diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index feec2cd..7676638 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ enable_testing()
 option(CXXOPTS_BUILD_EXAMPLES "Set to ON to build examples" ON)
 option(CXXOPTS_BUILD_TESTS "Set to ON to build tests" ON)
 option(CXXOPTS_ENABLE_INSTALL "Generate the install target" ON)
+option(CXXOPTS_ENABLE_WARNINGS "Add warnings to CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS" ON)
 
 # request c++11 without gnu extension for the whole project and enable more warnings
 if (CXXOPTS_CXX_STANDARD)
@@ -47,11 +48,13 @@ endif()
 
 set(CMAKE_CXX_EXTENSIONS OFF)
 
+if (CXXOPTS_ENABLE_WARNINGS)
 if(MSVC)
     set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} /W2")
 elseif(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "[Cc]lang" OR CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "GNU")
     set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -Wall -Werror -Wextra -Wshadow -Weffc++ -Wsign-compare -Wshadow -Wwrite-strings -Wpointer-arith -Winit-self -Wconversion -Wno-sign-conversion -Wsuggest-override")
 endif()
+endif()
 
 add_library(cxxopts INTERFACE)
 add_library(cxxopts::cxxopts ALIAS cxxopts)