diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index bfe9965e..2884cd43 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 - added vips_argument_get_id() to fix derived classes on win32 [angelmixu]
 - fix compile with MSVC 2017 [angelmixu]
 - pdfload has a option for background 
+- vips7 C++ interface defaults off
 
 12/3/18 started 8.6.4
 - better fitting of fonts with overhanging edges [Adrià]
diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index bfa19a13..90f7e96e 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 
-# turn on Python if we can 
+# build deprecated vips7 Python interface
 if HAVE_PYTHON
 P_COMPILE_DIR = swig
 P_DIST_DIR =
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ P_COMPILE_DIR =
 P_DIST_DIR = swig
 endif
 
-# turn on vips8 Python if we can 
+# build deprecated vips8 Python interface
 if ENABLE_PYVIPS8
 P8_COMPILE_DIR = python
 P8_DIST_DIR =
@@ -17,15 +17,26 @@ P8_COMPILE_DIR =
 P8_DIST_DIR = python
 endif
 
+# build deprecated vips7 C++ API
+if ENABLE_CPP7
+CPP7_COMPILE_DIR = libvipsCC
+CPP7_DIST_DIR =
+CPP7_PKG = vipsCC.pc
+else
+CPP7_COMPILE_DIR = 
+CPP7_DIST_DIR = libvipsCC
+CPP7_PKG = 
+endif
+
 SUBDIRS = \
 	libvips \
-	libvipsCC \
 	cplusplus \
 	tools \
 	po \
 	man \
 	doc \
 	test \
+	$(CPP7_COMPILE_DIR) \
 	$(P_COMPILE_DIR) \
 	$(P8_COMPILE_DIR) 
 
@@ -39,11 +50,12 @@ EXTRA_DIST = \
 	libvips.supp \
 	depcomp \
 	README.md \
+	$(CPP7_DIST_DIR) \
 	$(P_DIST_DIR) \
 	$(P8_DIST_DIR) 
 
 pkgconfigdir = $(libdir)/pkgconfig
-pkgconfig_DATA = vips.pc vipsCC.pc vips-cpp.pc
+pkgconfig_DATA = vips.pc $(CPP7_PKG) vips-cpp.pc
 
 dist-hook:
 # make sure we don't get any .svn dirs from EXTRA_DIST
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 661919e1..76b4f054 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -526,6 +526,19 @@ if test x$expat_found = xno; then
   exit 1
 fi
 
+# enable vips7 C++ binding ... this defaults off, the vips8 C++ binding
+# defaults on
+AC_ARG_ENABLE([cpp7],
+  AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-cpp7],
+    [enable deprecated vips7 C++ binding (default: no)]),
+  [enable_cpp7=$enableval
+   AM_CONDITIONAL(ENABLE_CPP7, true)
+  ], 
+  [enable_cpp7="no (default)"
+   AM_CONDITIONAL(ENABLE_CPP7, false)
+  ]
+)
+
 # optional supporting libraries
 
 AC_ARG_WITH([gsf], 
@@ -1324,15 +1337,16 @@ native win32:				$vips_os_win32
 native OS X:				$vips_os_darwin
 open files in binary mode: 		$vips_binary_open
 enable debug:				$enable_debug
-build deprecated components:		$enable_deprecated
-build docs with gtkdoc:			$enable_gtk_doc
+enable deprecated library components:	$enable_deprecated
+enable docs with gtkdoc:		$enable_gtk_doc
 gobject introspection: 			$found_introspection
-build vips7 Python binding:		$enable_pyvips7
-install vips8 Python overrides:		$enable_pyvips8
+enable vips7 C++ API: 			$enable_cpp7
+enable vips7 Python binding:		$enable_pyvips7
+enable vips8 Python overrides:		$enable_pyvips8
   (requires pygobject-3.13.0 or later)
-build radiance support: 		$with_radiance
-build analyze support: 			$with_analyze
-build PPM support: 			$with_ppm
+enable radiance support: 		$with_radiance
+enable analyze support: 		$with_analyze
+enable PPM support: 			$with_ppm
 
 * optional dependencies
 use fftw3 for FFT: 			$with_fftw