diff --git a/package/proj/Config.in b/package/proj/Config.in
index 6d172e2ee9..86966a4d10 100644
--- a/package/proj/Config.in
+++ b/package/proj/Config.in
@@ -14,6 +14,18 @@ config BR2_PACKAGE_PROJ
 
 	  http://proj4.org/
 
+if BR2_PACKAGE_PROJ
+
+config BR2_PACKAGE_PROJ_APPS
+	bool "build apps"
+	select BR2_PACKAGE_LIBCURL
+	help
+	  Build and install proj command line apps. Those command line
+	  applications are: cct, cs2cs, geod, gie, invgeod, invproj,
+	  proj, projinfo, projsync.
+
+endif
+
 comment "proj needs a toolchain w/ C++, gcc >= 4.7, NPTL, wchar"
 	depends on !BR2_INSTALL_LIBSTDCPP || \
 		!BR2_TOOLCHAIN_GCC_AT_LEAST_4_7 || \
diff --git a/package/proj/proj.mk b/package/proj/proj.mk
index 19b5f1012e..361c1e50b1 100644
--- a/package/proj/proj.mk
+++ b/package/proj/proj.mk
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ PROJ_CXXFLAGS += -O0
 endif
 
 PROJ_CONF_OPTS = \
-	-DBUILD_APPS=OFF \
+	-DBUILD_APPS=$(if $(BR2_PACKAGE_PROJ_APPS),ON,OFF) \
 	-DCMAKE_C_FLAGS="$(PROJ_CFLAGS)" \
 	-DCMAKE_CXX_FLAGS="$(PROJ_CXXFLAGS)"