diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index d43a4c20c..f24717397 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -43,9 +43,13 @@ option(EVEREST_ENABLE_RUN_SCRIPT_GENERATION "Enables the generation of run scrip
 option(${PROJECT_NAME}_BUILD_TESTING "Build unit tests, used if included as dependency" OFF)
 option(BUILD_TESTING "Build unit tests, used if standalone project" OFF)
 option(EVEREST_ENABLE_COMPILE_WARNINGS "Enable compile warnings set in the EVEREST_COMPILE_OPTIONS flag" OFF)
+option(EVEREST_ENABLE_GLOBAL_COMPILE_WARNINGS "Enable compile warnings set in the EVEREST_COMPILE_OPTIONS flag globally" OFF)
 # list of compile options that are passed to modules if EVEREST_ENABLE_COMPILE_WARNINGS=ON
 # generated code has functions often not used
 set(EVEREST_COMPILE_OPTIONS "-Wall;-Wno-unused-function" CACHE STRING "A list of compile options used for building modules")
+if(EVEREST_ENABLE_GLOBAL_COMPILE_WARNINGS)
+    add_compile_options(${EVEREST_COMPILE_OPTIONS})
+endif()
 if((${CMAKE_PROJECT_NAME} STREQUAL ${PROJECT_NAME} OR ${PROJECT_NAME}_BUILD_TESTING) AND BUILD_TESTING)
     set(EVEREST_CORE_BUILD_TESTING ON)
 endif()