diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 08ceaabc..83e5774f 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -83,3 +83,9 @@ xdg-app.env: env.d/xdg-app.env.in
 pkgconfigdir = $(libdir)/pkgconfig
 pkgconfig_DATA = xdg-app.pc
 EXTRA_DIST += xdg-app.pc.in
+
+DISTCHECK_CONFIGURE_FLAGS =		\
+	--enable-documentation		\
+	--enable-libxdgapp		\
+	--disable-maintainer-mode	\
+	--enable-introspection
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index d0269653..1cdeab6f 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -117,6 +117,12 @@ if test "x$enable_seccomp" = "xyes"; then
 fi
 
 
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(libxdgapp,
+              AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-libxdgapp],
+                             [Install libxdg-app (default: no)]),,
+              [enable_libxdgapp=no])
+AM_CONDITIONAL(BUILDOPT_INSTALL_LIB, test x$enable_libxdgapp = xyes)
+
 AC_ARG_ENABLE([userns],
               AC_HELP_STRING([--disable-userns],
                              [Disable User namespaces (requires setuid/setcaps)]),
diff --git a/doc/Makefile.am b/doc/Makefile.am
index a2349faa..8af8f908 100644
--- a/doc/Makefile.am
+++ b/doc/Makefile.am
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 NULL =
 
-SUBDIRS = reference
+if BUILDOPT_INSTALL_LIB
+  LIB_DOCS = reference
+endif
+SUBDIRS = $(LIB_DOCS)
 
 XSLTPROC_FLAGS = \
 	--nonet 					\
diff --git a/lib/Makefile.am.inc b/lib/Makefile.am.inc
index 90d7dc22..8185f573 100644
--- a/lib/Makefile.am.inc
+++ b/lib/Makefile.am.inc
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
+if BUILDOPT_INSTALL_LIB
 lib_LTLIBRARIES += libxdg-app.la
-
+else
+noinst_LTLIBRARIES += libxdg-app.la
+endif
 noinst_PROGRAMS += test-libxdg-app
 
 public_headers = \
@@ -39,7 +42,9 @@ lib/xdg-app-enum-types.c: $(public_headers) lib/xdg-app-enum-types.c.template
 EXTRA_DIST += lib/xdg-app-enum-types.c.template lib/xdg-app-enum-types.h.template
 
 xdgappincludedir = $(includedir)/xdg-app
+if BUILDOPT_INSTALL_LIB
 xdgappinclude_HEADERS = $(public_headers) $(generated_public_headers)
+endif
 
 sources = \
 	lib/xdg-app.c \
@@ -124,6 +129,8 @@ XdgApp_1_0_gir_SCANNERFLAGS = \
 
 INTROSPECTION_GIRS += XdgApp-1.0.gir
 
+if BUILDOPT_INSTALL_LIB
+
 girdir = $(datadir)/gir-1.0
 nodist_gir_DATA = $(INTROSPECTION_GIRS)
 CLEANFILES += $(nodist_gir_DATA)
@@ -132,4 +139,6 @@ typelibdir = $(libdir)/girepository-1.0
 nodist_typelib_DATA = $(INTROSPECTION_GIRS:.gir=.typelib)
 CLEANFILES += $(nodist_typelib_DATA)
 
+endif
+
 endif # HAVE_INTROSPECTION