diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
index a762326..718b254 100644
--- a/.gitmodules
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -4,3 +4,6 @@
 [submodule "external/tiny-process-library"]
 	path = external/tiny-process-library
 	url = https://github.com/eidheim/tiny-process-library
+[submodule "external/cxxopts"]
+	path = external/cxxopts
+	url = https://github.com/jarro2783/cxxopts
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 05aadbb..e8809a7 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -15,11 +15,28 @@ option(CPPAST_ENABLE_ASSERTIONS "whether or not to enable internal assertions fo
 option(CPPAST_ENABLE_PRECONDITION_CHECKS "whether or not to enable precondition checks" ON)
 
 option(CPPAST_BUILD_TEST "whether or not to build the tests" ON)
+option(CPPAST_BUILD_TOOL "whether or not to build the tool" ON)
+option(BUILD_TESTING "build test" OFF) # The ctest variable for building tests
+
+if(${CPPAST_BUILD_TEST} OR ${BUILD_TESTING} OR (CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR STREQUAL CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR))
+    set(build_test ON)
+else()
+    set(build_test OFF)
+endif()
+
+if(${CPPAST_BUILD_TOOL} OR (CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR STREQUAL CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR))
+    set(build_tool ON)
+else()
+    set(build_tool OFF)
+endif()
 
 include(external/external.cmake)
 
 add_subdirectory(src)
-if(CPPAST_BUILD_TEST)
+
+if(${build_test})
     add_subdirectory(test)
 endif()
-
+if(${build_tool})
+    add_subdirectory(tool)
+endif()
diff --git a/external/cxxopts b/external/cxxopts
new file mode 160000
index 0000000..1be5f10
--- /dev/null
+++ b/external/cxxopts
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Subproject commit 1be5f10daf6f08296eff399e82aa94d16800ef4e
diff --git a/external/external.cmake b/external/external.cmake
index 2fe9dee..1dd5e9a 100644
--- a/external/external.cmake
+++ b/external/external.cmake
@@ -38,6 +38,17 @@ target_include_directories(_cppast_tiny_process PUBLIC ${tiny_process_dir})
 target_link_libraries(_cppast_tiny_process PUBLIC Threads::Threads)
 set_target_properties(_cppast_tiny_process PROPERTIES CXX_STANDARD 11)
 
+#
+# install cxxopts, if needed
+#
+if(build_tool)
+    message(STATUS "Installing cxxopts via submodule")
+    execute_process(COMMAND git submodule update --init -- external/cxxopts
+                    WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR})
+
+    add_subdirectory(${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/external/cxxopts EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL)
+endif()
+
 #
 # install libclang
 #
diff --git a/tool/CMakeLists.txt b/tool/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8f3aaf0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tool/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+# Copyright (C) 2017 Jonathan Müller <jonathanmueller.dev@gmail.com>
+# This file is subject to the license terms in the LICENSE file
+# found in the top-level directory of this distribution.
+
+add_executable(cppast_tool main.cpp)
+target_link_libraries(cppast_tool PUBLIC cppast cxxopts)
+set_target_properties(cppast_tool PROPERTIES CXX_STANDARD 11
+                                             OUTPUT_NAME cppast)
diff --git a/tool/main.cpp b/tool/main.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..385a9c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tool/main.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+// Copyright (C) 2017 Jonathan Müller <jonathanmueller.dev@gmail.com>
+// This file is subject to the license terms in the LICENSE file
+// found in the top-level directory of this distribution.
+
+#include <iostream>
+
+int main()
+{
+}