diff --git a/CHANGES.md b/CHANGES.md
index 6d1936474c9..53d54391833 100644
--- a/CHANGES.md
+++ b/CHANGES.md
@@ -152,6 +152,9 @@ Unreleased
 
 - Add native support for polling mode on Windows (#7010, @yams-yams, @nojb)
 
+- Add `(bin_annot <bool>)` to `(env ...)` to specify whether to generate
+  `*.cmt*` files. (#7102, @nojb)
+
 3.6.2 (2022-12-21)
 ------------------
 
diff --git a/doc/stanzas/env.rst b/doc/stanzas/env.rst
index 877b92e9d50..8cbcaadb7c3 100644
--- a/doc/stanzas/env.rst
+++ b/doc/stanzas/env.rst
@@ -67,3 +67,6 @@ Fields supported in ``<settings>`` are:
 
 - ``(formatting <settings>)`` allows the user to set auto-formatting in the
   current directory subtree (see :ref:`formatting`).
+
+- ``(bin_annot <bool>)`` allows the user to specify whether to generate `*.cmt`
+  and `*.cmti` in the current directory subtree.
diff --git a/src/dune_rules/compilation_context.ml b/src/dune_rules/compilation_context.ml
index 045a12b83e1..b15e984aca5 100644
--- a/src/dune_rules/compilation_context.ml
+++ b/src/dune_rules/compilation_context.ml
@@ -142,8 +142,8 @@ let dep_graphs t = t.modules.dep_graphs
 
 let create ~super_context ~scope ~expander ~obj_dir ~modules ~flags
     ~requires_compile ~requires_link ?(preprocessing = Pp_spec.dummy) ~opaque
-    ?stdlib ~js_of_ocaml ~package ?public_lib_name ?vimpl ?modes
-    ?(bin_annot = true) ?loc () =
+    ?stdlib ~js_of_ocaml ~package ?public_lib_name ?vimpl ?modes ?bin_annot ?loc
+    () =
   let open Memo.O in
   let project = Scope.project scope in
   let requires_compile =
@@ -179,7 +179,12 @@ let create ~super_context ~scope ~expander ~obj_dir ~modules ~flags
     ; stdlib
     }
   in
-  let+ dep_graphs = Dep_rules.rules ocamldep_modules_data in
+  let+ dep_graphs = Dep_rules.rules ocamldep_modules_data
+  and+ bin_annot =
+    match bin_annot with
+    | Some b -> Memo.return b
+    | None -> Super_context.bin_annot super_context ~dir:(Obj_dir.dir obj_dir)
+  in
   { super_context
   ; scope
   ; expander
diff --git a/src/dune_rules/dune_env.ml b/src/dune_rules/dune_env.ml
index 29591888635..b2da3d241f2 100644
--- a/src/dune_rules/dune_env.ml
+++ b/src/dune_rules/dune_env.ml
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ module Stanza = struct
     ; format_config : Format_config.t option
     ; error_on_use : User_message.t option
     ; warn_on_load : User_message.t option
+    ; bin_annot : bool option
     }
 
   let equal_config
@@ -98,6 +99,7 @@ module Stanza = struct
       ; format_config
       ; error_on_use
       ; warn_on_load
+      ; bin_annot
       } t =
     Ocaml_flags.Spec.equal flags t.flags
     && Foreign_language.Dict.equal Ordered_set_lang.Unexpanded.equal
@@ -113,6 +115,7 @@ module Stanza = struct
     && Js_of_ocaml.Env.equal js_of_ocaml t.js_of_ocaml
     && Option.equal User_message.equal error_on_use t.error_on_use
     && Option.equal User_message.equal warn_on_load t.warn_on_load
+    && Option.equal Bool.equal bin_annot t.bin_annot
 
   let hash_config = Poly.hash
 
@@ -131,6 +134,7 @@ module Stanza = struct
     ; format_config = None
     ; error_on_use = None
     ; warn_on_load = None
+    ; bin_annot = None
     }
 
   type pattern =
@@ -187,6 +191,9 @@ module Stanza = struct
     field "coq" ~default:Ordered_set_lang.Unexpanded.standard
       (Dune_lang.Syntax.since Stanza.syntax (2, 7) >>> fields coq_flags)
 
+  let bin_annot =
+    field_o "bin_annot" (Dune_lang.Syntax.since Stanza.syntax (3, 8) >>> bool)
+
   let config =
     let+ flags = Ocaml_flags.Spec.decode
     and+ foreign_flags = foreign_flags ~since:(Some (1, 7))
@@ -201,7 +208,8 @@ module Stanza = struct
     and+ odoc = odoc_field
     and+ js_of_ocaml = js_of_ocaml_field
     and+ coq = coq_field
-    and+ format_config = Format_config.field ~since:(2, 8) in
+    and+ format_config = Format_config.field ~since:(2, 8)
+    and+ bin_annot = bin_annot in
     { flags
     ; foreign_flags
     ; link_flags
@@ -215,6 +223,7 @@ module Stanza = struct
     ; format_config
     ; error_on_use = None
     ; warn_on_load = None
+    ; bin_annot
     }
 
   let rule =
diff --git a/src/dune_rules/dune_env.mli b/src/dune_rules/dune_env.mli
index ff56ebb30ec..594b2d2feb3 100644
--- a/src/dune_rules/dune_env.mli
+++ b/src/dune_rules/dune_env.mli
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ module Stanza : sig
     ; format_config : Format_config.t option
     ; error_on_use : User_message.t option
     ; warn_on_load : User_message.t option
+    ; bin_annot : bool option
     }
 
   type pattern =
diff --git a/src/dune_rules/env_node.ml b/src/dune_rules/env_node.ml
index d259c84dfd8..d37e81ffaa5 100644
--- a/src/dune_rules/env_node.ml
+++ b/src/dune_rules/env_node.ml
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ type t =
   ; js_of_ocaml : string list Action_builder.t Js_of_ocaml.Env.t Memo.Lazy.t
   ; coq : Coq.t Action_builder.t Memo.Lazy.t
   ; format_config : Format_config.t Memo.Lazy.t
+  ; bin_annot : bool Memo.Lazy.t
   }
 
 let scope t = t.scope
@@ -58,6 +59,8 @@ let odoc t = Memo.Lazy.force t.odoc
 
 let coq t = Memo.Lazy.force t.coq
 
+let bin_annot t = Memo.Lazy.force t.bin_annot
+
 let expand_str_lazy expander sw =
   match String_with_vars.text_only sw with
   | Some s -> Memo.return s
@@ -68,7 +71,7 @@ let expand_str_lazy expander sw =
 
 let make ~dir ~inherit_from ~scope ~config_stanza ~profile ~expander
     ~expander_for_artifacts ~default_context_flags ~default_env
-    ~default_bin_artifacts ~default_cxx_link_flags =
+    ~default_bin_artifacts ~default_cxx_link_flags ~default_bin_annot =
   let open Memo.O in
   let config = Dune_env.Stanza.find config_stanza ~profile in
   let inherited ~field ~root extend =
@@ -220,6 +223,10 @@ let make ~dir ~inherit_from ~scope ~config_stanza ~profile ~expander
           []
       | Some x -> Memo.return x)
   in
+  let bin_annot =
+    inherited ~field:bin_annot ~root:default_bin_annot (fun default ->
+        Memo.return (Option.value ~default config.bin_annot))
+  in
   { scope
   ; ocaml_flags
   ; foreign_flags
@@ -233,4 +240,5 @@ let make ~dir ~inherit_from ~scope ~config_stanza ~profile ~expander
   ; odoc
   ; coq
   ; format_config
+  ; bin_annot
   }
diff --git a/src/dune_rules/env_node.mli b/src/dune_rules/env_node.mli
index b01c5d6f78f..19a878e7190 100644
--- a/src/dune_rules/env_node.mli
+++ b/src/dune_rules/env_node.mli
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ val make :
   -> default_env:Env.t
   -> default_bin_artifacts:Artifacts.Bin.t
   -> default_cxx_link_flags:string list Action_builder.t
+  -> default_bin_annot:bool
   -> t
 
 val scope : t -> Scope.t
@@ -57,3 +58,5 @@ val menhir_flags : t -> string list Action_builder.t
 val format_config : t -> Format_config.t Memo.t
 
 val set_format_config : t -> Format_config.t -> t
+
+val bin_annot : t -> bool Memo.t
diff --git a/src/dune_rules/install_rules.ml b/src/dune_rules/install_rules.ml
index 9817e84a099..3fee9c9cd8e 100644
--- a/src/dune_rules/install_rules.ml
+++ b/src/dune_rules/install_rules.ml
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ end = struct
     let { Lib_mode.Map.ocaml = { Mode.Dict.byte; native } as ocaml; melange } =
       Dune_file.Mode_conf.Lib.Set.eval lib.modes ~has_native
     in
-    let module_files =
+    let* module_files =
       let inside_subdir f =
         match lib_subdir with
         | None -> f
@@ -202,18 +202,21 @@ end = struct
         let set_dir m =
           List.map ~f:(fun (cm_kind, p) -> (cm_dir m cm_kind, p))
         in
-        let modules_impl =
+        let+ modules_impl =
+          let+ bin_annot = Super_context.bin_annot sctx ~dir in
           List.concat_map installable_modules.impl ~f:(fun m ->
               let cmt_files =
-                List.concat_map Ml_kind.all ~f:(fun ml_kind ->
-                    let open Lib_mode.Cm_kind in
-                    List.concat_map
-                      [ (native || byte, Ocaml Cmi); (melange, Melange Cmi) ]
-                      ~f:(fun (condition, kind) ->
-                        if_ condition
-                          ( kind
-                          , Obj_dir.Module.cmt_file obj_dir m ~ml_kind
-                              ~cm_kind:kind )))
+                if bin_annot then
+                  List.concat_map Ml_kind.all ~f:(fun ml_kind ->
+                      let open Lib_mode.Cm_kind in
+                      List.concat_map
+                        [ (native || byte, Ocaml Cmi); (melange, Melange Cmi) ]
+                        ~f:(fun (condition, kind) ->
+                          if_ condition
+                            ( kind
+                            , Obj_dir.Module.cmt_file obj_dir m ~ml_kind
+                                ~cm_kind:kind )))
+                else []
               in
 
               common m @ cmt_files |> set_dir m)
diff --git a/src/dune_rules/super_context.ml b/src/dune_rules/super_context.ml
index 4ed7a69cb4d..24666119eec 100644
--- a/src/dune_rules/super_context.ml
+++ b/src/dune_rules/super_context.ml
@@ -161,6 +161,7 @@ end = struct
       ~profile:t.context.profile ~expander ~expander_for_artifacts
       ~default_context_flags ~default_env:t.context_env
       ~default_bin_artifacts:t.bin_artifacts ~default_cxx_link_flags
+      ~default_bin_annot:true
 
   (* Here we jump through some hoops to construct [t] as well as create a
      memoization table that has access to [t] and is used in [t.get_node].
@@ -345,6 +346,8 @@ let coq t ~dir = Env_tree.get_node t ~dir >>= Env_node.coq
 
 let format_config t ~dir = Env_tree.get_node t ~dir >>= Env_node.format_config
 
+let bin_annot t ~dir = Env_tree.get_node t ~dir >>= Env_node.bin_annot
+
 let dump_env t ~dir =
   let ocaml_flags = Env_tree.get_node t ~dir >>= Env_node.ocaml_flags in
   let foreign_flags = Env_tree.get_node t ~dir >>| Env_node.foreign_flags in
@@ -494,7 +497,7 @@ let create ~(context : Context.t) ~host ~packages ~stanzas =
           Env_node.make ~dir ~scope ~inherit_from ~config_stanza ~profile
             ~expander ~expander_for_artifacts ~default_context_flags
             ~default_env:context_env ~default_bin_artifacts:artifacts.bin
-            ~default_cxx_link_flags
+            ~default_cxx_link_flags ~default_bin_annot:true
         in
         make ~config_stanza:context.env_nodes.context
           ~inherit_from:
diff --git a/src/dune_rules/super_context.mli b/src/dune_rules/super_context.mli
index 029636df469..b0c59bf3f74 100644
--- a/src/dune_rules/super_context.mli
+++ b/src/dune_rules/super_context.mli
@@ -84,6 +84,8 @@ val coq : t -> dir:Path.Build.t -> Env_node.Coq.t Action_builder.t Memo.t
 (** Formatting settings in the corresponding [(env)] stanza. *)
 val format_config : t -> dir:Path.Build.t -> Format_config.t Memo.t
 
+val bin_annot : t -> dir:Path.Build.t -> bool Memo.t
+
 (** Dump a directory environment in a readable form *)
 val dump_env : t -> dir:Path.Build.t -> Dune_lang.t list Action_builder.t
 
diff --git a/test/blackbox-tests/test-cases/env/env-bin-annot.t/run.t b/test/blackbox-tests/test-cases/env/env-bin-annot.t/run.t
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f95ba778920
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/blackbox-tests/test-cases/env/env-bin-annot.t/run.t
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+Test that we can control generation of cmt files using (cmt_annot ...) field in (env ...).
+
+  $ cat >dune-project <<EOF
+  > (lang dune 3.8)
+  > (package (name pub))
+  > (package (name pub2))
+  > EOF
+
+  $ mkdir -p priv/priv2 pub/pub2 priv/proj
+
+  $ touch main.ml priv/priv.ml priv/priv2/priv2.ml pub/pub.ml pub/pub2/pub2.ml priv/proj/proj.ml
+
+  $ cat >dune <<EOF
+  > (library (name main))
+  > EOF
+
+  $ cat >priv/dune <<EOF
+  > (env (_ (bin_annot false)))
+  > (library (name priv))
+  > EOF
+
+  $ cat >priv/priv2/dune <<EOF
+  > (env (_ (bin_annot true)))
+  > (library (name priv2))
+  > EOF
+
+We also check that public libraries work: the first should be installed without
+any cmt file...
+
+  $ cat >pub/dune <<EOF
+  > (env (_ (bin_annot false)))
+  > (library (public_name pub))
+  > EOF
+
+... and the second one _with_ cmt files.
+
+  $ cat >pub/pub2/dune <<EOF
+  > (env (_ (bin_annot true)))
+  > (library (public_name pub2))
+  > EOF
+
+  $ cat >priv/proj/dune-project <<EOF
+  > (lang dune 3.8)
+  > EOF
+
+  $ cat >priv/proj/dune <<EOF
+  > (library (name proj))
+  > EOF
+
+  $ dune build
+
+Note that "pub" does not appear in the list (as we disabled cmt files for it).
+
+  $ find _build -name '*.cmt*' | sort
+  _build/default/.main.objs/byte/main.cmt
+  _build/default/priv/priv2/.priv2.objs/byte/priv2.cmt
+  _build/default/priv/proj/.proj.objs/byte/proj.cmt
+  _build/default/pub/pub2/.pub2.objs/byte/pub2.cmt
+  _build/install/default/lib/pub2/pub2.cmt
+
+The next test shows that workspace env settings are used as fallback if a
+project does not specify the option explicitly.
+
+  $ cat >dune-workspace <<EOF
+  > (lang dune 3.8)
+  > (env (_ (bin_annot false)))
+  > EOF
+
+  $ dune build
+
+  $ find _build -name '*.cmt*' | sort
+  _build/default/priv/priv2/.priv2.objs/byte/priv2.cmt
+  _build/default/pub/pub2/.pub2.objs/byte/pub2.cmt
+  _build/install/default/lib/pub2/pub2.cmt