diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 5434be54e4..e4154af749 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ option( EXIV2_ENABLE_WIN_UNICODE      "Use Unicode paths (wstring) on Windows"
 option( EXIV2_ENABLE_WEBREADY         "Build webready support into library"                   OFF )
 option( EXIV2_ENABLE_CURL             "USE Libcurl for HttpIo (WEBREADY)"                     OFF )
 option( EXIV2_ENABLE_SSH              "USE Libssh for SshIo (WEBREADY)"                       OFF )
-option( EXIV2_ENABLE_BMFF             "Build with BMFF support"                               OFF )
+option( EXIV2_ENABLE_BMFF             "Build with BMFF support"                               ON  )
 
 option( EXIV2_BUILD_SAMPLES           "Build sample applications"                             ON  )
 option( EXIV2_BUILD_EXIV2_COMMAND     "Build exiv2 command-line executable"                   ON  )
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ce6a2ba12a..af5d02ba06 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ option( EXIV2_ENABLE_XMP           "Build with XMP metadata support"         ON
 option( EXIV2_ENABLE_EXTERNAL_XMP  "Use external version of XMP"            OFF )
 option( EXIV2_ENABLE_PNG           "Build with png support (requires libz)"  ON )
 ...
-option( EXIV2_ENABLE_BMFF          "Build with BMFF support"                OFF )
+option( EXIV2_ENABLE_BMFF          "Build with BMFF support"                 ON )
 577 rmills@rmillsmm:~/gnu/github/exiv2/exiv2 $
 ```
 
@@ -786,7 +786,7 @@ Access to the bmff code is guarded in two ways.  Firstly, you have to build the
 EXIV2API bool enableBMFF(bool enable);
 ```
 
-The return value from `enableBMFF()` reports the current status of bmff support before calling this function.
+The return value from `enableBMFF()` is true if the library has been build with bmff support (cmake option -DEXIV2_ANABLE_BMFF=On).
 
 Applications may wish to provide a preference setting to enable bmff support and thereby place the responsibility for the use of this code with the user of the application.
 
diff --git a/include/exiv2/exiv2.hpp b/include/exiv2/exiv2.hpp
index 5efd9d5771..b4bb507b4f 100644
--- a/include/exiv2/exiv2.hpp
+++ b/include/exiv2/exiv2.hpp
@@ -45,9 +45,7 @@
 #include "exiv2/mrwimage.hpp"
 #include "exiv2/orfimage.hpp"
 #include "exiv2/pgfimage.hpp"
-#ifdef EXV_ENABLE_BMFF
 #include "bmffimage.hpp"
-#endif
 
 #ifdef EXV_HAVE_LIBZ
 #include "exiv2/pngimage.hpp"
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index df355bc4cd..c52b352f06 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -118,11 +118,9 @@ if( EXIV2_ENABLE_VIDEO )
     )
 endif()
 
-if( EXIV2_ENABLE_BMFF )
-    target_sources(exiv2lib PRIVATE
-        bmffimage.cpp           ../include/exiv2/bmffimage.hpp
-    )
-endif()
+target_sources(exiv2lib PRIVATE
+    bmffimage.cpp           ../include/exiv2/bmffimage.hpp
+)
 
 # Other library target properties
 # ---------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/src/bmffimage.cpp b/src/bmffimage.cpp
index 9a0f7e65d5..bc6c543983 100644
--- a/src/bmffimage.cpp
+++ b/src/bmffimage.cpp
@@ -84,18 +84,15 @@ struct BmffBoxHeader
 
 // *****************************************************************************
 // class member definitions
+#ifdef EXV_ENABLE_BMFF
 namespace Exiv2
 {
-    static bool enabled = false;
-
-#ifdef EXV_ENABLE_BMFF
+    static bool   enabled = false;
     EXIV2API bool enableBMFF(bool enable)
     {
-        bool   result = enabled;
-        enabled       = enable ;
-        return result ;
+        enabled = enable ;
+        return true ;
     }
-#endif                   // EXV_ENABLE_BMFF
 
     std::string Iloc::toString() const
     {
@@ -629,3 +626,13 @@ namespace Exiv2
         return matched;
     }
 }  // namespace Exiv2
+#else  // ifdef EXV_ENABLE_BMFF
+namespace Exiv2
+{
+    EXIV2API bool enableBMFF(bool)
+    {
+        return false ;
+    }
+}
+#endif
+