diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 1c77689d..9fe7c443 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ option(PISTACHE_ENABLE_NETWORK_TESTS "if tests are built, run ones needing netwo
 option(PISTACHE_USE_SSL "add support for SSL server" OFF)
 option(PISTACHE_PIC "Enable pistache PIC" ON) # Position-independent code lib
 option(PISTACHE_BUILD_FUZZ "Build fuzzer for oss-fuzz" OFF)
+option(PISTACHE_USE_RAPIDJSON "add support for rapidjson" ON)
 
 string(TOLOWER "${CMAKE_HOST_SYSTEM_NAME}" CMAKE_HOST_SYSTEM_NAME_LOWER)
 
@@ -102,6 +103,10 @@ add_subdirectory (src)
 # For info on GTest::gtest GTest::gmock_main, see Pistache's
 # tests/CMakeLists.txt
 if (PISTACHE_BUILD_TESTS)
+    if (NOT PISTACHE_USE_RAPIDJSON)
+        message(FATAL_ERROR "Pistache tests require rapidjson support")
+    endif()
+
     include(CTest)
     find_package(GTest QUIET)
     if (NOT GTEST_FOUND)
@@ -123,7 +128,7 @@ if (PISTACHE_BUILD_TESTS)
     add_subdirectory(tests)
 endif()
 
-if (PISTACHE_BUILD_FUZZ) 
+if (PISTACHE_BUILD_FUZZ)
     add_subdirectory(tests/fuzzers)
 endif()
 
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 6725202f..0e15295a 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -24,26 +24,28 @@ set(PISTACHE_INCLUDE
     $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/../include>
 )
 
-find_package(RapidJSON QUIET)
-if (NOT RapidJSON_FOUND)
-    message("RapidJSON not found. Consider installing it on your system. Downloading it from source...")
-    include(FetchContent)
-    FetchContent_Declare(
-        RapidJSON
-        GIT_REPOSITORY https://github.com/Tencent/rapidjson.git
-        GIT_TAG v1.1.0
-        GIT_SHALLOW true
-    )
-    set(RAPIDJSON_BUILD_DOC OFF CACHE BOOL "")
-    set(RAPIDJSON_BUILD_EXAMPLES OFF CACHE BOOL "")
-    set(RAPIDJSON_BUILD_TESTS OFF CACHE BOOL "")
-    if(NOT RapidJSON_POPULATED)
-        FetchContent_Populate(RapidJSON)
-        add_subdirectory(${rapidjson_SOURCE_DIR} ${rapidjson_BINARY_DIR})
+if (PISTACHE_USE_RAPIDJSON)
+    find_package(RapidJSON QUIET)
+    if (NOT RapidJSON_FOUND)
+        message("RapidJSON not found. Consider installing it on your system. Downloading it from source...")
+        include(FetchContent)
+        FetchContent_Declare(
+            RapidJSON
+            GIT_REPOSITORY https://github.com/Tencent/rapidjson.git
+            GIT_TAG v1.1.0
+            GIT_SHALLOW true
+        )
+        set(RAPIDJSON_BUILD_DOC OFF CACHE BOOL "")
+        set(RAPIDJSON_BUILD_EXAMPLES OFF CACHE BOOL "")
+        set(RAPIDJSON_BUILD_TESTS OFF CACHE BOOL "")
+        if(NOT RapidJSON_POPULATED)
+            FetchContent_Populate(RapidJSON)
+            add_subdirectory(${rapidjson_SOURCE_DIR} ${rapidjson_BINARY_DIR})
+        endif()
+        target_include_directories(pistache PRIVATE ${rapidjson_SOURCE_DIR}/include)
+    else()
+        target_include_directories(pistache PRIVATE ${RAPIDJSON_INCLUDE_DIRS})
     endif()
-    target_include_directories(pistache PRIVATE ${rapidjson_SOURCE_DIR}/include)
-else()
-    target_include_directories(pistache PRIVATE ${RAPIDJSON_INCLUDE_DIRS})
 endif()
 
 target_include_directories(pistache PRIVATE ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/../subprojects/hinnant-date/include)
diff --git a/version.txt b/version.txt
index 7f67c6c4..4f909a9c 100644
--- a/version.txt
+++ b/version.txt
@@ -1 +1 @@
-0.5.6.20250328
+0.5.6.20250429