diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 1e894f5767..ec5656814f 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -98,6 +98,11 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE(tests,
     [use_tests=$enableval],
     [use_tests=yes])
 
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(gui-tests,
+    AS_HELP_STRING([--disable-gui-tests],[do not compile GUI tests (default is to compile if GUI and tests enabled)]),
+    [use_gui_tests=$enableval],
+    [use_gui_tests=$use_tests])
+
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(bench,
     AS_HELP_STRING([--disable-bench],[do not compile benchmarks (default is to compile)]),
     [use_bench=$enableval],
@@ -919,8 +924,8 @@ else
 fi
 
 dnl these are only used when qt is enabled
+BUILD_TEST_QT=""
 if test x$bitcoin_enable_qt != xno; then
-  BUILD_QT=qt
   dnl enable dbus support
   AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether to build GUI with support for D-Bus])
   if test x$bitcoin_enable_qt_dbus != xno; then
@@ -950,9 +955,9 @@ if test x$bitcoin_enable_qt != xno; then
   fi
 
   AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether to build test_bitcoin-qt])
-  if test x$use_tests$bitcoin_enable_qt_test = xyesyes; then
+  if test x$use_gui_tests$bitcoin_enable_qt_test = xyesyes; then
     AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])
-    BUILD_TEST_QT="test"
+    BUILD_TEST_QT="yes"
   else
     AC_MSG_RESULT([no])
   fi
@@ -963,9 +968,10 @@ AM_CONDITIONAL([ENABLE_ZMQ], [test "x$use_zmq" = "xyes"])
 AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether to build test_bitcoin])
 if test x$use_tests = xyes; then
   AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])
-  BUILD_TEST="test"
+  BUILD_TEST="yes"
 else
   AC_MSG_RESULT([no])
+  BUILD_TEST=""
 fi
 
 AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether to reduce exports])
@@ -983,9 +989,9 @@ AM_CONDITIONAL([TARGET_DARWIN], [test x$TARGET_OS = xdarwin])
 AM_CONDITIONAL([BUILD_DARWIN], [test x$BUILD_OS = xdarwin])
 AM_CONDITIONAL([TARGET_WINDOWS], [test x$TARGET_OS = xwindows])
 AM_CONDITIONAL([ENABLE_WALLET],[test x$enable_wallet = xyes])
-AM_CONDITIONAL([ENABLE_TESTS],[test x$use_tests = xyes])
+AM_CONDITIONAL([ENABLE_TESTS],[test x$BUILD_TEST = xyes])
 AM_CONDITIONAL([ENABLE_QT],[test x$bitcoin_enable_qt = xyes])
-AM_CONDITIONAL([ENABLE_QT_TESTS],[test x$use_tests$bitcoin_enable_qt_test = xyesyes])
+AM_CONDITIONAL([ENABLE_QT_TESTS],[test x$BUILD_TEST_QT = xyes])
 AM_CONDITIONAL([ENABLE_BENCH],[test x$use_bench = xyes])
 AM_CONDITIONAL([USE_QRCODE], [test x$use_qr = xyes])
 AM_CONDITIONAL([USE_LCOV],[test x$use_lcov = xyes])
@@ -1026,9 +1032,6 @@ AC_SUBST(USE_QRCODE)
 AC_SUBST(BOOST_LIBS)
 AC_SUBST(TESTDEFS)
 AC_SUBST(LEVELDB_TARGET_FLAGS)
-AC_SUBST(BUILD_TEST)
-AC_SUBST(BUILD_QT)
-AC_SUBST(BUILD_TEST_QT)
 AC_SUBST(MINIUPNPC_CPPFLAGS)
 AC_SUBST(MINIUPNPC_LIBS)
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([Makefile src/Makefile share/setup.nsi share/qt/Info.plist src/test/buildenv.py])
diff --git a/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian-linux.yml b/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian-linux.yml
index 1f2c4f9999..13941f5d55 100644
--- a/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian-linux.yml
+++ b/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian-linux.yml
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ files: []
 script: |
   WRAP_DIR=$HOME/wrapped
   HOSTS="i686-pc-linux-gnu x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu"
-  CONFIGFLAGS="--enable-glibc-back-compat --enable-reduce-exports LDFLAGS=-static-libstdc++"
+  CONFIGFLAGS="--enable-glibc-back-compat --enable-reduce-exports --disable-bench --disable-gui-tests LDFLAGS=-static-libstdc++"
   FAKETIME_HOST_PROGS=""
   FAKETIME_PROGS="date ar ranlib nm strip"
 
diff --git a/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian-osx.yml b/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian-osx.yml
index 6f68ae08ce..c430932f9d 100644
--- a/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian-osx.yml
+++ b/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian-osx.yml
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ files:
 script: |
   WRAP_DIR=$HOME/wrapped
   HOSTS="x86_64-apple-darwin11"
-  CONFIGFLAGS="--enable-reduce-exports GENISOIMAGE=$WRAP_DIR/genisoimage"
+  CONFIGFLAGS="--enable-reduce-exports --disable-bench --disable-gui-tests GENISOIMAGE=$WRAP_DIR/genisoimage"
   FAKETIME_HOST_PROGS=""
   FAKETIME_PROGS="ar ranlib date dmg genisoimage"
 
diff --git a/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian-win.yml b/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian-win.yml
index f0fbff3e10..9f7322f0b5 100644
--- a/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian-win.yml
+++ b/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian-win.yml
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ files: []
 script: |
   WRAP_DIR=$HOME/wrapped
   HOSTS="x86_64-w64-mingw32 i686-w64-mingw32"
-  CONFIGFLAGS="--enable-reduce-exports"
+  CONFIGFLAGS="--enable-reduce-exports --disable-gui-tests"
   FAKETIME_HOST_PROGS="g++ ar ranlib nm windres strip"
   FAKETIME_PROGS="date makensis zip"