
+      set(value "false")
+    endif()
+    target_compile_definitions(${target} PUBLIC FAIRMQ_CHANNEL_DEFAULT_AUTOBIND=${value})
+  endif()
 
 
   #######################
diff --git a/fairmq/Channel.h b/fairmq/Channel.h
index f21c35003..1de8bf4ef 100644
--- a/fairmq/Channel.h
+++ b/fairmq/Channel.h
@@ -379,7 +379,11 @@ class Channel
     static constexpr int DefaultRateLogging = 1;
     static constexpr int DefaultPortRangeMin = 22000;
     static constexpr int DefaultPortRangeMax = 23000;
+#ifdef FAIRMQ_CHANNEL_DEFAULT_AUTOBIND
+    static constexpr bool DefaultAutoBind = FAIRMQ_CHANNEL_DEFAULT_AUTOBIND;
+#else
     static constexpr bool DefaultAutoBind = true;
+#endif
 
     friend std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& os, const Channel& ch)
     {