diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 49b298b..025f9ad 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 option('documentation', type: 'array', value: [], choices: ['api', 'protocol'], description: 'Enable documentation builds')
-option('tests', type: 'boolean', value: 'true', description: 'Enable/disable tests')
+option('tests', type: 'feature', value: 'auto', description: 'Enable/disable tests')
 option('liboeffis', type: 'feature', value: 'auto', description: 'Build liboeffis.so')
diff --git a/test/meson.build b/test/meson.build
index 5fc1fc1..6a82c38 100644
--- a/test/meson.build
+++ b/test/meson.build
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-if not get_option('tests')
+if get_option('tests').disabled()
+    summary({'Test suite enabled': false}, section: 'Test options')
     subdir_done()
 endif
 
@@ -41,25 +42,6 @@ test('unit-tests-eis',
                c_args: ['-D_enable_tests_'],
                dependencies: [dep_unittest, dep_libutil]))
 
-pymod = import('python')
-required_python_modules = ['pytest', 'attr', 'structlog']
-if build_oeffis
-    required_python_modules += ['dbusmock']
-endif
-python = pymod.find_installation('python3', modules: required_python_modules)
-if python.language_version().version_compare('< 3.11')
-    pymod.find_installation('python3', modules: ['strenum'])
-endif
-
-pytest = find_program('pytest-3', 'pytest')
-pytest_args = ['--verbose', '--log-level=DEBUG']
-
-optional_python_modules = ['xdist']
-if pymod.find_installation('python3', modules: optional_python_modules, required: false).found()
-    pytest_args += ['-n', 'auto']
-    configure_file(input: 'conftest.py', output: '@PLAINNAME@', copy: true)
-endif
-
 if build_oeffis
     test('unit-tests-oeffis',
         executable('unit-tests-oeffis',
@@ -68,15 +50,6 @@ if build_oeffis
                    include_directories: [inc_src, inc_builddir],
                    c_args: ['-D_enable_tests_'],
                    dependencies: deps_liboeffis + [dep_unittest]))
-
-    env = environment()
-    env.set('LD_LIBRARY_PATH', fs.parent(lib_liboeffis.full_path()))
-    test('oeffis-pytest', pytest,
-        args: pytest_args,
-        suite: 'python',
-        workdir: meson.current_source_dir(),
-        env: env,
-    )
 endif
 
 lib_eierpecken = static_library('eierpecken',
@@ -133,31 +106,77 @@ if add_languages('cpp', required: false)
             install: false)
 endif
 
-eiproto_python_template = files('eiproto.py.tmpl')
-eiproto_python = custom_target('eiproto.py',
-                               input: protocol_xml,
-                               output: 'eiproto.py',
-                               command: [scanner, '--component=ei', '--output=@OUTPUT@', '@INPUT@', eiproto_python_template],
-                               build_by_default: true)
+# Python-based tests
 
-protocol_test_config = configuration_data()
-protocol_test_config.set('LIBEI_TEST_SERVER', eis_demo_server.full_path())
-configure_file(input: 'test_protocol.py',
-               output: '@PLAINNAME@',
-               configuration: protocol_test_config)
+pymod = import('python')
+required_python_modules = ['pytest', 'attr', 'structlog']
+python = pymod.find_installation('python3', required: get_option('tests'))
+if python.found() and python.language_version().version_compare('< 3.11')
+    required_python_modules += ['strenum']
+endif
+if build_oeffis
+    required_python_modules += ['dbusmock']
+endif
 
-test('protocol-test', pytest,
-    args: pytest_args,
-    suite: 'python',
-    workdir: meson.project_build_root(),
-)
-if valgrind.found()
-    env = environment()
-    env.set('LIBEI_USE_VALGRIND', '1')
-    test('protocol-test-valgrind', pytest,
+python = pymod.find_installation('python3',
+                                 modules: required_python_modules,
+                                 required: get_option('tests'))
+pytest = find_program('pytest-3', 'pytest', required: get_option('tests'))
+pytest_args = ['--verbose', '--log-level=DEBUG']
+
+enable_pytest = python.found() and pytest.found()
+
+if enable_pytest
+    # pytest xdist is nice because it significantly speeds up our
+    # test process, but it's not required
+    optional_python_modules = ['xdist']
+    if pymod.find_installation('python3', modules: optional_python_modules, required: false).found()
+        pytest_args += ['-n', 'auto']
+        configure_file(input: 'conftest.py', output: '@PLAINNAME@', copy: true)
+    endif
+
+    eiproto_python_template = files('eiproto.py.tmpl')
+    eiproto_python = custom_target('eiproto.py',
+                                   input: protocol_xml,
+                                   output: 'eiproto.py',
+                                   command: [scanner, '--component=ei', '--output=@OUTPUT@', '@INPUT@', eiproto_python_template],
+                                   build_by_default: true)
+
+    protocol_test_config = configuration_data()
+    protocol_test_config.set('LIBEI_TEST_SERVER', eis_demo_server.full_path())
+    configure_file(input: 'test_protocol.py',
+                   output: '@PLAINNAME@',
+                   configuration: protocol_test_config)
+
+    test('protocol-test', pytest,
         args: pytest_args,
         suite: 'python',
         workdir: meson.project_build_root(),
-        env: env
     )
+    if valgrind.found()
+        env = environment()
+        env.set('LIBEI_USE_VALGRIND', '1')
+        test('protocol-test-valgrind', pytest,
+            args: pytest_args,
+            suite: 'python',
+            workdir: meson.project_build_root(),
+            env: env
+        )
+    endif
+
+    if build_oeffis
+        env = environment()
+        env.set('LD_LIBRARY_PATH', fs.parent(lib_liboeffis.full_path()))
+        test('oeffis-pytest', pytest,
+            args: pytest_args,
+            suite: 'python',
+            workdir: meson.current_source_dir(),
+            env: env,
+        )
+    endif
 endif
+
+summary({'valgrind available': valgrind.found(),
+         'unit tests enabled': true,
+         'pytest tests enabled': enable_pytest,
+        }, section: 'Test options')