diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 257021890fb34a5d8b0c95189c31f9cc853a853f..45da9af9b5417da7cdbae7ae93b371348baee442 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -27,19 +27,19 @@ dune_enable_all_packages(MODULE_LIBRARIES dumux_fmt dumux_parameters)
 # enforce C++-17
 dune_require_cxx_standard(MODULE "DuMuX" VERSION 17)
 
+# option for enabling Python bindings
+option(DUMUX_ENABLE_PYTHONBINDINGS "Enable Python bindings" ${DUNE_ENABLE_PYTHONBINDINGS})
+
 add_subdirectory(cmake/modules)
 add_subdirectory(doc)
 add_subdirectory(dumux)
 add_subdirectory(test EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL)
 add_subdirectory(examples EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL)
 
-# from Dune 2.9 on Python bindings are enabled per default
-if(${dune-common_VERSION} VERSION_GREATER_EQUAL 2.9)
+# only add bindings folder if Python bindings are enabled
+if(DUMUX_ENABLE_PYTHONBINDINGS)
   add_subdirectory(python)
-else()
-  # with Dune 2.8, only if Python bindings are enabled
-  if(DUNE_ENABLE_PYTHONBINDINGS)
-    add_subdirectory(python)
+  if(${dune-common_VERSION} VERSION_LESS 2.9)
     dune_python_install_package(PATH "python")
   endif()
 endif()
diff --git a/dumux/CMakeLists.txt b/dumux/CMakeLists.txt
index 3e82f9cdcc945b9b040094becb43b6dfa38c3eb7..1ee5e8770819b72ac80c94f51f168e8eb6bffe5b 100644
--- a/dumux/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/dumux/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -17,6 +17,6 @@ add_subdirectory(porousmediumflow)
 add_subdirectory(timestepping)
 
 # if Python bindings are enabled, include necessary sub directories.
-if(DUNE_ENABLE_PYTHONBINDINGS)
+if(DUMUX_ENABLE_PYTHONBINDINGS)
   add_subdirectory(python)
 endif()
diff --git a/test/CMakeLists.txt b/test/CMakeLists.txt
index 1ac976185f6cfebe8aae3b8a555c5413de110c8d..a866122647884c4210ac65ef53dfc562f4c8193a 100644
--- a/test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ add_subdirectory(timestepping)
 
 
 # if Python bindings are enabled, include Python binding tests
-if(DUNE_ENABLE_PYTHONBINDINGS)
+if(DUMUX_ENABLE_PYTHONBINDINGS)
   if(${dune-common_VERSION} VERSION_GREATER_EQUAL 2.8)
     add_subdirectory(python)
   endif()