diff --git a/doc/fate_config.sh.template b/doc/fate_config.sh.template
index f7bd625429..e11e48cc20 100644
--- a/doc/fate_config.sh.template
+++ b/doc/fate_config.sh.template
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ samples=                                 # path to samples directory
 workdir=                                 # directory in which to do all the work
 #fate_recv="ssh -T fate@fate.ffmpeg.org" # command to submit report
 comment=                                 # optional description
+build_only=     # set to "yes" for a compile-only instance that skips tests
 
 # the following are optional and map to configure options
 arch=
diff --git a/tests/fate.sh b/tests/fate.sh
index 1f70e798c5..33710e06f4 100755
--- a/tests/fate.sh
+++ b/tests/fate.sh
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ compile()(
 )
 
 fate()(
+    test "$build_only" = "yes" && return
     cd ${build} || return
     ${make} ${makeopts} -k fate
 )