diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 92f9c7b67..5b161e646 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -170,6 +170,7 @@ option(ENABLE_METAR      "Set to ON to build the metar application (default)" ON
 option(ENABLE_TESTS      "Set to ON to build test applications (default)" ON)
 option(ENABLE_FGCOM      "Set to ON to build the FGCom application (default)" ON)
 option(ENABLE_FLITE      "Set to ON to build the Flite text-to-speech module" ON)
+option(ENABLE_QT         "Set to ON to build the internal Qt launcher" ON)
 
 if(LOGGING)
     # nothing
@@ -279,13 +280,14 @@ list(APPEND SQLITE3_LIBRARY ${CMAKE_THREAD_LIBS_INIT})
 
 ##############################################################################
 ## Qt5 setup setup
-
-find_package(Qt5 5.1 COMPONENTS Widgets)
-if (Qt5Widgets_FOUND)
-    message(STATUS "Will enable Qt launcher GUI")
-    set(HAVE_QT 1)
-endif()
-
+if (ENABLE_QT)
+	message(STATUS "Qt launcher enabled, checking for Qt 5.1 / qmake")
+	find_package(Qt5 5.1 COMPONENTS Widgets)
+	if (Qt5Widgets_FOUND)
+		message(STATUS "Will enable Qt launcher GUI")
+		set(HAVE_QT 1)
+	endif()
+endif (ENABLE_QT)
 ##############################################################################
 
 find_package(PLIB REQUIRED puaux pu js fnt)
diff --git a/src/Main/main.cxx b/src/Main/main.cxx
index b578e464a..ebcb6bb7f 100644
--- a/src/Main/main.cxx
+++ b/src/Main/main.cxx
@@ -401,13 +401,6 @@ static void logToFile()
 // Main top level initialization
 int fgMainInit( int argc, char **argv )
 {
-#if defined(HAVE_QT)
-    QApplication app(argc, argv);
-    app.setOrganizationName("FlightGear");
-    app.setApplicationName("FlightGear");
-    app.setOrganizationDomain("flightgear.org");
-#endif
-
     // set default log levels
     sglog().setLogLevels( SG_ALL, SG_ALERT );
 
@@ -464,7 +457,12 @@ int fgMainInit( int argc, char **argv )
     // environment variables. This avoids needed a wrapper shell-script on OS-X.
     showLauncher |= (::getenv("FG_LAUNCHER") != 0);
 
-    if (showLauncher) {
+    if (showLauncher) {        
+        QApplication app(argc, argv);
+        app.setOrganizationName("FlightGear");
+        app.setApplicationName("FlightGear");
+        app.setOrganizationDomain("flightgear.org");
+    
         // avoid double Apple menu and other weirdness if both Qt and OSG
         // try to initialise various Cocoa structures.
         flightgear::WindowBuilder::setPoseAsStandaloneApp(false);