diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 229e4ae5e1f0c98c44ec5c8d2a159b7b057abce4..cdee39aef2d9fdbd2acda6b87cff5bd56436b960 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ if(OGS_USE_PETSC)
     set(OGS_USE_MPI ON CACHE BOOL "Use MPI" FORCE)
 endif()
 option(OGS_USE_CVODE "Use the Sundials CVODE module?" OFF)
+option(OGS_BUILD_UTILS "Should the utilities programms be built?" ON)
 
 # ---- CMake includes ----
 include(GitSetup)
@@ -94,7 +95,6 @@ if((CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUCXX OR CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUCC) AND GPROF_PATH)
 endif() # GCC AND GPROF_PATH
 
 option(OGS_BUILD_GUI "Should the Data Explorer be built?" OFF)
-option(OGS_BUILD_UTILS "Should the utilities programms be built?" OFF)
 
 if(WIN32)
     option(OGS_BUILD_SWMM "Should the SWMM interface be built?" ON)
diff --git a/scripts/ci/jobs/build-linux-petsc.yml b/scripts/ci/jobs/build-linux-petsc.yml
index 122678783cfc200743adf03cb55801fc608f4385..04fe1f3f8684e85b283874bfcc5d6804a7479f19 100644
--- a/scripts/ci/jobs/build-linux-petsc.yml
+++ b/scripts/ci/jobs/build-linux-petsc.yml
@@ -6,5 +6,3 @@ build linux petsc:
   variables:
     BUILD_CTEST_LARGE_ON_MASTER: "true"
     CMAKE_PRESET: release-petsc
-    CMAKE_ARGS: >-
-      -DOGS_BUILD_UTILS=ON
diff --git a/scripts/ci/jobs/check-header.yml b/scripts/ci/jobs/check-header.yml
index 6bf461d5c830c9452b352bf61e0e60d056e25a41..5fcbb618ce1b85b385ea809b75fa85d578aa824c 100644
--- a/scripts/ci/jobs/check-header.yml
+++ b/scripts/ci/jobs/check-header.yml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ check header:
   dependencies: [meta, meta_container]
   variables:
     BUILD_DIR: "build-check-header"
-    CMAKE_ARGS: "-DOGS_CHECK_HEADER_COMPILATION=ON -DOGS_BUILD_UTILS=ON -DOGS_BUILD_GUI=ON -DOGS_USE_PYTHON=ON -DBUILD_SHARED_LIBS=ON"
+    CMAKE_ARGS: "-DOGS_CHECK_HEADER_COMPILATION=ON -DOGS_BUILD_GUI=ON -DOGS_USE_PYTHON=ON -DBUILD_SHARED_LIBS=ON"
   image: $CONTAINER_GCC_GUI_IMAGE
   script:
     - mkdir -p $BUILD_DIR
diff --git a/scripts/ci/jobs/clang-sanitizer.yml b/scripts/ci/jobs/clang-sanitizer.yml
index 2420e539cef9fd16f49a7ba6c1fd875ab75546b4..281d20e93b48f400e89a26fa2db8ea7c4bdc1795 100644
--- a/scripts/ci/jobs/clang-sanitizer.yml
+++ b/scripts/ci/jobs/clang-sanitizer.yml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ clang sanitizer:
   needs: ["pre commit"]
   variables:
     BUILD_DIR: "build-sanitizer"
-    CMAKE_ARGS: "-DOGS_ADDRESS_SANITIZER=ON -DOGS_UNDEFINED_BEHAVIOR_SANITIZER=ON -DOGS_BUILD_UTILS=ON"
+    CMAKE_ARGS: "-DOGS_ADDRESS_SANITIZER=ON -DOGS_UNDEFINED_BEHAVIOR_SANITIZER=ON"
     UBSAN_OPTIONS: "print_stacktrace=1"
     LSAN_OPTIONS: "suppressions=$CI_PROJECT_DIR/scripts/test/leak_sanitizer.suppressions"
   image: