diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index ca81b33e..a63f30ba 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ include(AddUninstallTarget)
 
 option(BUILD_TESTING "Run tests for the generated models" OFF)
 option(COMPILE_ergoCubEmotions "Compile the module controlling the ergoCub emotions" OFF)
+option(COMPILE_ergoCubModels "Configure and install the URDF models of the ergoCub robots" ON)
 
 if(MSVC)
   set(CMAKE_DEBUG_POSTFIX "d")
@@ -53,16 +54,10 @@ if(NOT CMAKE_CONFIGURATION_TYPES)
 endif()
 
 set(BUILD_PREFIX "ergoCub")
-add_subdirectory(urdf)
-
-# Install empty ergoCub file in <prefix>/share/ament_index/resource_index/packages
-# so that ergoCub package is found by ROS2
-# See https://github.com/robotology/icub-models/issues/177
-# and https://github.com/icub-tech-iit/ergocub-software/issues/59
-file(WRITE ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/ergoCub_empty_file "")
-install(FILES ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/ergoCub_empty_file
-        DESTINATION share/ament_index/resource_index/packages
-        RENAME ergoCub)
+
+if (COMPILE_ergoCubModels)
+  add_subdirectory(urdf)
+endif()
 
 # TODO to be defined
 if (BUILD_TESTING)
diff --git a/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
index 192a2b52..6a2d6393 100644
--- a/tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -7,8 +7,10 @@ add_executable(ergocub-model-test ergocub-model-test.cpp)
 target_link_libraries(ergocub-model-test ${iDynTree_LIBRARIES} YARP::YARP_os)
 
 macro(add_ergocub_model_test yarpRobotName)
-    add_test(NAME ${yarpRobotName}ConsistencyCheck
+    if (COMPILE_ergoCubModels)
+        add_test(NAME ${yarpRobotName}ConsistencyCheck
              COMMAND ergocub-model-test --model ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/${BUILD_PREFIX}/robots/${yarpRobotName}/model.urdf)
+    endif()
 endmacro()
 
 # Model generated with simmechanics
@@ -18,4 +20,3 @@ add_ergocub_model_test(ergoCubGazeboV1_2)
 add_ergocub_model_test(ergoCubSN000)
 add_ergocub_model_test(ergoCubSN001)
 add_ergocub_model_test(ergoCubSN002)
-
diff --git a/urdf/CMakeLists.txt b/urdf/CMakeLists.txt
index 822926f5..1b718124 100644
--- a/urdf/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/urdf/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -5,6 +5,13 @@
 # BSD-3-Clause license. See the accompanying LICENSE file for details.
 
 
+# Detect if we are doing a standalone build of the ergocub-models
+if(CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR STREQUAL CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR)
+  cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.22.1)
+  project(ergocub-models LANGUAGES NONE)
+  set(BUILD_PREFIX "ergoCub")
+  include(GNUInstallDirs)
+endif()
 
 set(GAZEBO_SUPPORTED_MODELS "")
 list(APPEND GAZEBO_SUPPORTED_MODELS "ergoCubGazeboV1")
@@ -83,3 +90,12 @@ endforeach()
 
 # install the directory
 install(DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/${BUILD_PREFIX} DESTINATION share)
+
+# Install empty ergoCub file in <prefix>/share/ament_index/resource_index/packages
+# so that ergoCub package is found by ROS2
+# See https://github.com/robotology/icub-models/issues/177
+# and https://github.com/icub-tech-iit/ergocub-software/issues/59
+file(WRITE ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/ergoCub_empty_file "")
+install(FILES ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/ergoCub_empty_file
+        DESTINATION share/ament_index/resource_index/packages
+        RENAME ergoCub)