diff --git a/cmake/modules/InstallationHelper.cmake b/cmake/modules/InstallationHelper.cmake
--- a/cmake/modules/InstallationHelper.cmake
+++ b/cmake/modules/InstallationHelper.cmake
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@
 
 function(install_shared_library NAME)
 	cmake_parse_arguments(ARG
-		""
+		"EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL"
 		""
 		"PUBLIC_HEADER"
 		${ARGN}
@@ -134,7 +134,12 @@
 
 	set_target_properties(${_shared_name} PROPERTIES ${_properties})
 
-	install_target(${_shared_name})
+	# Forward EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL if set
+	if(ARG_EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL)
+		set(FORWARD_EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL)
+	endif()
+
+	install_target(${_shared_name} ${FORWARD_EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL})
 endfunction()
 
 function(install_manpages)
diff --git a/src/secp256k1/CMakeLists.txt b/src/secp256k1/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/src/secp256k1/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/secp256k1/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -316,11 +316,21 @@
 endif()
 
 include(InstallationHelper)
+
+# If this project is not the top level project, then don't install by default
+get_directory_property(SECP256K1_PARENT_DIRECTORY PARENT_DIRECTORY)
+if(SECP256K1_PARENT_DIRECTORY)
+  set(SECP256K1_INSTALL_EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL)
+endif()
+
 if(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
-	install_shared_library(secp256k1 PUBLIC_HEADER ${SECP256K1_PUBLIC_HEADERS})
+	install_shared_library(secp256k1
+		PUBLIC_HEADER ${SECP256K1_PUBLIC_HEADERS}
+		${SECP256K1_INSTALL_EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL}
+	)
 else()
 	set_property(TARGET secp256k1 PROPERTY PUBLIC_HEADER ${SECP256K1_PUBLIC_HEADERS})
-	install_target(secp256k1)
+	install_target(secp256k1 ${SECP256K1_INSTALL_EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL})
 endif()
 
 # Generate the config
@@ -343,7 +353,7 @@
 		src/java/org_bitcoin_Secp256k1Context.c
 	)
 
-	install_shared_library(secp256k1_jni)
+	install_shared_library(secp256k1_jni ${SECP256K1_INSTALL_EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL})
 
 	target_include_directories(secp256k1_jni PUBLIC ${JNI_INCLUDE_DIRS})
 	# As per CMake documentation: the POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE property is set