diff --git a/SConstruct b/SConstruct
index c61cb0c652..c920b4e8bc 100644
--- a/SConstruct
+++ b/SConstruct
@@ -260,6 +260,10 @@ o.Add(
 	"",
 )
 
+o.Add(
+	BoolVariable( "WITH_OIIO_UTIL", "Build with OpenImageIO_Util", True ),
+)
+
 # Blosc options
 
 o.Add(
@@ -1858,13 +1862,14 @@ imageEnvPrepends = {
 	],
 	"LIBS" : [
 		"OpenImageIO$OIIO_LIB_SUFFIX",
-		"OpenImageIO_Util$OIIO_LIB_SUFFIX",
 	],
 	"CXXFLAGS" : [
 		"-DIECoreImage_EXPORTS",
 		systemIncludeArgument, "$OIIO_INCLUDE_PATH"
 	]
 }
+if imageEnv.get( "WITH_OIIO_UTIL", True ):
+	imageEnvPrepends["LIBS"].append( "OpenImageIO_Util$OIIO_LIB_SUFFIX" )
 
 imageEnv.Prepend( **imageEnvPrepends )
 # Windows uses PATH for to find libraries, we must append to it to make sure we don't overwrite existing PATH entries.
@@ -2216,11 +2221,12 @@ if env["WITH_GL"] and doConfigure :
 				os.path.basename( imageEnv.subst( "$INSTALL_LIB_NAME" ) ),
 				os.path.basename( sceneEnv.subst( "$INSTALL_LIB_NAME" ) ),
 				"OpenImageIO$OIIO_LIB_SUFFIX",
-				"OpenImageIO_Util$OIIO_LIB_SUFFIX",
 				"GLEW$GLEW_LIB_SUFFIX",
 				"boost_wave$BOOST_LIB_SUFFIX",
 			]
 		)
+		if glEnv.get( "WITH_OIIO_UTIL", True ):
+			glEnv.Append( LIBS = [ "OpenImageIO_Util$OIIO_LIB_SUFFIX", ] )
 
 		if env["PLATFORM"]=="darwin" :
 			glEnv.Append(
diff --git a/config/ie/options b/config/ie/options
index acd5cef34b..fc58f619c1 100644
--- a/config/ie/options
+++ b/config/ie/options
@@ -196,6 +196,7 @@ oiioRoot = os.path.join( "/software", "apps", "OpenImageIO", oiioVersion, platfo
 OIIO_INCLUDE_PATH = os.path.join( oiioRoot, "include" )
 OIIO_LIB_PATH = os.path.join( oiioRoot, "lib64" )
 OIIO_LIB_SUFFIX = IEEnv.BuildUtil.libSuffix( "OpenImageIO", oiioLibSuffix )
+WITH_OIIO_UTIL = "true"
 
 FREETYPE_LIB_PATH = os.path.join( "/software", "tools", "lib", platform, compiler, compilerVersion )
 FREETYPE_INCLUDE_PATH = "/usr/include/freetype2"
@@ -436,6 +437,9 @@ if targetApp=="rv" :
 			# the default `OIIO_INCLUDE_PATH` value.
 			OIIO_LIB_PATH = rvLibs
 			OIIO_LIB_SUFFIX = rvReg.get( "OpenImageIOLibSuffix", OIIO_LIB_SUFFIX )
+			# current version of OIIO used by RV doesn't include the Util library
+			# this variable will tell the build process to not require it
+			WITH_OIIO_UTIL = rvReg.get( "WithOpenImageIOUtil", WITH_OIIO_UTIL )
 
 # find doxygen
 DOXYGEN = os.path.join( "/software/apps/doxygen", os.environ["DOXYGEN_VERSION"], platform, "bin", "doxygen" )