diff --git a/Changes b/Changes
index 5e769337d..b02f77bb9 100644
--- a/Changes
+++ b/Changes
@@ -45,6 +45,10 @@ Working version
 
 ### Compiler distribution build system:
 
+- GPR#1776: add -no-install-bytecode-programs and related configure options to
+  control (non-)installation of ".byte" executables
+  (Mark Shinwell, review by Sébastien Hinderer and Gabriel Scherer)
+
 - GPR#1777: add -no-install-source-artifacts and related configure options to
   control installation of .cmt, .cmti, .mli and .ml files
   (Mark Shinwell, review by Nicolas Ojeda Bar and Sébastien Hinderer)
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 9e2a40f9e..18238de3e 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -606,9 +606,13 @@ install:
 	  "$(INSTALL_LIBDIR)"
 	$(MAKE) -C byterun install
 	$(INSTALL_PROG) ocaml "$(INSTALL_BINDIR)/ocaml$(EXE)"
+ifeq "$(INSTALL_BYTECODE_PROGRAMS)" "true"
 	$(INSTALL_PROG) ocamlc "$(INSTALL_BINDIR)/ocamlc.byte$(EXE)"
+endif
 	$(MAKE) -C stdlib install
+ifeq "$(INSTALL_BYTECODE_PROGRAMS)" "true"
 	$(INSTALL_PROG) lex/ocamllex "$(INSTALL_BINDIR)/ocamllex.byte$(EXE)"
+endif
 	$(INSTALL_PROG) yacc/ocamlyacc$(EXE) "$(INSTALL_BINDIR)/ocamlyacc$(EXE)"
 	$(INSTALL_DATA) \
 	   utils/*.cmi \
@@ -666,17 +670,23 @@ ifeq "$(UNIX_OR_WIN32)" "win32"
 	fi
 endif
 	$(INSTALL_DATA) config/Makefile "$(INSTALL_LIBDIR)/Makefile.config"
+ifeq "$(INSTALL_BYTECODE_PROGRAMS)" "true"
 	if test -f ocamlopt; then $(MAKE) installopt; else \
 	   cd "$(INSTALL_BINDIR)"; \
 	   $(LN) ocamlc.byte$(EXE) ocamlc$(EXE); \
 	   $(LN) ocamllex.byte$(EXE) ocamllex$(EXE); \
 	fi
+else
+	if test -f ocamlopt; then $(MAKE) installopt; fi
+endif
 
 # Installation of the native-code compiler
 .PHONY: installopt
 installopt:
 	$(MAKE) -C asmrun install
+ifeq "$(INSTALL_BYTECODE_PROGRAMS)" "true"
 	$(INSTALL_PROG) ocamlopt "$(INSTALL_BINDIR)/ocamlopt.byte$(EXE)"
+endif
 	$(MAKE) -C stdlib installopt
 	$(INSTALL_DATA) \
 	    middle_end/*.cmi \
@@ -710,12 +720,16 @@ endif
 	for i in $(OTHERLIBRARIES); do \
 	  $(MAKE) -C otherlibs/$$i installopt || exit $$?; \
 	done
+ifeq "$(INSTALL_BYTECODE_PROGRAMS)" "true"
 	if test -f ocamlopt.opt ; then $(MAKE) installoptopt; else \
 	   cd "$(INSTALL_BINDIR)"; \
 	   $(LN) ocamlc.byte$(EXE) ocamlc$(EXE); \
 	   $(LN) ocamlopt.byte$(EXE) ocamlopt$(EXE); \
 	   $(LN) ocamllex.byte$(EXE) ocamllex$(EXE); \
 	fi
+else
+	if test -f ocamlopt.opt ; then $(MAKE) installoptopt; fi
+endif
 	$(MAKE) -C tools installopt
 	if test -f ocamlopt.opt -a -f flexdll/flexlink.opt ; then \
 	  $(INSTALL_PROG) \
diff --git a/config/Makefile-templ b/config/Makefile-templ
index 34af691ed..f5eccebc6 100644
--- a/config/Makefile-templ
+++ b/config/Makefile-templ
@@ -153,6 +153,9 @@ RANLIBCMD=ranlib
 # On Solaris:
 #ASPP=as -P
 
+### Set to "true" to install ".byte" executables (ocamlc.byte, etc.)
+#INSTALL_BYTECODE_PROGRAMS=true
+
 ### Extra flags to use for assembling .S files in profiling mode
 #ASPPPROFFLAGS=-DPROFILING
 
diff --git a/config/Makefile.mingw b/config/Makefile.mingw
index 3f1eb9b42..2020ba734 100644
--- a/config/Makefile.mingw
+++ b/config/Makefile.mingw
@@ -190,6 +190,9 @@ OCAMLOPT_CFLAGS=-O -mms-bitfields
 ### Build partially-linked object file
 PACKLD=$(TOOLPREF)ld -r -o # must have a space after '-o'
 
+### Set to "true" to install ".byte" executables (ocamlc.byte, etc.)
+INSTALL_BYTECODE_PROGRAMS=true
+
 ############# Configuration for the contributed libraries
 
 OTHERLIBRARIES=win32unix str win32graph dynlink bigarray systhreads
diff --git a/config/Makefile.mingw64 b/config/Makefile.mingw64
index df605a9f5..51ecfe768 100644
--- a/config/Makefile.mingw64
+++ b/config/Makefile.mingw64
@@ -190,6 +190,9 @@ OCAMLOPT_CFLAGS=-O -mms-bitfields
 ### Build partially-linked object file
 PACKLD=$(TOOLPREF)ld -r -o # must have a space after '-o'
 
+### Set to "true" to install ".byte" executables (ocamlc.byte, etc.)
+INSTALL_BYTECODE_PROGRAMS=true
+
 ############# Configuration for the contributed libraries
 
 OTHERLIBRARIES=win32unix str win32graph dynlink bigarray systhreads
diff --git a/config/Makefile.msvc b/config/Makefile.msvc
index 743d36879..b5d3e962b 100644
--- a/config/Makefile.msvc
+++ b/config/Makefile.msvc
@@ -186,6 +186,9 @@ OCAMLOPT_CPPFLAGS=-D_CRT_SECURE_NO_DEPRECATE
 ### Build partially-linked object file
 PACKLD=link -lib -nologo -out:# there must be no space after this '-out:'
 
+### Set to "true" to install ".byte" executables (ocamlc.byte, etc.)
+INSTALL_BYTECODE_PROGRAMS=true
+
 ### Clear this to disable compiling ocamldebug
 WITH_DEBUGGER=ocamldebugger
 
diff --git a/config/Makefile.msvc64 b/config/Makefile.msvc64
index 67bf16a22..6089eca1a 100644
--- a/config/Makefile.msvc64
+++ b/config/Makefile.msvc64
@@ -189,6 +189,9 @@ OCAMLOPT_CPPFLAGS=-D_CRT_SECURE_NO_DEPRECATE
 ### Build partially-linked object file
 PACKLD=link -lib -nologo -machine:AMD64 -out:# must have no space after '-out:'
 
+### Set to "true" to install ".byte" executables (ocamlc.byte, etc.)
+INSTALL_BYTECODE_PROGRAMS=true
+
 ### Clear this to disable compiling ocamldebug
 WITH_DEBUGGER=ocamldebugger
 
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 9cb0c3b11..08892e638 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ no_naked_pointers=false
 native_compiler=true
 TOOLPREF=""
 with_cfi=true
+install_bytecode_programs=true
 install_source_artifacts=true
 flambda=false
 force_safe_string=false
@@ -214,6 +215,10 @@ while : ; do
         install_source_artifacts=false;;
     -no-native-compiler|--no-native-compiler)
         native_compiler=false;;
+    -install-bytecode-programs|--install-bytecode-programs)
+        install_bytecode_programs=true;;
+    -no-install-bytecode-programs|--no-install-bytecode-programs)
+        install_bytecode_programs=false;;
     -flambda|--flambda)
         flambda=true;;
     -with-flambda-invariants|--with-flambda-invariants)
@@ -2055,6 +2060,7 @@ if $flat_float_array; then
   echo "#define FLAT_FLOAT_ARRAY" >> m.h
 fi
 
+echo "INSTALL_BYTECODE_PROGRAMS=$install_bytecode_programs" >> Makefile
 echo "INSTALL_SOURCE_ARTIFACTS=$install_source_artifacts" >> Makefile
 
 # Finish generated files
@@ -2306,6 +2312,10 @@ if $with_instrumented_runtime; then
   inf "Instrumented runtime will be compiled and installed"
 fi
 
+if ! $install_bytecode_programs; then
+  inf "Bytecode programs will not be installed"
+fi
+
 if ! $install_source_artifacts; then
   inf ".cmt, .cmti, .ml and .mli files will not be installed"
 fi
diff --git a/tools/Makefile b/tools/Makefile
index 6e2b7a865..ac8463094 100644
--- a/tools/Makefile
+++ b/tools/Makefile
@@ -236,9 +236,10 @@ LN := cp -pf
 endif
 
 install::
+ifeq "$(INSTALL_BYTECODE_PROGRAMS)" "true"
 	for i in $(install_files); \
 	do \
-	  $(INSTALL_PROG) "$$i" "$(INSTALL_BINDIR)/$$i.byte$(EXE)" && \
+	  $(INSTALL_PROG) "$$i" "$(INSTALL_BINDIR)/$$i.byte$(EXE)"; \
 	  if test -f "$$i".opt; then \
 	    $(INSTALL_PROG) "$$i.opt" "$(INSTALL_BINDIR)/$$i.opt$(EXE)" && \
 	    (cd "$(INSTALL_BINDIR)/" && $(LN) "$$i.opt$(EXE)" "$$i$(EXE)"); \
@@ -246,6 +247,14 @@ install::
 	    (cd "$(INSTALL_BINDIR)/" && $(LN) "$$i.byte$(EXE)" "$$i$(EXE)"); \
 	  fi; \
 	done
+else
+	for i in $(install_files); \
+	do \
+	  if test -f "$$i".opt; then \
+	    $(INSTALL_PROG) "$$i.opt" "$(INSTALL_BINDIR)/$$i.opt$(EXE)"; \
+	  fi; \
+	done
+endif
 
 clean::
 	rm -f addlabels