diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 3dcd1eb23d1ff8c53cb94c6e75b31ec9d8e6eeec..fb8a199ad5fa46f9e1956278961705b5dfa45890 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -58,6 +58,13 @@ if(NOT ZLIB_ROOT_DIR)
   set(ZLIB_ROOT_DIR ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/third_party/zlib)
 endif()
 
+# Building the protobuf tests require gmock what is not part of a standard protobuf checkout.
+# Disable them unless they are explicitly requested from the cmake command line (when we assume
+# gmock is downloaded to the right location inside protobuf).
+if(NOT protobuf_BUILD_TESTS)
+  set(protobuf_BUILD_TESTS OFF CACHE BOOL "Build protobuf tests")
+endif()
+
 add_subdirectory(${BORINGSSL_ROOT_DIR} third_party/boringssl)
 add_subdirectory(${PROTOBUF_ROOT_DIR}/cmake third_party/protobuf)
 add_subdirectory(${ZLIB_ROOT_DIR} third_party/zlib)
diff --git a/templates/CMakeLists.txt.template b/templates/CMakeLists.txt.template
index 76299cb21bf04a257fcc9b39611598d2f4b3b19f..52e8b866be1b6a645349101fbd0b03a3a712cf34 100644
--- a/templates/CMakeLists.txt.template
+++ b/templates/CMakeLists.txt.template
@@ -74,6 +74,13 @@
     set(ZLIB_ROOT_DIR <%text>${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}</%text>/third_party/zlib)
   endif()
 
+  # Building the protobuf tests require gmock what is not part of a standard protobuf checkout.
+  # Disable them unless they are explicitly requested from the cmake command line (when we assume
+  # gmock is downloaded to the right location inside protobuf).
+  if(NOT protobuf_BUILD_TESTS)
+    set(protobuf_BUILD_TESTS OFF CACHE BOOL "Build protobuf tests")
+  endif()
+
   add_subdirectory(<%text>${BORINGSSL_ROOT_DIR}</%text> third_party/boringssl)
   add_subdirectory(<%text>${PROTOBUF_ROOT_DIR}</%text>/cmake third_party/protobuf)
   add_subdirectory(<%text>${ZLIB_ROOT_DIR}</%text> third_party/zlib)