diff --git a/cMake/FreeCAD_Helpers/InitializeFreeCADBuildOptions.cmake b/cMake/FreeCAD_Helpers/InitializeFreeCADBuildOptions.cmake
index 56d95da9a7..995810d52b 100644
--- a/cMake/FreeCAD_Helpers/InitializeFreeCADBuildOptions.cmake
+++ b/cMake/FreeCAD_Helpers/InitializeFreeCADBuildOptions.cmake
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ macro(InitializeFreeCADBuildOptions)
     option(FREECAD_USE_EXTERNAL_ONDSELSOLVER "Use system installed OndselSolver instead of git submodule." OFF)
     option(FREECAD_USE_FREETYPE "Builds the features using FreeType libs" ON)
     option(FREECAD_BUILD_DEBIAN "Prepare for a build of a Debian package" OFF)
+    option(FREECAD_CHECK_PIVY "Check for pivy version using Python at build time" ON)
     option(BUILD_WITH_CONDA "Set ON if you build FreeCAD with conda" OFF)
     option(BUILD_DYNAMIC_LINK_PYTHON "If OFF extension-modules do not link against python-libraries" ON)
     option(INSTALL_TO_SITEPACKAGES "If ON the freecad root namespace (python) is installed into python's site-packages" ON)
diff --git a/cMake/FreeCAD_Helpers/SetupCoin3D.cmake b/cMake/FreeCAD_Helpers/SetupCoin3D.cmake
index ef159ac749..c0040aa2d6 100644
--- a/cMake/FreeCAD_Helpers/SetupCoin3D.cmake
+++ b/cMake/FreeCAD_Helpers/SetupCoin3D.cmake
@@ -35,43 +35,45 @@ endmacro(SetupCoin3D)
 macro(SetupPivy)
     # -------------------------------- Pivy --------------------------------
 
-    IF (NOT PIVY_VERSION)
-        message(STATUS "Checking Pivy version by importing it in a Python program...")
+    IF (FREECAD_CHECK_PIVY) # do not make pivy a host dependency for cross compiling
+        IF (NOT PIVY_VERSION)
+            message(STATUS "Checking Pivy version by importing it in a Python program...")
+            execute_process(
+                    COMMAND ${Python3_EXECUTABLE} -c "import pivy as p; print(p.__version__,end='')"
+                    OUTPUT_VARIABLE PIVY_VERSION
+                    RESULT_VARIABLE RETURN_CODE)
+            if (RETURN_CODE EQUAL 0)
+                message(STATUS "Found Pivy ${PIVY_VERSION}")
+            else ()
+                message(ERROR "Failed to import Pivy using ${Python3_EXECUTABLE}")
+            endif ()
+        ENDIF ()
+
+        message(STATUS "Checking Pivy Coin3D version by importing it in a Python program...")
         execute_process(
-                COMMAND ${Python3_EXECUTABLE} -c "import pivy as p; print(p.__version__,end='')"
-                OUTPUT_VARIABLE PIVY_VERSION
+                COMMAND ${Python3_EXECUTABLE} -c "import pivy as p; print(p.SoDB.getVersion(),end='')"
+                OUTPUT_VARIABLE PIVY_COIN_VERSION
                 RESULT_VARIABLE RETURN_CODE)
         if (RETURN_CODE EQUAL 0)
-            message(STATUS "Found Pivy ${PIVY_VERSION}")
+            message(STATUS "Found Pivy Coin3D ${PIVY_COIN_VERSION}")
         else ()
-            message(ERROR "Failed to import Pivy using ${Python3_EXECUTABLE}")
+            message(ERROR "Failed to get Pivy Coin3D version using ${Python3_EXECUTABLE}")
         endif ()
-    ENDIF ()
 
-    message(STATUS "Checking Pivy Coin3D version by importing it in a Python program...")
-    execute_process(
-            COMMAND ${Python3_EXECUTABLE} -c "import pivy as p; print(p.SoDB.getVersion(),end='')"
-            OUTPUT_VARIABLE PIVY_COIN_VERSION
-            RESULT_VARIABLE RETURN_CODE)
-    if (RETURN_CODE EQUAL 0)
-        message(STATUS "Found Pivy Coin3D ${PIVY_COIN_VERSION}")
-    else ()
-        message(ERROR "Failed to get Pivy Coin3D version using ${Python3_EXECUTABLE}")
-    endif ()
+        if (${PIVY_COIN_VERSION} MATCHES "([0-9]+)\\.([0-9]+)\\.([0-9]+)")
+            set(PIVY_COIN_MAJOR_VERSION ${CMAKE_MATCH_1})
+            set(PIVY_COIN_MINOR_VERSION ${CMAKE_MATCH_2})
+            set(PIVY_COIN_MICRO_VERSION ${CMAKE_MATCH_3})
+            set(PIVY_COIN_VERSION "${PIVY_COIN_MAJOR_VERSION}.${PIVY_COIN_MINOR_VERSION}.${PIVY_COIN_MICRO_VERSION}")
+        else ()
+            message(FATAL_ERROR "Failed to match Pivy Coin3D version string output")
+        endif ()
 
-    if (${PIVY_COIN_VERSION} MATCHES "([0-9]+)\\.([0-9]+)\\.([0-9]+)")
-        set(PIVY_COIN_MAJOR_VERSION ${CMAKE_MATCH_1})
-        set(PIVY_COIN_MINOR_VERSION ${CMAKE_MATCH_2})
-        set(PIVY_COIN_MICRO_VERSION ${CMAKE_MATCH_3})
-        set(PIVY_COIN_VERSION "${PIVY_COIN_MAJOR_VERSION}.${PIVY_COIN_MINOR_VERSION}.${PIVY_COIN_MICRO_VERSION}")
-    else ()
-        message(FATAL_ERROR "Failed to match Pivy Coin3D version string output")
-    endif ()
-
-    if (NOT (
-        (${COIN3D_MAJOR_VERSION} EQUAL ${PIVY_COIN_MAJOR_VERSION}) AND
-        (${COIN3D_MINOR_VERSION} EQUAL ${PIVY_COIN_MINOR_VERSION}) AND
-        (${COIN3D_MICRO_VERSION} EQUAL ${PIVY_COIN_MICRO_VERSION})))
-        message(FATAL_ERROR "Coin3D version ${COIN3D_VERSION} mismatches Pivy Coin3D ${PIVY_COIN_VERSION}.")
-    endif ()
+        if (NOT (
+            (${COIN3D_MAJOR_VERSION} EQUAL ${PIVY_COIN_MAJOR_VERSION}) AND
+            (${COIN3D_MINOR_VERSION} EQUAL ${PIVY_COIN_MINOR_VERSION}) AND
+            (${COIN3D_MICRO_VERSION} EQUAL ${PIVY_COIN_MICRO_VERSION})))
+            message(FATAL_ERROR "Coin3D version ${COIN3D_VERSION} mismatches Pivy Coin3D ${PIVY_COIN_VERSION}.")
+        endif ()
+    endif(FREECAD_CHECK_PIVY)
 endmacro(SetupPivy)