diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index bb708ac41b1bc918b6b070fdd3e7b5e239360d5c..1e0f46912157f75c3bd224322f2f9c185f91a037 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -201,7 +201,6 @@ include(cppcheck)
 find_package(PythonInterp REQUIRED)
 
 add_subdirectory(demos)
-add_subdirectory(brunel_example)
 #--------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 # on OS X
diff --git a/demos/CMakeLists.txt b/demos/CMakeLists.txt
index e81ee7ff3c8c5647a62a882fd664053968dc0dee..baab2b67ba72cf86bc7311dc31c227b8402b2114 100644
--- a/demos/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/demos/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -20,3 +20,9 @@
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 # add_subdirectory(QVTK-Demo)
+
+option(BUILD_BRUNEL_SIMULATION "Build the brunel simulation" ON)
+
+if (${BUILD_BRUNEL_SIMULATION})
+    add_subdirectory(brunel_example)
+endif (${BUILD_BRUNEL_SIMULATION})
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/brunel_example/CMakeLists.txt b/demos/brunel_example/CMakeLists.txt
similarity index 100%
rename from brunel_example/CMakeLists.txt
rename to demos/brunel_example/CMakeLists.txt
diff --git a/brunel_example/brunel_example.py b/demos/brunel_example/brunel_example.py
similarity index 100%
rename from brunel_example/brunel_example.py
rename to demos/brunel_example/brunel_example.py
diff --git a/brunel_example/nest_sim.py b/demos/brunel_example/nest_sim.py
similarity index 100%
rename from brunel_example/nest_sim.py
rename to demos/brunel_example/nest_sim.py