diff --git a/Core/GameEngine/Source/Common/Audio/GameAudio.cpp b/Core/GameEngine/Source/Common/Audio/GameAudio.cpp
index 6f9e83de8f6..8969a744c14 100644
--- a/Core/GameEngine/Source/Common/Audio/GameAudio.cpp
+++ b/Core/GameEngine/Source/Common/Audio/GameAudio.cpp
@@ -224,6 +224,7 @@ void AudioManager::init()
 	// do the miscellaneous sound files last so that we find the AudioEventRTS associated with the events.
 	ini.loadFileDirectory( "Data\\INI\\MiscAudio", INI_LOAD_OVERWRITE, nullptr);
 
+#if RTS_CD_SUPPORT
 	// determine if one of the music tracks exists. Since their now BIGd, one implies all.
 	// If they don't exist, then attempt to load them from the CD.
 	if (!TheGlobalData->m_headless && !isMusicAlreadyLoaded())
@@ -239,7 +240,7 @@ void AudioManager::init()
 				break;
 			}
 			// We loop infinitely on the splash screen if we don't allow breaking out of this loop.
-//#if !defined( RTS_DEBUG )
+
 			else
 			{
 				// Display the warning.
@@ -249,9 +250,9 @@ void AudioManager::init()
 					break;
 				}
 			}
-//#endif
 		}
 	}
+#endif
 
 	m_music = NEW MusicManager;
 	m_sound = NEW SoundManager;
diff --git a/Core/GameEngine/Source/Common/System/FileSystem.cpp b/Core/GameEngine/Source/Common/System/FileSystem.cpp
index ac180b0a335..2ea603ee133 100644
--- a/Core/GameEngine/Source/Common/System/FileSystem.cpp
+++ b/Core/GameEngine/Source/Common/System/FileSystem.cpp
@@ -335,9 +335,6 @@ Bool FileSystem::createDirectory(AsciiString directory)
 //============================================================================
 Bool FileSystem::areMusicFilesOnCD()
 {
-#if 1
-	return TRUE;
-#else
 	if (!TheCDManager) {
 		DEBUG_LOG(("FileSystem::areMusicFilesOnCD() - No CD Manager; returning false"));
 		return FALSE;
@@ -370,7 +367,6 @@ Bool FileSystem::areMusicFilesOnCD()
 		}
 	}
 	return FALSE;
-#endif
 }
 //============================================================================
 // FileSystem::loadMusicFilesFromCD
diff --git a/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/GameEngine.cpp b/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/GameEngine.cpp
index e429cebda68..c84c46853f9 100644
--- a/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/GameEngine.cpp
+++ b/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/GameEngine.cpp
@@ -437,8 +437,10 @@ void GameEngine::init()
 		TheGlobalLanguageData->parseCustomDefinition();
 		initSubsystem(TheCDManager,"TheCDManager", CreateCDManager(), nullptr);
 		initSubsystem(TheAudio,"TheAudio", TheGlobalData->m_headless ? NEW AudioManagerDummy : createAudioManager(), nullptr);
+#if RTS_CD_SUPPORT
 		if (!TheAudio->isMusicAlreadyLoaded())
 			setQuitting(TRUE);
+#endif
 		initSubsystem(TheFunctionLexicon,"TheFunctionLexicon", createFunctionLexicon(), nullptr);
 		initSubsystem(TheModuleFactory,"TheModuleFactory", createModuleFactory(), nullptr);
 		initSubsystem(TheMessageStream,"TheMessageStream", createMessageStream(), nullptr);
diff --git a/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/Menus/SkirmishGameOptionsMenu.cpp b/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/Menus/SkirmishGameOptionsMenu.cpp
index 3cda3f62dee..c95a081b057 100644
--- a/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/Menus/SkirmishGameOptionsMenu.cpp
+++ b/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/Menus/SkirmishGameOptionsMenu.cpp
@@ -456,9 +456,14 @@ static MessageBoxReturnType cancelStartBecauseOfNoCD( void *userData )
 
 Bool IsFirstCDPresent(void)
 {
-#if !defined(RTS_DEBUG)
-	return TheFileSystem->areMusicFilesOnCD();
+#if RTS_CD_SUPPORT
+	#if defined(RTS_DEBUG)
+		return TRUE;
+	#else
+		return TheFileSystem->areMusicFilesOnCD();
+	#endif
 #else
+	// CD support disabled: always assume CD is not needed
 	return TRUE;
 #endif
 }
diff --git a/Generals/Code/GameEngineDevice/Source/Win32Device/Common/Win32CDManager.cpp b/Generals/Code/GameEngineDevice/Source/Win32Device/Common/Win32CDManager.cpp
index e528e838a54..a918d132421 100644
--- a/Generals/Code/GameEngineDevice/Source/Win32Device/Common/Win32CDManager.cpp
+++ b/Generals/Code/GameEngineDevice/Source/Win32Device/Common/Win32CDManager.cpp
@@ -176,6 +176,7 @@ void Win32CDManager::init( void )
 
 	destroyAllDrives();
 
+#if RTS_CD_SUPPORT
 	// detect CD Drives
 	for ( Char driveLetter = 'a'; driveLetter <= 'z'; driveLetter++ )
 	{
@@ -187,6 +188,7 @@ void Win32CDManager::init( void )
 			newDrive( drivePath.str() );
 		}
 	}
+#endif
 
 	refreshDrives();
 }
diff --git a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/GameEngine.cpp b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/GameEngine.cpp
index 5aa3a1e7b4d..f2cc35b0363 100644
--- a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/GameEngine.cpp
+++ b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/GameEngine.cpp
@@ -523,8 +523,10 @@ void GameEngine::init()
 	DEBUG_LOG(("%s", Buf));////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 	#endif/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 		initSubsystem(TheAudio,"TheAudio", TheGlobalData->m_headless ? NEW AudioManagerDummy : createAudioManager(), nullptr);
+#if RTS_CD_SUPPORT
 		if (!TheAudio->isMusicAlreadyLoaded())
 			setQuitting(TRUE);
+#endif
 
 	#ifdef DUMP_PERF_STATS///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 	GetPrecisionTimer(&endTime64);//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
diff --git a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/Menus/SkirmishGameOptionsMenu.cpp b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/Menus/SkirmishGameOptionsMenu.cpp
index a72d2c29990..5d63e292947 100644
--- a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/Menus/SkirmishGameOptionsMenu.cpp
+++ b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/Menus/SkirmishGameOptionsMenu.cpp
@@ -467,9 +467,14 @@ static MessageBoxReturnType cancelStartBecauseOfNoCD( void *userData )
 
 Bool IsFirstCDPresent(void)
 {
-#if !defined(RTS_DEBUG)
-	return TheFileSystem->areMusicFilesOnCD();
+#if RTS_CD_SUPPORT
+	#if defined(RTS_DEBUG)
+		return TRUE;
+	#else
+		return TheFileSystem->areMusicFilesOnCD();
+	#endif
 #else
+	// CD support disabled: always assume CD is not needed
 	return TRUE;
 #endif
 }
diff --git a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngineDevice/Source/Win32Device/Common/Win32CDManager.cpp b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngineDevice/Source/Win32Device/Common/Win32CDManager.cpp
index 75e0fb827da..7387004e773 100644
--- a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngineDevice/Source/Win32Device/Common/Win32CDManager.cpp
+++ b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngineDevice/Source/Win32Device/Common/Win32CDManager.cpp
@@ -176,6 +176,7 @@ void Win32CDManager::init( void )
 
 	destroyAllDrives();
 
+#if RTS_CD_SUPPORT
 	// detect CD Drives
 	for ( Char driveLetter = 'a'; driveLetter <= 'z'; driveLetter++ )
 	{
@@ -187,6 +188,7 @@ void Win32CDManager::init( void )
 			newDrive( drivePath.str() );
 		}
 	}
+#endif
 
 	refreshDrives();
 }
diff --git a/cmake/config-build.cmake b/cmake/config-build.cmake
index 6401c458be0..89927501500 100644
--- a/cmake/config-build.cmake
+++ b/cmake/config-build.cmake
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ option(RTS_BUILD_OPTION_DEBUG "Build code with the \"Debug\" configuration." OFF
 option(RTS_BUILD_OPTION_ASAN "Build code with Address Sanitizer." OFF)
 option(RTS_BUILD_OPTION_VC6_FULL_DEBUG "Build VC6 with full debug info." OFF)
 option(RTS_BUILD_OPTION_FFMPEG "Enable FFmpeg support" OFF)
+option(RTS_CD_SUPPORT "Enable CD detection and checks (legacy copy-protection)" OFF)
 
 if(NOT RTS_BUILD_ZEROHOUR AND NOT RTS_BUILD_GENERALS)
     set(RTS_BUILD_ZEROHOUR TRUE)
@@ -23,6 +24,7 @@ add_feature_info(DebugBuild RTS_BUILD_OPTION_DEBUG "Building as a \"Debug\" buil
 add_feature_info(AddressSanitizer RTS_BUILD_OPTION_ASAN "Building with address sanitizer")
 add_feature_info(Vc6FullDebug RTS_BUILD_OPTION_VC6_FULL_DEBUG "Building VC6 with full debug info")
 add_feature_info(FFmpegSupport RTS_BUILD_OPTION_FFMPEG "Building with FFmpeg support")
+add_feature_info(CDSupport RTS_CD_SUPPORT "CD detection and legacy copy-protection checks")
 
 if(RTS_BUILD_ZEROHOUR)
     option(RTS_BUILD_ZEROHOUR_TOOLS "Build tools for Zero Hour" ON)
@@ -73,3 +75,9 @@ endif()
 if(RTS_BUILD_OPTION_PROFILE)
     target_compile_definitions(core_config INTERFACE RTS_PROFILE)
 endif()
+
+if(RTS_CD_SUPPORT)
+    target_compile_definitions(core_config INTERFACE RTS_CD_SUPPORT=1)
+else()
+    target_compile_definitions(core_config INTERFACE RTS_CD_SUPPORT=0)
+endif()