diff --git a/net/cppzmq/Makefile b/net/cppzmq/Makefile
index 1b3f5d8d55af..57df43a60b76 100644
--- a/net/cppzmq/Makefile
+++ b/net/cppzmq/Makefile
@@ -1,41 +1,43 @@
 PORTNAME=	cppzmq
 PORTVERSION=	4.8.1
 DISTVERSIONPREFIX=	v
 CATEGORIES=	net
 
 MAINTAINER=	vd@FreeBSD.org
 COMMENT=	C++ bindings for 0MQ
 WWW=		https://github.com/zeromq/cppzmq
 
 LICENSE=	MIT
 
 LIB_DEPENDS=	libzmq.so:net/libzmq4
 
 NO_ARCH=	yes
 
-USES=		cmake pkgconfig
+USES=		cmake:testing pkgconfig
 CMAKE_ARGS=	--no-warn-unused-cli \
-		-DCPPZMQ_BUILD_TESTS:BOOL=OFF \
 		-DCPPZMQ_CMAKECONFIG_INSTALL_DIR:PATH="lib/cmake/${PORTNAME}" \
 		-Wno-dev
 
+CMAKE_OFF=	CPPZMQ_BUILD_TESTS
+CMAKE_TESTING_ON=	CPPZMQ_BUILD_TESTS # some tests fail intermittently, for example https://github.com/zeromq/cppzmq/issues/574
+
 # cppzmq is included in libzmq2
 CONFLICTS_INSTALL=	libzmq2
 
 USE_GITHUB=	yes
 GH_ACCOUNT=	zeromq
 
 PLIST_FILES=	\
 	include/zmq.hpp \
 	include/zmq_addon.hpp \
 	lib/cmake/${PORTNAME}/cppzmqConfig.cmake \
 	lib/cmake/${PORTNAME}/cppzmqConfigVersion.cmake \
 	lib/cmake/${PORTNAME}/cppzmqTargets.cmake \
 	lib/cmake/${PORTNAME}/libzmq-pkg-config/FindZeroMQ.cmake
 
 post-patch:
 	${SED} -i '.orig' \
 		-e 's|ZeroMQ_LIBRARY AND ZeroMQ_STATIC_LIBRARY|ZeroMQ_LIBRARY|' \
 		${WRKSRC}/libzmq-pkg-config/FindZeroMQ.cmake
 
 .include <bsd.port.mk>