diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 52b34101f..4a72854a6 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -48,6 +48,19 @@ if(${GTSAM_SOURCE_DIR} STREQUAL ${GTSAM_BINARY_DIR})
   message(FATAL_ERROR "In-source builds not allowed. Please make a new directory (called a build directory) and run CMake from there. You may need to remove CMakeCache.txt. ")
 endif()
 
+# TODO(kartikarcot): Determine a proper home for this option
+# a flag to enable or disable serialization with GTSAM_ENABLE_BOOST_SERIALIZATION
+option(GTSAM_ENABLE_BOOST_SERIALIZATION "Enable Boost serialization" ON)
+option(GTSAM_USE_BOOST_FEATURES "Enable Features that use Boost" OFF)
+# set a compiler flag to enable or disable serialization with GTSAM_DISABLE_BOOST_SERIALIZATION
+if(GTSAM_ENABLE_BOOST_SERIALIZATION)
+  add_definitions(-DGTSAM_ENABLE_BOOST_SERIALIZATION)
+endif()
+
+if(GTSAM_USE_BOOST_FEATURES)
+  add_definitions(-DGTSAM_USE_BOOST_FEATURES)
+endif()
+
 include(cmake/HandleGeneralOptions.cmake)   # CMake build options
 
 # Libraries:
diff --git a/gtsam_unstable/discrete/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/gtsam_unstable/discrete/tests/CMakeLists.txt
index 2687a760c..1b66e5c85 100644
--- a/gtsam_unstable/discrete/tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/gtsam_unstable/discrete/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1 +1,6 @@
-gtsamAddTestsGlob(discrete_unstable "test*.cpp" "" "gtsam_unstable")
+set(excluded_sources "")
+if (NOT GTSAM_USE_BOOST_FEATURES)
+  list(APPEND excluded_sources "testScheduler.cpp")
+endif()
+
+gtsamAddTestsGlob(discrete_unstable "test*.cpp" "${excluded_sources}" "gtsam_unstable")
diff --git a/gtsam_unstable/linear/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/gtsam_unstable/linear/tests/CMakeLists.txt
index 43df23daa..b2cda1811 100644
--- a/gtsam_unstable/linear/tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/gtsam_unstable/linear/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1 +1,10 @@
-gtsamAddTestsGlob(linear_unstable "test*.cpp" "" "gtsam_unstable")
+# if GTSAM_USE_BOOST_FEATURES is OFF then exclude some tests
+if (NOT GTSAM_USE_BOOST_FEATURES)
+	# create a semicolon seperated list of files to exclude
+	set(EXCLUDE_TESTS "testQPSolver.cpp")
+	message(STATUS "Excluding ${EXCLUDE_TESTS}")
+else()
+	set(EXCLUDE_TESTS "${EXCLUDE_TESTS}")
+endif()
+
+gtsamAddTestsGlob(linear_unstable "test*.cpp" "${EXCLUDE_TESTS}" "gtsam_unstable")