diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index e9070f1a..ad744011 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -13,11 +13,18 @@ else()
   set(DRJIT_ENABLE_CUDA_DEFAULT ON)
 endif()
 
-option(DRJIT_ENABLE_LLVM      "Build the Dr.Jit LLVM backend?" ON)
-option(DRJIT_ENABLE_CUDA      "Build the Dr.Jit CUDA backend?" ${DRJIT_ENABLE_CUDA_DEFAULT})
-option(DRJIT_ENABLE_AUTODIFF  "Build Dr.Jit automatic differentation library?" ON)
-option(DRJIT_ENABLE_PYTHON    "Build Python extension library?" ON)
-option(DRJIT_ENABLE_TESTS     "Build Dr.Jit test suite? (Warning, this takes *very* long to compile)" OFF)
+if (SKBUILD)
+  set(DRJIT_ENABLE_LEAK_WARNINGS_DEFAULT OFF)
+else()
+  set(DRJIT_ENABLE_LEAK_WARNINGS_DEFAULT ON)
+endif()
+
+option(DRJIT_ENABLE_LLVM          "Build the Dr.Jit LLVM backend?" ON)
+option(DRJIT_ENABLE_CUDA          "Build the Dr.Jit CUDA backend?" ${DRJIT_ENABLE_CUDA_DEFAULT})
+option(DRJIT_ENABLE_AUTODIFF      "Build Dr.Jit automatic differentation library?" ON)
+option(DRJIT_ENABLE_PYTHON        "Build Python extension library?" ON)
+option(DRJIT_ENABLE_TESTS         "Build Dr.Jit test suite? (Warning, this takes *very* long to compile)" OFF)
+option(DRJIT_ENABLE_LEAK_WARNINGS "Emit DrJit and nanobind leak warnings? By default, leak warnings are disabled automatically when building PyPi wheels." ${DRJIT_ENABLE_LEAK_WARNINGS_DEFAULT})
 
 option(DRJIT_STABLE_ABI       "Build Python extension using the CPython stable ABI? (Only relevant when using scikit-build)" OFF)
 mark_as_advanced(DRJIT_STABLE_ABI)
diff --git a/src/python/CMakeLists.txt b/src/python/CMakeLists.txt
index 9886323d..781347a2 100644
--- a/src/python/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/python/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -141,8 +141,8 @@ if (DRJIT_ENABLE_CUDA)
   target_compile_definitions(drjit-python PRIVATE -DDRJIT_ENABLE_CUDA)
 endif()
 
-# Disable leak warnings by default in PyPI release builds
-if (SKBUILD)
+# Disable DrJit and nanobind leak warnings (disabled by default in PyPi builds)
+if (NOT DRJIT_ENABLE_LEAK_WARNINGS)
   target_compile_definitions(drjit-python PRIVATE -DDRJIT_DISABLE_LEAK_WARNINGS)
 endif()