diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 090093bb5..f9916fbbb 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -103,6 +103,10 @@ endif()
 # enable install target
 set( VVENC_ENABLE_INSTALL                   ON  CACHE BOOL   "Enable or disable install target" )
 
+set( VVENC_LIBRARY_ONLY                     OFF CACHE BOOL   "Build libvvenc only (no vvencapp,vvencFFapp,vvenclibtest,vvencinterfacetest" )
+
+set( BUILD_SHARED_LIBS                      OFF CACHE BOOL   "Build libvvenc as a shared library" )
+
 # enable postfix
 set( VVENC_ENABLE_BUILD_TYPE_POSTFIX        OFF CACHE BOOL   "Enable or disable build type postfix for apps and libs" )
 
diff --git a/cmake/modules/vvencInstall.cmake b/cmake/modules/vvencInstall.cmake
index 149a25a31..3e08bb415 100644
--- a/cmake/modules/vvencInstall.cmake
+++ b/cmake/modules/vvencInstall.cmake
@@ -5,8 +5,20 @@ set( RUNTIME_DEST ${CMAKE_INSTALL_BINDIR} )
 set( LIBRARY_DEST ${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR} )
 set( ARCHIVE_DEST ${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR} )
 
+if( VVENC_INSTALL_FULLFEATURE_APP AND VVENC_LIBRARY_ONLY )
+  message( FATAL_ERROR "VVENC_INSTALL_FULLFEATURE_APP conflicts with VVENC_LIBRARY_ONLY" )
+endif()
+
 set( VVENC_INST_TARGETS vvenc )
 
+if( NOT VVENC_LIBRARY_ONLY )
+  list( APPEND VVENC_INST_TARGETS vvencapp )
+
+  if( VVENC_INSTALL_FULLFEATURE_APP )
+    list( APPEND VVENC_INST_TARGETS vvencFFapp )
+  endif()
+endif()
+
 # install targets
 macro( install_targets config_ )
   string( TOLOWER ${config_} config_lc_ )
@@ -16,15 +28,6 @@ macro( install_targets config_ )
            RUNTIME DESTINATION ${RUNTIME_DEST}
            LIBRARY DESTINATION ${LIBRARY_DEST}
            ARCHIVE DESTINATION ${ARCHIVE_DEST} )
-  if( VVENC_INSTALL_FULLFEATURE_APP )
-    install( TARGETS             vvencapp vvencFFapp
-             CONFIGURATIONS      ${config_}
-             RUNTIME DESTINATION ${RUNTIME_DEST} )
-  else()
-    install( TARGETS             vvencapp
-             CONFIGURATIONS      ${config_}
-             RUNTIME DESTINATION ${RUNTIME_DEST} )
-  endif()
 endmacro( install_targets )
 
 # install pdb file for static and shared libraries
@@ -68,9 +71,11 @@ install_targets( MinSizeRel )
 
 # install pdb files
 install_lib_pdb( vvenc )
-install_exe_pdb( vvencapp )
-if( VVENC_INSTALL_FULLFEATURE_APP )
-  install_exe_pdb( vvencFFapp )
+if( NOT VVENC_LIBRARY_ONLY )
+  install_exe_pdb( vvencapp )
+  if( VVENC_INSTALL_FULLFEATURE_APP )
+    install_exe_pdb( vvencFFapp )
+  endif()
 endif()
 
 # configure version file
diff --git a/cmake/modules/vvencTests.cmake b/cmake/modules/vvencTests.cmake
index 762df3310..2c467b9e0 100644
--- a/cmake/modules/vvencTests.cmake
+++ b/cmake/modules/vvencTests.cmake
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 # enable testing with ctest
 enable_testing()
 
+if( VVENC_LIBRARY_ONLY )
+  message( WARNING "The test suite will not be able to run, when building the vvenc library only (VVENC_LIBRARY_ONLY=ON)" )
+endif()
+
 set( TEST_YUV "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/test/data/RTn23_80x44p15_f15.yuv" )
 set( TEST_CFG "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/test/data/RTn23.cfg" )
 set( CFG_DIR  "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/cfg" )
diff --git a/source/App/vvencFFapp/CMakeLists.txt b/source/App/vvencFFapp/CMakeLists.txt
index 87ab0c964..72f09ddd3 100644
--- a/source/App/vvencFFapp/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/source/App/vvencFFapp/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@ set_target_properties( ${EXE_NAME} PROPERTIES RELEASE_POSTFIX        "${CMAKE_RE
 set_target_properties( ${EXE_NAME} PROPERTIES DEBUG_POSTFIX          "${CMAKE_DEBUG_POSTFIX}" )
 set_target_properties( ${EXE_NAME} PROPERTIES RELWITHDEBINFO_POSTFIX "${CMAKE_RELWITHDEBINFO_POSTFIX}" )
 set_target_properties( ${EXE_NAME} PROPERTIES MINSIZEREL_POSTFIX     "${CMAKE_MINSIZEREL_POSTFIX}" )
+if( VVENC_LIBRARY_ONLY )
+  set_target_properties( ${EXE_NAME} PROPERTIES EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL TRUE )
+endif()
 
 target_compile_options( ${EXE_NAME} PRIVATE $<$<OR:$<CXX_COMPILER_ID:Clang>,$<CXX_COMPILER_ID:AppleClang>>:-Wall>
                                             $<$<CXX_COMPILER_ID:GNU>:-Wall -fdiagnostics-show-option>
diff --git a/source/App/vvencapp/CMakeLists.txt b/source/App/vvencapp/CMakeLists.txt
index d29c1d12a..9720cd5a6 100644
--- a/source/App/vvencapp/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/source/App/vvencapp/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@ set_target_properties( ${EXE_NAME} PROPERTIES RELEASE_POSTFIX        "${CMAKE_RE
 set_target_properties( ${EXE_NAME} PROPERTIES DEBUG_POSTFIX          "${CMAKE_DEBUG_POSTFIX}" )
 set_target_properties( ${EXE_NAME} PROPERTIES RELWITHDEBINFO_POSTFIX "${CMAKE_RELWITHDEBINFO_POSTFIX}" )
 set_target_properties( ${EXE_NAME} PROPERTIES MINSIZEREL_POSTFIX     "${CMAKE_MINSIZEREL_POSTFIX}" )
+if( VVENC_LIBRARY_ONLY )
+  set_target_properties( ${EXE_NAME} PROPERTIES EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL TRUE )
+endif()
 
 target_compile_options( ${EXE_NAME} PRIVATE $<$<OR:$<CXX_COMPILER_ID:Clang>,$<CXX_COMPILER_ID:AppleClang>>:-Wall>
                                             $<$<CXX_COMPILER_ID:GNU>:-Wall -fdiagnostics-show-option>
diff --git a/test/vvencinterfacetest/CMakeLists.txt b/test/vvencinterfacetest/CMakeLists.txt
index 94f7f85b8..eb82d09f6 100644
--- a/test/vvencinterfacetest/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/vvencinterfacetest/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@ set_target_properties( ${EXE_NAME} PROPERTIES RELEASE_POSTFIX        "${CMAKE_RE
 set_target_properties( ${EXE_NAME} PROPERTIES DEBUG_POSTFIX          "${CMAKE_DEBUG_POSTFIX}" )
 set_target_properties( ${EXE_NAME} PROPERTIES RELWITHDEBINFO_POSTFIX "${CMAKE_RELWITHDEBINFO_POSTFIX}" )
 set_target_properties( ${EXE_NAME} PROPERTIES MINSIZEREL_POSTFIX     "${CMAKE_MINSIZEREL_POSTFIX}" )
+if( VVENC_LIBRARY_ONLY )
+  set_target_properties( ${EXE_NAME} PROPERTIES EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL TRUE )
+endif()
 
 target_compile_options( ${EXE_NAME} PRIVATE $<$<OR:$<CXX_COMPILER_ID:Clang>,$<CXX_COMPILER_ID:AppleClang>>:-Wall>
                                             $<$<CXX_COMPILER_ID:GNU>:-Wall -fdiagnostics-show-option>
diff --git a/test/vvenclibtest/CMakeLists.txt b/test/vvenclibtest/CMakeLists.txt
index d5dbb6111..08fbc50d2 100644
--- a/test/vvenclibtest/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/vvenclibtest/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@ set_target_properties( ${EXE_NAME} PROPERTIES RELEASE_POSTFIX        "${CMAKE_RE
 set_target_properties( ${EXE_NAME} PROPERTIES DEBUG_POSTFIX          "${CMAKE_DEBUG_POSTFIX}" )
 set_target_properties( ${EXE_NAME} PROPERTIES RELWITHDEBINFO_POSTFIX "${CMAKE_RELWITHDEBINFO_POSTFIX}" )
 set_target_properties( ${EXE_NAME} PROPERTIES MINSIZEREL_POSTFIX     "${CMAKE_MINSIZEREL_POSTFIX}" )
+if( VVENC_LIBRARY_ONLY )
+  set_target_properties( ${EXE_NAME} PROPERTIES EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL TRUE )
+endif()
 
 target_compile_options( ${EXE_NAME} PRIVATE $<$<OR:$<CXX_COMPILER_ID:Clang>,$<CXX_COMPILER_ID:AppleClang>>:-Wall>
                                             $<$<CXX_COMPILER_ID:GNU>:-Wall -fdiagnostics-show-option>