diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -7,9 +7,7 @@
 project(Kexi VERSION ${PROJECT_VERSION})
 
 include(KexiAddTests)
-include(KexiAddExamples)
 kexi_add_tests(OFF)
-kexi_add_examples(OFF)
 
 # ECM
 include(ECMAddAppIcon)
@@ -122,20 +120,21 @@
   -DQT_USE_QSTRINGBUILDER
 )
 
-# only with COMPILING_TESTS definition will all the FOO_TEST_EXPORT macros do something
-# TODO: check if this can be moved to only those places which make use of it,
-# to reduce global compiler definitions that would trigger a recompile of
-# everything on a change (like adding/removing tests to/from the build)
-macro_bool_to_01(BUILD_TESTING COMPILING_TESTS)
-
 # overcome some platform incompatibilities
 if(WIN32)
     find_package(KDEWin REQUIRED)
 endif()
 
 # set custom Kexi plugin installdir
 set(KEXI_PLUGIN_INSTALL_DIR ${PLUGIN_INSTALL_DIR}/${KEXI_BASE_PATH})
 
+simple_option(BUILD_EXAMPLES "Build and install examples" ON)
+
+macro_bool_to_01(BUILD_EXAMPLES COMPILING_EXAMPLES)
+
+# set custom Kexi examples installdir
+set(KEXI_EXAMPLES_INSTALL_DIR ${SHARE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/examples/${KEXI_BASE_PATH})
+
 # TEMPORARY: for initial Qt5/KF5 build porting phase deprecation warnings are only annoying noise
 # remove once code porting phase starts, perhaps first locally in product subdirs
 #if (CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUCXX OR CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUC)
diff --git a/cmake/modules/KexiAddExamples.cmake b/cmake/modules/KexiAddExamples.cmake
deleted file mode 100644
--- a/cmake/modules/KexiAddExamples.cmake
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,27 +0,0 @@
-# Additional CMake macros
-#
-# Copyright (C) 2015-2017 Jarosław Staniek <staniek@kde.org>
-#
-# Redistribution and use is allowed according to the terms of the BSD license.
-# For details see the accompanying COPYING-CMAKE-SCRIPTS file.
-
-if(__kexi_add_examples)
-  return()
-endif()
-set(__kexi_add_examples YES)
-
-include(KexiAddSimpleOption)
-
-# Adds BUILD_EXAMPLES option to enable examples. If enabled, build in examples/ subdirectory
-# is enabled. If optional argument ARG1 is ON, building examples will be ON by default.
-# Otherwise building examples will be OFF. ARG1 is OFF by default.
-macro(kexi_add_examples)
-  set(_SET ${ARGV0})
-  if (NOT "${_SET}" STREQUAL ON)
-    set(_SET OFF)
-  endif()
-  simple_option(BUILD_EXAMPLES "Build example applications" ${_SET})
-  if (BUILD_EXAMPLES AND EXISTS ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/examples)
-    add_subdirectory(examples)
-  endif()
-endmacro()
diff --git a/cmake/modules/KexiAddTests.cmake b/cmake/modules/KexiAddTests.cmake
--- a/cmake/modules/KexiAddTests.cmake
+++ b/cmake/modules/KexiAddTests.cmake
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 set(__kexi_add_tests YES)
 
 include(KexiAddSimpleOption)
+include(MacroBoolTo01)
 
 # Adds BUILD_TESTING option to enable all kinds of tests. If enabled, build in autotests/
 # and tests/ subdirectory is enabled. If optional argument ARG1 is ON, building tests will
@@ -34,4 +35,10 @@
     set(BUILD_COVERAGE OFF)
     simple_option(BUILD_COVERAGE "Build test coverage (disabled because BUILD_TESTING is OFF)" OFF)
   endif()
+
+  # only with COMPILING_TESTS definition will all the FOO_TEST_EXPORT macros do something
+  # TODO: check if this can be moved to only those places which make use of it,
+  # to reduce global compiler definitions that would trigger a recompile of
+  # everything on a change (like adding/removing tests to/from the build)
+  macro_bool_to_01(BUILD_TESTING COMPILING_TESTS)
 endmacro()
diff --git a/cmake/modules/KexiMacros.cmake b/cmake/modules/KexiMacros.cmake
--- a/cmake/modules/KexiMacros.cmake
+++ b/cmake/modules/KexiMacros.cmake
@@ -206,17 +206,22 @@
 endif()
 
 # Sets file or directory read-only for all (non-root) users.
-# The _path should exist.
+# The _path should exist. If it is not absolute, ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR} path is prepended.
 # TODO: implement for WIN32
 macro(kexi_set_file_read_only _path)
     if(NOT kexi_chmod_program)
         return()
     endif()
-    if(NOT EXISTS ${_path})
-        message(FATAL_ERROR "File or directory \"${_path}\" does not exist")
+    if(IS_ABSOLUTE ${_path})
+        set(_fullpath ${_path})
+    else()
+        set(_fullpath ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/${_path})
+    endif()
+    if(NOT EXISTS ${_fullpath})
+        message(FATAL_ERROR "File or directory \"${_fullpath}\" does not exist")
         return()
     endif()
-    set(_command "${kexi_chmod_program}" a-w "${_path}")
+    set(_command "${kexi_chmod_program}" a-w "${_fullpath}")
     execute_process(
         COMMAND ${_command}
         RESULT_VARIABLE _result
@@ -227,3 +232,11 @@
         message(FATAL_ERROR "Command failed (${_result}): ${_command}\n\nOutput:\n${_output}")
     endif()
 endmacro()
+
+# Adds example KEXI project (.kexi file)
+# - sets it read-only
+# - installs to SHARE/examples/VERSION/
+macro(kexi_add_example_project _path)
+    kexi_set_file_read_only(${_path})
+    install(FILES ${_path} DESTINATION ${KEXI_EXAMPLES_INSTALL_DIR})
+endmacro()
diff --git a/src/config-kexi.h.cmake b/src/config-kexi.h.cmake
--- a/src/config-kexi.h.cmake
+++ b/src/config-kexi.h.cmake
@@ -62,6 +62,10 @@
 //! @brief if defined, tests are enabled
 #cmakedefine COMPILING_TESTS
 
+//! @def COMPILING_EXAMPLES
+//! @brief if defined, examples are enabled and installed
+#cmakedefine COMPILING_EXAMPLES
+
 //! @def KEXI_DEBUG_GUI
 //! @brief If defined, a debugging GUI for Kexi is enabled
 #cmakedefine KEXI_DEBUG_GUI
diff --git a/src/examples/CMakeLists.txt b/src/examples/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/src/examples/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/examples/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1 +1 @@
-kexi_set_file_read_only("${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/Simple_Database.kexi")
+kexi_add_example_project(Simple_Database.kexi)