diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 3ad21aa60..98cac2c85 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -566,6 +566,38 @@ AC_SUBST(OPENTHREAD_ENABLE_RADIO_ONLY)
 AM_CONDITIONAL([OPENTHREAD_ENABLE_RADIO_ONLY], [test "${enable_radio_only}" = "yes"])
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([OPENTHREAD_ENABLE_RADIO_ONLY], [${OPENTHREAD_ENABLE_RADIO_ONLY}], [Define to 1 to build radio-only library.])
 
+#
+# whether to build executables
+#
+
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether to build executables])
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(executable,
+    [AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-executable], [Build executables @<:@default=yes@:>@.])],
+    [
+        case "${enableval}" in
+
+        no|yes)
+            enable_executable=${enableval}
+            ;;
+
+        *)
+            AC_MSG_ERROR([Invalid value ${enable_executable} for --enable-executable])
+            ;;
+        esac
+    ],
+    [enable_executable=yes])
+
+if test "$enable_executable" = "yes"; then
+    OPENTHREAD_ENABLE_EXECUTABLE=1
+else
+    OPENTHREAD_ENABLE_EXECUTABLE=0
+fi
+
+AC_MSG_RESULT(${enable_executable})
+AC_SUBST(OPENTHREAD_ENABLE_EXECUTABLE)
+AM_CONDITIONAL([OPENTHREAD_ENABLE_EXECUTABLE], [test "${enable_executable}" = "yes"])
+AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([OPENTHREAD_ENABLE_EXECUTABLE], [${OPENTHREAD_ENABLE_EXECUTABLE}], [Define to 1 to build executables.])
+
 #
 # CLI Library
 #
diff --git a/examples/apps/Makefile.am b/examples/apps/Makefile.am
index 60345f668..c5dab8fe4 100644
--- a/examples/apps/Makefile.am
+++ b/examples/apps/Makefile.am
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ DIST_SUBDIRS                            = \
 SUBDIRS                                 = \
     $(NULL)
 
+if OPENTHREAD_ENABLE_EXECUTABLE
 if OPENTHREAD_ENABLE_CLI
 SUBDIRS                                += cli
 endif
@@ -47,6 +48,7 @@ endif
 if OPENTHREAD_ENABLE_NCP
 SUBDIRS                                += ncp
 endif
+endif
 
 # Always pretty (e.g. for 'make pretty') these subdirectories.
 
diff --git a/examples/common-switches.mk b/examples/common-switches.mk
index be57e3ddf..8cdaaf396 100644
--- a/examples/common-switches.mk
+++ b/examples/common-switches.mk
@@ -131,6 +131,10 @@ ifeq ($(DISABLE_BUILTIN_MBEDTLS), 1)
 configure_OPTIONS              += --disable-builtin-mbedtls
 endif
 
+ifeq ($(DISABLE_EXECUTABLE), 1)
+configure_OPTIONS              += --enable-executable=no
+endif
+
 ifeq ($(DEBUG_UART),1)
 CFLAGS   += -DOPENTHREAD_CONFIG_ENABLE_DEBUG_UART=1
 CXXFLAGS += -DOPENTHREAD_CONFIG_ENABLE_DEBUG_UART=1
diff --git a/src/posix/Makefile.am b/src/posix/Makefile.am
index 37bfe95fa..e67257a3b 100644
--- a/src/posix/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/posix/Makefile.am
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ endif # OPENTHREAD_ENABLE_DIAG
 bin_PROGRAMS                                                           = \
     $(NULL)
 
+if OPENTHREAD_ENABLE_EXECUTABLE
 if OPENTHREAD_ENABLE_NCP
 bin_PROGRAMS                                                          += \
     ot-ncp                                                               \
@@ -150,5 +151,6 @@ CPPFLAGS_COMMON                                                       += \
 
 CLEANFILES                                                             = $(wildcard *.gcda *.gcno)
 endif # OPENTHREAD_BUILD_COVERAGE
+endif # OPENTHREAD_ENABLE_EXECUTABLE
 
 include $(abs_top_nlbuild_autotools_dir)/automake/post.am