diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index fe226dd769b..bbab208409b 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -508,6 +508,12 @@ mark_as_advanced(WITH_C11)
 option(WITH_CXX11 "Build with C++11 standard enabled, for development use only!" ${_cxx11_init})
 mark_as_advanced(WITH_CXX11)
 
+# Compiler toolchain
+if(CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUCC)
+	option(WITH_LINKER_GOLD "Use ld.gold linker which is usually faster than ld.bfd" ON)
+	mark_as_advanced(WITH_LINKER_GOLD)
+endif()
+
 # Dependency graph
 option(WITH_LEGACY_DEPSGRAPH "Build Blender with legacy dependency graph" ON)
 mark_as_advanced(WITH_LEGACY_DEPSGRAPH)
diff --git a/build_files/cmake/platform/platform_unix.cmake b/build_files/cmake/platform/platform_unix.cmake
index e33141f8012..62e0caa7c43 100644
--- a/build_files/cmake/platform/platform_unix.cmake
+++ b/build_files/cmake/platform/platform_unix.cmake
@@ -384,17 +384,18 @@ add_definitions(-D_LARGEFILE_SOURCE -D_FILE_OFFSET_BITS=64 -D_LARGEFILE64_SOURCE
 if(CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUCC)
 	set(PLATFORM_CFLAGS "-pipe -fPIC -funsigned-char -fno-strict-aliasing")
 
-	# use ld.gold linker if available, could make optional
-	execute_process(
-		COMMAND ${CMAKE_C_COMPILER} -fuse-ld=gold -Wl,--version
-		ERROR_QUIET OUTPUT_VARIABLE LD_VERSION)
-	if("${LD_VERSION}" MATCHES "GNU gold")
-		set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} -fuse-ld=gold")
-		set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -fuse-ld=gold")
-	else()
-		message(STATUS "GNU gold linker isn't available, using the default system linker.")
+	if(WITH_LINKER_GOLD)
+		execute_process(
+			COMMAND ${CMAKE_C_COMPILER} -fuse-ld=gold -Wl,--version
+			ERROR_QUIET OUTPUT_VARIABLE LD_VERSION)
+		if("${LD_VERSION}" MATCHES "GNU gold")
+			set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} -fuse-ld=gold")
+			set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -fuse-ld=gold")
+		else()
+			message(STATUS "GNU gold linker isn't available, using the default system linker.")
+		endif()
+		unset(LD_VERSION)
 	endif()
-	unset(LD_VERSION)
 
 # CLang is the same as GCC for now.
 elseif(CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "Clang")