diff --git a/.github/workflows/linux_builds.yml b/.github/workflows/linux_builds.yml
index be7737593ab..a05bb099313 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/linux_builds.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/linux_builds.yml
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ jobs:
         env:
           SCONS_CACHE: ${{github.workspace}}/.scons_cache/
         run: |
-          scons -j2 verbose=yes warnings=all werror=yes platform=linuxbsd tools=yes target=release_debug module_mono_enabled=yes mono_glue=no
+          scons -j2 verbose=yes warnings=all werror=yes platform=linuxbsd tools=yes tests=yes target=release_debug module_mono_enabled=yes mono_glue=no
 
       # Execute unit tests for the editor
       - name: Unit Tests
diff --git a/.github/workflows/macos_builds.yml b/.github/workflows/macos_builds.yml
index 4a9fa910d05..56a4343bbe4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/macos_builds.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/macos_builds.yml
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ jobs:
         env:
           SCONS_CACHE: ${{github.workspace}}/.scons_cache/
         run: |
-          scons -j2 verbose=yes warnings=all werror=yes platform=osx tools=yes target=release_debug
+          scons -j2 verbose=yes warnings=all werror=yes platform=osx tools=yes tests=yes target=release_debug
 
       # Execute unit tests for the editor
       - name: Unit Tests
diff --git a/.github/workflows/windows_builds.yml b/.github/workflows/windows_builds.yml
index c58bae82757..2bc3fcfdaaa 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/windows_builds.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/windows_builds.yml
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ jobs:
       env:
         SCONS_CACHE: /.scons_cache/
       run: |
-        scons -j2 verbose=yes warnings=all werror=yes platform=windows tools=yes target=release_debug
+        scons -j2 verbose=yes warnings=all werror=yes platform=windows tools=yes tests=yes target=release_debug
 
     # Execute unit tests for the editor
     - name: Unit Tests
diff --git a/SConstruct b/SConstruct
index e23aa1cdbc9..debae3c9df1 100644
--- a/SConstruct
+++ b/SConstruct
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@ opts.Add(EnumVariable("target", "Compilation target", "debug", ("debug", "releas
 opts.Add(EnumVariable("optimize", "Optimization type", "speed", ("speed", "size")))
 
 opts.Add(BoolVariable("tools", "Build the tools (a.k.a. the Godot editor)", True))
+opts.Add(BoolVariable("tests", "Build the unit tests", False))
 opts.Add(BoolVariable("use_lto", "Use link-time optimization", False))
 opts.Add(BoolVariable("use_precise_math_checks", "Math checks use very precise epsilon (debug option)", False))
 
@@ -249,6 +250,10 @@ if env_base["target"] == "debug":
     # http://scons.org/doc/production/HTML/scons-user/ch06s04.html
     env_base.SetOption("implicit_cache", 1)
 
+if not env_base["tools"]:
+    # Export templates can't run unit test tool.
+    env_base["tests"] = False
+
 if env_base["no_editor_splash"]:
     env_base.Append(CPPDEFINES=["NO_EDITOR_SPLASH"])
 
@@ -312,6 +317,8 @@ if selected_platform in platform_list:
         env["verbose"] = True
         env["warnings"] = "extra"
         env["werror"] = True
+        if env["tools"]:
+            env["tests"] = True
 
     if env["vsproj"]:
         env.vs_incs = []
@@ -586,6 +593,8 @@ if selected_platform in platform_list:
         env.Append(CPPDEFINES=["PTRCALL_ENABLED"])
     if env["tools"]:
         env.Append(CPPDEFINES=["TOOLS_ENABLED"])
+    if env["tests"]:
+        env.Append(CPPDEFINES=["TESTS_ENABLED"])
     if env["disable_3d"]:
         if env["tools"]:
             print(
@@ -641,8 +650,9 @@ if selected_platform in platform_list:
             }
         )
 
-    # enable test framework globally and inform it of configuration method
-    env.Append(CPPDEFINES=["DOCTEST_CONFIG_IMPLEMENT"])
+    # Enable test framework globally and inform it of configuration method.
+    if env["tests"]:
+        env.Append(CPPDEFINES=["DOCTEST_CONFIG_IMPLEMENT"])
 
     scons_cache_path = os.environ.get("SCONS_CACHE")
     if scons_cache_path != None:
diff --git a/main/SCsub b/main/SCsub
index bf188d7328f..793e5ed8276 100644
--- a/main/SCsub
+++ b/main/SCsub
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ env.CommandNoCache(
 env.Depends("#main/app_icon.gen.h", "#main/app_icon.png")
 env.CommandNoCache("#main/app_icon.gen.h", "#main/app_icon.png", run_in_subprocess(main_builders.make_app_icon))
 
-if env["tools"]:
+if env["tests"]:
     SConscript("tests/SCsub")
 
 lib = env.add_library("main", env.main_sources)
diff --git a/main/main.cpp b/main/main.cpp
index 35aa99c7206..60abed7b0bb 100644
--- a/main/main.cpp
+++ b/main/main.cpp
@@ -55,7 +55,6 @@
 #include "main/performance.h"
 #include "main/splash.gen.h"
 #include "main/splash_editor.gen.h"
-#include "main/tests/test_main.h"
 #include "modules/modules_enabled.gen.h"
 #include "modules/register_module_types.h"
 #include "platform/register_platform_apis.h"
@@ -75,6 +74,10 @@
 #include "servers/rendering/rendering_server_wrap_mt.h"
 #include "servers/xr_server.h"
 
+#ifdef TESTS_ENABLED
+#include "main/tests/test_main.h"
+#endif
+
 #ifdef TOOLS_ENABLED
 
 #include "editor/doc_data.h"
@@ -383,6 +386,7 @@ void Main::print_help(const char *p_binary) {
 	OS::get_singleton()->print(
 			"  --gdnative-generate-json-api     Generate JSON dump of the Godot API for GDNative bindings.\n");
 #endif
+#ifdef TESTS_ENABLED
 	OS::get_singleton()->print("  --test <test>                    Run a unit test [");
 	const char **test_names = tests_get_names();
 	const char *comma = "";
@@ -392,11 +396,13 @@ void Main::print_help(const char *p_binary) {
 		comma = ", ";
 	}
 	OS::get_singleton()->print("].\n");
+#endif
+	OS::get_singleton()->print("\n");
 #endif
 }
 
 int Main::test_entrypoint(int argc, char *argv[], bool &tests_need_run) {
-#ifdef TOOLS_ENABLED // templates can't run unit test tool
+#ifdef TESTS_ENABLED
 	for (int x = 0; x < argc; x++) {
 		if (strncmp(argv[x], "--test", 6) == 0) {
 			tests_need_run = true;