diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index f39ddf343..309e224ff 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -715,6 +715,9 @@ if(NOT CMake_TEST_EXTERNAL_CMAKE)
 else()
   set(CMake_ENABLE_SERVER_MODE 0)
 endif()
+if(NOT DEFINED CMake_TEST_SERVER_MODE)
+  set(CMake_TEST_SERVER_MODE ${CMake_ENABLE_SERVER_MODE})
+endif()
 
 if(NOT CMake_TEST_EXTERNAL_CMAKE)
   if(NOT CMake_VERSION_IS_RELEASE)
diff --git a/Tests/CMakeLists.txt b/Tests/CMakeLists.txt
index 484ea8a59..31ed2eb21 100644
--- a/Tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/Tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -2723,7 +2723,7 @@ ${CMake_BINARY_DIR}/bin/cmake -DDIR=dev -P ${CMake_SOURCE_DIR}/Utilities/Release
   ADD_TEST_MACRO(CMakeCommands.target_compile_definitions target_compile_definitions)
   ADD_TEST_MACRO(CMakeCommands.target_compile_options target_compile_options)
 
-  if(CMake_ENABLE_SERVER_MODE)
+  if(CMake_TEST_SERVER_MODE)
     # The cmake server-mode test requires python for a simple client.
     find_package(PythonInterp QUIET)
     if(PYTHON_EXECUTABLE)