diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..600d2d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+.vscode
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tracetools/CMakeLists.txt b/tracetools/CMakeLists.txt
index a6ad642..2983ae0 100644
--- a/tracetools/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tracetools/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -25,7 +25,11 @@ if(NOT TRACETOOLS_DISABLED)
   endif()
 endif()
 
-include_directories(include)
+# store configuration variables for runtime use
+configure_file(include/${PROJECT_NAME}/config.h.in include/${PROJECT_NAME}/config.h)
+
+# add both source and output include, to capture config.h
+include_directories(include ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/include)
 
 # Status checking tool
 add_executable(status
@@ -66,6 +70,10 @@ install(
   DIRECTORY include/
   DESTINATION include
 )
+install(
+  FILES ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/include/${PROJECT_NAME}/config.h
+  DESTINATION include/${PROJECT_NAME}
+)
 install(
   TARGETS ${PROJECT_NAME}
   EXPORT ${PROJECT_NAME}_export
diff --git a/tracetools/include/tracetools/config.h.in b/tracetools/include/tracetools/config.h.in
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d1bfdf7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tracetools/include/tracetools/config.h.in
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+// Copyright 2019 Robert Bosch GmbH
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+#ifndef TRACETOOLS__CONFIG_H_
+#define TRACETOOLS__CONFIG_H_
+
+#cmakedefine TRACETOOLS_DISABLED
+
+#endif  // TRACETOOLS__CONFIG_H_
diff --git a/tracetools/include/tracetools/tracetools.h b/tracetools/include/tracetools/tracetools.h
index 2bf082d..a7f6603 100644
--- a/tracetools/include/tracetools/tracetools.h
+++ b/tracetools/include/tracetools/tracetools.h
@@ -18,9 +18,17 @@
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <stdbool.h>
+#include "tracetools/config.h"
 
-#define TRACEPOINT(event_name, ...) \
+#ifndef TRACETOOLS_DISABLED
+#  define TRACEPOINT(event_name, ...) \
   (ros_trace_ ## event_name)(__VA_ARGS__)
+#  define DECLARE_TRACEPOINT(event_name, ...) \
+  void(ros_trace_ ## event_name)(__VA_ARGS__);
+#else
+#  define TRACEPOINT(event_name, ...)
+#  define DECLARE_TRACEPOINT(event_name, ...)
+#endif
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 extern "C"
@@ -35,116 +43,116 @@ bool ros_trace_compile_status();
 /**
  * tp: rcl_init
  */
-void TRACEPOINT(
+DECLARE_TRACEPOINT(
   rcl_init,
-  const void * context_handle);
+  const void * context_handle)
 
 /**
  * tp: rcl_node_init
  */
-void TRACEPOINT(
+DECLARE_TRACEPOINT(
   rcl_node_init,
   const void * node_handle,
   const void * rmw_handle,
   const char * node_name,
-  const char * node_namespace);
+  const char * node_namespace)
 
 /**
  * tp: rcl_publisher_init
  */
-void TRACEPOINT(
+DECLARE_TRACEPOINT(
   rcl_publisher_init,
   const void * publisher_handle,
   const void * node_handle,
   const void * rmw_publisher_handle,
   const char * topic_name,
-  const size_t queue_depth);
+  const size_t queue_depth)
 
 /**
  * tp: rcl_subscription_init
  */
-void TRACEPOINT(
+DECLARE_TRACEPOINT(
   rcl_subscription_init,
   const void * subscription_handle,
   const void * node_handle,
   const void * rmw_subscription_handle,
   const char * topic_name,
-  const size_t queue_depth);
+  const size_t queue_depth)
 
 /**
  * tp: rclcpp_subscription_callback_added
  */
-void TRACEPOINT(
+DECLARE_TRACEPOINT(
   rclcpp_subscription_callback_added,
   const void * subscription_handle,
-  const void * callback);
+  const void * callback)
 
 /**
  * tp: rcl_service_init
  */
-void TRACEPOINT(
+DECLARE_TRACEPOINT(
   rcl_service_init,
   const void * service_handle,
   const void * node_handle,
   const void * rmw_service_handle,
-  const char * service_name);
+  const char * service_name)
 
 /**
  * tp: rclcpp_service_callback_added
  */
-void TRACEPOINT(
+DECLARE_TRACEPOINT(
   rclcpp_service_callback_added,
   const void * service_handle,
-  const void * callback);
+  const void * callback)
 
 /**
  * tp: rcl_client_init
  */
-void TRACEPOINT(
+DECLARE_TRACEPOINT(
   rcl_client_init,
   const void * client_handle,
   const void * node_handle,
   const void * rmw_client_handle,
-  const char * service_name);
+  const char * service_name)
 
 /**
  * tp: rcl_timer_init
  */
-void TRACEPOINT(
+DECLARE_TRACEPOINT(
   rcl_timer_init,
   const void * timer_handle,
-  int64_t period);
+  int64_t period)
 
 /**
  * tp: rclcpp_timer_callback_added
  */
-void TRACEPOINT(
+DECLARE_TRACEPOINT(
   rclcpp_timer_callback_added,
   const void * timer_handle,
-  const void * callback);
+  const void * callback)
 
 /**
  * tp: rclcpp_callback_register
  */
-void TRACEPOINT(
+DECLARE_TRACEPOINT(
   rclcpp_callback_register,
   const void * callback,
-  const char * function_symbol);
+  const char * function_symbol)
 
 /**
  * tp: callback_start
  */
-void TRACEPOINT(
+DECLARE_TRACEPOINT(
   callback_start,
   const void * callback,
-  const bool is_intra_process);
+  const bool is_intra_process)
 
 /**
  * tp: callback_end
  */
-void TRACEPOINT(
+DECLARE_TRACEPOINT(
   callback_end,
-  const void * callback);
+  const void * callback)
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
diff --git a/tracetools/src/status.c b/tracetools/src/status.c
index 006ad72..9cf7061 100644
--- a/tracetools/src/status.c
+++ b/tracetools/src/status.c
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 
 int main()
 {
+#ifndef TRACETOOLS_DISABLED
   printf("Tracing ");
   if (ros_trace_compile_status()) {
     printf("enabled\n");
@@ -25,4 +26,8 @@ int main()
     printf("disabled\n");
     return 1;
   }
+#else
+  printf("Tracing disabled through configuration\n");
+  return 1;
+#endif
 }
diff --git a/tracetools/src/tracetools.c b/tracetools/src/tracetools.c
index 1509761..15a8236 100644
--- a/tracetools/src/tracetools.c
+++ b/tracetools/src/tracetools.c
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@
 
 #include "tracetools/tracetools.h"
 
+#ifndef TRACETOOLS_DISABLED
+
 #if defined(TRACETOOLS_LTTNG_ENABLED)
 # include "tracetools/tp_call.h"
 # define CONDITIONAL_TP(...) \
@@ -216,3 +218,5 @@ void TRACEPOINT(
 #ifndef _WIN32
 # pragma GCC diagnostic pop
 #endif
+
+#endif  // TRACETOOLS_DISABLED