diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 5e97ea13..7613242e 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -118,6 +118,14 @@ endif()
 
 set(CMAKE_MODULE_PATH "${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/cmake/Modules")
 
+if(CMAKE_CROSSCOMPILING)
+  set(not_crosscompiling OFF)
+else()
+  set(not_crosscompiling ON)
+endif()
+
+option(BUILD_IDLCXX "Build IDL preprocessor" ${not_crosscompiling})
+
 # Make it easy to enable MSVC, Clang's/gcc's analyzers
 set(ANALYZER "" CACHE STRING "Analyzer to enable on the build.")
 if(ANALYZER)
diff --git a/examples/CMakeLists.txt b/examples/CMakeLists.txt
index fb5d89fb..f9a079fd 100644
--- a/examples/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/examples/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@
 #
 set(CMAKE_INSTALL_EXAMPLESDIR "${CMAKE_INSTALL_DATADIR}/${PROJECT_NAME}/examples")
 
+include("${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src/idlcxx/Generate.cmake")
+
 install(
   FILES helloworld/publisher.cpp
         helloworld/subscriber.cpp
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index abf9ac74..71fba519 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -9,5 +9,7 @@
 #
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: EPL-2.0 OR BSD-3-Clause
 #
-add_subdirectory(idlcxx)
+if (BUILD_IDLCXX)
+  add_subdirectory(idlcxx)
+endif()
 add_subdirectory(ddscxx)
diff --git a/src/idlcxx/Generate.cmake b/src/idlcxx/Generate.cmake
index e64b22ec..35652b28 100644
--- a/src/idlcxx/Generate.cmake
+++ b/src/idlcxx/Generate.cmake
@@ -15,6 +15,28 @@ function(IDLCXX_GENERATE)
   cmake_parse_arguments(
     IDLCXX "" "${one_value_keywords}" "${multi_value_keywords}" "" ${ARGN})
 
+  if (CMAKE_CROSSCOMPILING)
+    find_program(_idlc_executable idlc NO_CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH REQUIRED)
+    find_library(_idlcxx_shared_lib cycloneddsidlcxx NO_CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH REQUIRED)
+
+    if (_idlc_executable)
+      set(_idlc_depends "")
+    else()
+      message(FATAL_ERROR "Cannot find idlc executable")
+    endif()
+
+    if (_idlcxx_shared_lib)
+      set(_idlcxx_depends "")
+    else()
+      message(FATAL_ERROR "Cannot find idlcxx shared library")
+    endif()
+  else()
+    set(_idlc_executable CycloneDDS::idlc)
+    set(_idlc_depends CycloneDDS::idlc)
+    set(_idlcxx_shared_lib "$<TARGET_FILE:CycloneDDS-CXX::idlcxx>")
+    set(_idlcxx_depends CycloneDDS-CXX::idlcxx)
+  endif()
+
   if(NOT IDLCXX_TARGET AND NOT IDLCXX_FILES)
     # assume deprecated invocation: TARGET FILE [FILE..]
     list(GET IDLCXX_UNPARSED_ARGUMENTS 0 IDLCXX_TARGET)
@@ -55,9 +77,9 @@ function(IDLCXX_GENERATE)
     list(APPEND _headers "${_header}")
     add_custom_command(
       OUTPUT   "${_header}"
-      COMMAND  CycloneDDS::idlc
-      ARGS     -l $<TARGET_FILE:CycloneDDS-CXX::idlcxx> ${IDLCXX_ARGS} ${_file}
-      DEPENDS  ${_files} CycloneDDS::idlc CycloneDDS-CXX::idlcxx)
+      COMMAND  ${_idlc_executable}
+      ARGS     -l ${_idlcxx_shared_lib} ${IDLCXX_ARGS} ${_file}
+      DEPENDS  ${_files} ${_idlc_depends} ${_idlcxx_depends})
   endforeach()
 
   add_custom_target("${_target}_generate" DEPENDS ${_headers})