diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index f441413..4a46f69 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -80,6 +80,11 @@ else()
   set(CORBA_IMPLEMENTATION ${CORBA_IMPLEMENTATION} CACHE STRING "The implementation of CORBA to use (allowed values: TAO or OMNIORB )" )
 endif()
 
+#
+# Enable/disable orogen and dependencies
+#
+option(BUILD_OROGEN "Build orogen and its dependencies" OFF)
+
 #############
 # Git magic #
 #############
@@ -171,16 +176,18 @@ build_external_project(ocl
   DEPENDS log4cpp rtt
 )
 
-build_external_project(utilrb)
-build_external_project(typelib
-  DEPENDS utilrb
-)
-build_external_project(rtt_typelib
-  DEPENDS rtt typelib
-)
-build_external_project(orogen
-  DEPENDS rtt rtt_typelib utilrb
-)
+if(BUILD_OROGEN)
+  build_external_project(utilrb)
+  build_external_project(typelib
+    DEPENDS utilrb
+  )
+  build_external_project(rtt_typelib
+    DEPENDS rtt typelib
+  )
+  build_external_project(orogen
+    DEPENDS rtt rtt_typelib utilrb
+  )
+endif()
 
 #######################################
 # Build orocos_toolchain meta package #
diff --git a/orocos_toolchain/package.xml b/orocos_toolchain/package.xml
index 75c5a4c..f3254bf 100644
--- a/orocos_toolchain/package.xml
+++ b/orocos_toolchain/package.xml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
   <name>orocos_toolchain</name>
   <version>2.9.0</version>
   <description>
-    This package provides the entire orocos_toolchain
+    This metapackage provides Orocos RTT and OCL and dependencies.
   </description>
   <license>GPL v2 + linking exception</license>
   <license>LGPL-2.1</license>
@@ -14,11 +14,7 @@
 
   <exec_depend>log4cpp</exec_depend>
   <exec_depend>ocl</exec_depend>
-  <exec_depend>orogen</exec_depend>
   <exec_depend>rtt</exec_depend>
-  <exec_depend>rtt_typelib</exec_depend>
-  <exec_depend>typelib</exec_depend>
-  <exec_depend>utilrb</exec_depend>
 
   <export>
     <metapackage/>