diff --git a/projects/rocdecode/CMakeLists.txt b/projects/rocdecode/CMakeLists.txt
index 02813aa4ae..f616a2d3b7 100644
--- a/projects/rocdecode/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/projects/rocdecode/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -103,6 +103,9 @@ message("-- ${BoldBlue}rocDecode Build Type -- ${CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE}${ColourReset}
 # Add an option for enabling the rocprofiler-register
 option(ROCDECODE_ENABLE_ROCPROFILER_REGISTER "Enable rocprofiler-register support" ON)
 
+#add an option for enabling FFMPEG avcodec host-based decoder
+option(ROCDECODE_ENABLE_HOST_DECODER "Enable rocdecode host-based decoder support" ON)
+
 find_package(HIP QUIET)
 find_package(Libva QUIET)
 find_package(Libdrm_amdgpu QUIET)
@@ -113,6 +116,10 @@ if(ROCDECODE_ENABLE_ROCPROFILER_REGISTER)
     PATHS ${ROCM_PATH})
 endif()
 
+if(ROCDECODE_ENABLE_HOST_DECODER)
+  find_package(FFmpeg QUIET)
+endif()
+
 if(HIP_FOUND AND Libva_FOUND AND Libdrm_amdgpu_FOUND)
 
   # HIP
@@ -254,8 +261,10 @@ if(HIP_FOUND AND Libva_FOUND AND Libdrm_amdgpu_FOUND)
   include(CTest)
   add_subdirectory(test)
 
-  #make rocdecode-host for decoding on HOST
-  add_subdirectory(src/rocdecode-host)
+  # make rocdecode-host for decoding on HOST only if FFMPEG is available
+  if (ROCDECODE_ENABLE_HOST_DECODER AND FFMPEG_FOUND)
+    add_subdirectory(src/rocdecode-host)
+  endif()
 
   # set package information
   set(CPACK_PACKAGE_VERSION_MAJOR ${PROJECT_VERSION_MAJOR})
diff --git a/projects/rocdecode/src/rocdecode-host/CMakeLists.txt b/projects/rocdecode/src/rocdecode-host/CMakeLists.txt
index a2ab68a6a6..d53868c06e 100644
--- a/projects/rocdecode/src/rocdecode-host/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/projects/rocdecode/src/rocdecode-host/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -64,8 +64,7 @@ endif()
 message("-- ${BoldBlue}rocdecode-host Build Type -- ${CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE}${ColourReset}")
 
 find_package(rocprofiler-register QUIET)
-#find_package(FFmpeg QUIET)
-find_package(FFmpeg)
+find_package(FFmpeg QUIET)
 
 if(HIP_FOUND AND FFMPEG_FOUND AND Threads_FOUND AND rocprofiler-register_FOUND)
   # HIP