diff --git a/ghcide/ghcide.cabal b/ghcide/ghcide.cabal
index 820107f7d9c..963016d1b20 100644
--- a/ghcide/ghcide.cabal
+++ b/ghcide/ghcide.cabal
@@ -217,6 +217,10 @@ library
       exposed-modules:
         Development.IDE.GHC.Compat.CPP
 
+flag test-exe
+    description: Build the ghcide-test-preprocessor executable
+    default: False
+
 executable ghcide-test-preprocessor
     default-language: Haskell2010
     hs-source-dirs: test/preprocessor
@@ -225,6 +229,9 @@ executable ghcide-test-preprocessor
     build-depends:
         base == 4.*
 
+    if !flag(test-exe)
+        buildable: False
+
 benchmark benchHist
     type: exitcode-stdio-1.0
     default-language: Haskell2010
@@ -263,6 +270,10 @@ benchmark benchHist
         text,
         yaml
 
+flag executable
+    description: Build the ghcide executable
+    default: True
+
 executable ghcide
     default-language:   Haskell2010
     hs-source-dirs:     exe
@@ -322,6 +333,9 @@ executable ghcide
         TypeApplications
         ViewPatterns
 
+    if !flag(executable)
+        buildable: False
+
 test-suite ghcide-tests
     type: exitcode-stdio-1.0
     default-language: Haskell2010
@@ -404,6 +418,10 @@ test-suite ghcide-tests
         TypeApplications
         ViewPatterns
 
+flag bench-exe
+    description: Build the ghcide-bench executable
+    default: False
+
 executable ghcide-bench
     default-language: Haskell2010
     build-tool-depends:
@@ -448,3 +466,6 @@ executable ghcide-bench
         TupleSections
         TypeApplications
         ViewPatterns
+
+    if !flag(bench-exe)
+        buildable: False