diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 7392902..3183509 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -121,10 +121,74 @@
              [`mkdir -p linux;wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/openbmc/linux/dev-4.18/include/uapi/linux/ipmi_msgdefs.h -O linux/ipmi_msgdefs.h`])
 )
 
+# Make it possible for users to choose if they want test support
+# explicitly or not at all
+AC_ARG_ENABLE([tests], AC_HELP_STRING([--disable-tests],
+                                      [Build test cases]))
+
 # Check/set gtest specific functions.
-PKG_CHECK_MODULES([GTEST], [gtest], [], [AC_MSG_NOTICE([gtest not found, tests will not build])])
-PKG_CHECK_MODULES([GMOCK], [gmock], [], [AC_MSG_NOTICE([gmock not found, tests will not build])])
-PKG_CHECK_MODULES([GTEST_MAIN], [gtest_main], [], [AC_MSG_NOTICE([gtest_main not found, tests will not build])])
+AS_IF([test "x$enable_tests" != "xno"], [
+    PKG_CHECK_MODULES([GTEST], [gtest], [], [true])
+    PKG_CHECK_MODULES([GMOCK], [gmock], [], [true])
+    AX_PTHREAD
+
+    AX_SAVE_FLAGS_WITH_PREFIX(OLD, [CPPFLAGS])
+    AX_APPEND_COMPILE_FLAGS([$GTEST_CFLAGS], [CPPFLAGS])
+    AC_LANG_PUSH([C++])
+    AC_CHECK_HEADERS([gtest/gtest.h], [
+        AS_IF([test "x$GTEST_CFLAGS" = "x"], [
+            AS_IF([test "x$PTHREAD_CFLAGS" = "x"], [
+                AX_APPEND_COMPILE_FLAGS(["-DGTEST_HAS_PTHREAD=0"], [GTEST_CFLAGS])
+            ], [
+                AX_APPEND_COMPILE_FLAGS(["-DGTEST_HAS_PTHREAD=1"], [GTEST_CFLAGS])
+                AX_APPEND_COMPILE_FLAGS([$PTHREAD_CFLAGS], [GTEST_CFLAGS])
+            ])
+        ])
+    ], [
+        AS_IF([test "x$enable_tests" = "xyes"], [
+            AC_MSG_ERROR([Testing enabled but could not find gtest/gtest.h])
+        ])
+    ])
+    AC_LANG_POP([C++])
+    AX_RESTORE_FLAGS_WITH_PREFIX(OLD, [CPPFLAGS])
+
+    AX_SAVE_FLAGS_WITH_PREFIX(OLD, [CPPFLAGS])
+    AX_APPEND_COMPILE_FLAGS([$GMOCK_CFLAGS], [CPPFLAGS])
+    AC_LANG_PUSH([C++])
+    AC_CHECK_HEADERS([gmock/gmock.h], [], [
+        AS_IF([test "x$enable_tests" = "xyes"], [
+            AC_MSG_ERROR([Testing enabled but could not find gmock/gmock.h])
+        ])
+    ])
+    AC_LANG_POP([C++])
+    AX_RESTORE_FLAGS_WITH_PREFIX(OLD, [CPPFLAGS])
+
+    AX_SAVE_FLAGS_WITH_PREFIX(OLD, [LDFLAGS])
+    AX_APPEND_COMPILE_FLAGS([$GTEST_LIBS], [LDFLAGS])
+    AC_CHECK_LIB([gtest], [main], [
+        AS_IF([test "x$GTEST_LIBS" = "x"], [
+            AX_APPEND_COMPILE_FLAGS([-lgtest], [GTEST_LIBS])
+        ])
+    ], [
+        AS_IF([test "x$enable_tests" = "xyes"], [
+            AC_MSG_ERROR([Testing enabled but couldn't find gtest libs])
+        ])
+    ])
+    AX_RESTORE_FLAGS_WITH_PREFIX(OLD, [LDFLAGS])
+
+    AX_SAVE_FLAGS_WITH_PREFIX(OLD, [LDFLAGS])
+    AX_APPEND_COMPILE_FLAGS([$GMOCK_LIBS], [LDFLAGS])
+    AC_CHECK_LIB([gmock], [main], [
+        AS_IF([test "x$GMOCK_LIBS" = "x"], [
+            AX_APPEND_COMPILE_FLAGS([-lgmock], [GMOCK_LIBS])
+        ])
+    ], [
+        AS_IF([test "x$enable_tests" = "xyes"], [
+            AC_MSG_ERROR([Testing enabled but couldn't find gmock libs])
+        ])
+    ])
+    AX_RESTORE_FLAGS_WITH_PREFIX(OLD, [LDFLAGS])
+])
 
 # Add --enable-oe-sdk flag to configure script
 AC_ARG_ENABLE([oe-sdk],