diff --git a/DefineOptions.cmake b/DefineOptions.cmake
index ce251e12..f7a52442 100644
--- a/DefineOptions.cmake
+++ b/DefineOptions.cmake
@@ -9,3 +9,7 @@ option(WITH_GCRYPT "Compile against libgcrypt" OFF)
 option(WITH_PCAP "Compile with Pcap generation support" ON)
 option(WITH_INTERNAL_DOC "Compile doxygen internal documentation" OFF)
 option(WITH_TESTING "Build with unit tests" OFF)
+if (WITH_TESTING)
+  set(WITH_STATIC_LIB ON)
+endif (WITH_TESTING)
+
diff --git a/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
index 3acee2ea..02f40fb4 100644
--- a/tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ include_directories(
 
 # create test library
 add_library(${TORTURE_LIBRARY} SHARED torture.c cmdline.c)
-target_link_libraries(${TORTURE_LIBRARY} ${CHECK_LIBRARIES} ${LIBSSH_LIBRARY})
+target_link_libraries(${TORTURE_LIBRARY} ${CHECK_LIBRARIES} ${LIBSSH_STATIC_LIBRARY})
 
 set(TEST_TARGET_LIBRARIES ${SUPPORT_LIBRARY})
 
diff --git a/tests/unittests/torture_misc.c b/tests/unittests/torture_misc.c
index 54fc7c30..bc0442c1 100644
--- a/tests/unittests/torture_misc.c
+++ b/tests/unittests/torture_misc.c
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <pwd.h>
+
+#define LIBSSH_STATIC
 #include <libssh/priv.h>
 
 #include "torture.h"