diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 5443b6144..922249b27 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -9,6 +9,13 @@ set(ZLIB_SHARED_PROJECT_NAME "${PROJECT_NAME}" CACHE STRING "Shared library targ
 set(ZLIB_STATIC_PROJECT_NAME "${ZLIB_SHARED_PROJECT_NAME}static" CACHE STRING "Static library target name")
 
 option(ZLIB_BUILD_EXAMPLES "Enable Zlib Examples" ON)
+if(MSVC)
+    # Note that we want to let the consumer project to control this, because on msvc one can set via the
+    # CMAKE_MSVC_DEBUG_INFORMATION_FORMAT cmake option the /Z7 linker flag to embed the symbols into the
+    # static archive, so there won't be any pdb files generated to actually install unless it is a shared
+    # library build.
+    option(ZLIB_INSTALL_MSVC_SYMBOLS "Enable to install generated debug symbols (*.pdb) files" OFF)
+endif()
 
 set(INSTALL_BIN_DIR "${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/bin" CACHE PATH "Installation directory for executables")
 set(INSTALL_LIB_DIR "${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/lib" CACHE PATH "Installation directory for libraries")
@@ -186,7 +193,7 @@ if(NOT SKIP_INSTALL_LIBRARIES AND NOT SKIP_INSTALL_ALL )
         RUNTIME DESTINATION "${INSTALL_BIN_DIR}"
         ARCHIVE DESTINATION "${INSTALL_LIB_DIR}"
         LIBRARY DESTINATION "${INSTALL_LIB_DIR}" )
-    if(MSVC)
+    if(MSVC AND ZLIB_INSTALL_MSVC_SYMBOLS)
         install(FILES ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/$<CONFIG>/$<TARGET_FILE_BASE_NAME:${ZLIB_SHARED_PROJECT_NAME}>.pdb
             DESTINATION bin
             CONFIGURATIONS Debug OR RelWithDebInfo