diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 2867d9c..ae1c525 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ include_directories(${CASACORE_INCLUDE_DIR})
 
 add_compile_options(-std=c++11 -Wall -DNDEBUG -Wl,--no-undefined)
 
+option (BUILD_PYTHON "Build the python bindings" YES)
+
 add_library(stationresponse SHARED
   AntennaField.cc
   AntennaFieldHBA.cc
@@ -65,37 +67,38 @@ elseif(DOXYGEN_FOUND)
 
 endif(DOXYGEN_FOUND)
 
-find_package (Python COMPONENTS Development)
-message("Compiling Python ${PYTHON_VERSION_MAJOR}.${PYTHON_VERSION_MINOR} support. If this is not the intended target use 'DPYTHON_EXECUTABLE' to control.")
-# bind against boost-python for compilation of the python API
-# depending on major release version of the python libraries
-if (${PYTHON_VERSION_MAJOR} VERSION_LESS "3")
-  find_package (Boost REQUIRED COMPONENTS python numpy)
-  find_package (Casacore REQUIRED COMPONENTS python)
-  message(STATUS "Boost python library: ${Boost_PYTHON_LIBRARY}")
-  message(STATUS "Boost numpy library: ${Boost_NUMPY_LIBRARY}")
-  message(STATUS "Python library ${PYTHON_LIBRARIES}")
-  set(BOOST_PY_FOUND TRUE)
-else (${PYTHON_VERSION_MAJOR} VERSION_LESS "3")
-  find_package (Boost REQUIRED COMPONENTS python3 numpy3)
-  find_package (Casacore REQUIRED COMPONENTS python3)
-  message(STATUS "Boost python library: ${Boost_PYTHON3_LIBRARY}")
-  message(STATUS "Boost numpy library: ${Boost_NUMPY3_LIBRARY}")
-  message(STATUS "Python library ${PYTHON_LIBRARIES}")
-  set(BOOST_PY_FOUND TRUE)
-endif (${PYTHON_VERSION_MAJOR} VERSION_LESS "3")
-
-
-if(BOOST_PY_FOUND)
-    add_library(_stationresponse MODULE pystationresponse.cc)
-    set_target_properties(_stationresponse PROPERTIES PREFIX "")
-    target_include_directories(_stationresponse PRIVATE ${PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIR} ${Boost_INCLUDE_DIRS})
-    if (${PYTHON_VERSION_MAJOR} VERSION_LESS "3")
-      target_link_libraries(_stationresponse stationresponse ${CASA_PYTHON_LIBRARY} ${Boost_PYTHON_LIBRARY} ${Boost_NUMPY_LIBRARY} ${PYTHON_LIBRARIES})
-    else (${PYTHON_VERSION_MAJOR} VERSION_LESS "3")
-      target_link_libraries(_stationresponse stationresponse ${CASA_PYTHON3_LIBRARY} ${Boost_PYTHON3_LIBRARY} ${Boost_NUMPY3_LIBRARY} ${PYTHON_LIBRARIES})
-    endif (${PYTHON_VERSION_MAJOR} VERSION_LESS "3")
-    install(TARGETS _stationresponse DESTINATION ${PYTHON_INSTALL_DIR}/lofar/stationresponse)
-    install(FILES __init__.py DESTINATION ${PYTHON_INSTALL_DIR}/lofar/stationresponse)
-endif(BOOST_PY_FOUND)
-
+if (BUILD_PYTHON)
+  find_package (Python COMPONENTS Development)
+  message("Compiling Python ${PYTHON_VERSION_MAJOR}.${PYTHON_VERSION_MINOR} support. If this is not the intended target use 'DPYTHON_EXECUTABLE' to control.")
+  # bind against boost-python for compilation of the python API
+  # depending on major release version of the python libraries
+  if (${PYTHON_VERSION_MAJOR} VERSION_LESS "3")
+    find_package (Boost REQUIRED COMPONENTS python numpy)
+    find_package (Casacore REQUIRED COMPONENTS python)
+    message(STATUS "Boost python library: ${Boost_PYTHON_LIBRARY}")
+    message(STATUS "Boost numpy library: ${Boost_NUMPY_LIBRARY}")
+    message(STATUS "Python library ${PYTHON_LIBRARIES}")
+    set(BOOST_PY_FOUND TRUE)
+  else (${PYTHON_VERSION_MAJOR} VERSION_LESS "3")
+    find_package (Boost REQUIRED COMPONENTS python3 numpy3)
+    find_package (Casacore REQUIRED COMPONENTS python3)
+    message(STATUS "Boost python library: ${Boost_PYTHON3_LIBRARY}")
+    message(STATUS "Boost numpy library: ${Boost_NUMPY3_LIBRARY}")
+    message(STATUS "Python library ${PYTHON_LIBRARIES}")
+    set(BOOST_PY_FOUND TRUE)
+  endif (${PYTHON_VERSION_MAJOR} VERSION_LESS "3")
+
+
+  if(BOOST_PY_FOUND)
+      add_library(_stationresponse MODULE pystationresponse.cc)
+      set_target_properties(_stationresponse PROPERTIES PREFIX "")
+      target_include_directories(_stationresponse PRIVATE ${PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIR} ${Boost_INCLUDE_DIRS})
+      if (${PYTHON_VERSION_MAJOR} VERSION_LESS "3")
+        target_link_libraries(_stationresponse stationresponse ${CASA_PYTHON_LIBRARY} ${Boost_PYTHON_LIBRARY} ${Boost_NUMPY_LIBRARY} ${PYTHON_LIBRARIES})
+      else (${PYTHON_VERSION_MAJOR} VERSION_LESS "3")
+        target_link_libraries(_stationresponse stationresponse ${CASA_PYTHON3_LIBRARY} ${Boost_PYTHON3_LIBRARY} ${Boost_NUMPY3_LIBRARY} ${PYTHON_LIBRARIES})
+      endif (${PYTHON_VERSION_MAJOR} VERSION_LESS "3")
+      install(TARGETS _stationresponse DESTINATION ${PYTHON_INSTALL_DIR}/lofar/stationresponse)
+      install(FILES __init__.py DESTINATION ${PYTHON_INSTALL_DIR}/lofar/stationresponse)
+  endif(BOOST_PY_FOUND)
+endif (BUILD_PYTHON)