diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -47,6 +47,11 @@
 find_package(Perl REQUIRED)
 set_package_properties(Perl PROPERTIES PURPOSE "Auto-generate PHP syntax definition files.")
 
+#
+# allow to install the "differently" licensed syntax xml files instead of putting them in a QRC and link them in
+#
+option(QRC_SYNTAX "Bundle the syntax definition files inside the library as resources" ON)
+add_feature_info(SYNTAX_RESOURCE ${QRC_SYNTAX} "Bundle the syntax definition files inside the library as resources")
 
 #
 # API documentation
@@ -61,6 +66,11 @@
     ecm_install_po_files_as_qm(po)
 endif()
 
+# tell the framework if it shall use the syntax files from the resource
+if (QRC_SYNTAX)
+    add_definitions(-DHAS_SYNTAX_RESOURCE)
+endif()
+
 #
 # Actually build the stuff
 #
diff --git a/autotests/foldingtest.cpp b/autotests/foldingtest.cpp
--- a/autotests/foldingtest.cpp
+++ b/autotests/foldingtest.cpp
@@ -166,6 +166,7 @@
         QFETCH(QString, syntax);
 
         Repository m_repo;
+        initRepositorySearchPaths(m_repo);
 
         auto def = m_repo.definitionForFileName(inFile);
         if (!syntax.isEmpty())
diff --git a/autotests/highlighter_benchmark.cpp b/autotests/highlighter_benchmark.cpp
--- a/autotests/highlighter_benchmark.cpp
+++ b/autotests/highlighter_benchmark.cpp
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@
     void initTestCase()
     {
         m_repo = new Repository;
+        initRepositorySearchPaths(*m_repo);
     }
 
     void cleanupTestCase()
diff --git a/autotests/htmlhighlighter_test.cpp b/autotests/htmlhighlighter_test.cpp
--- a/autotests/htmlhighlighter_test.cpp
+++ b/autotests/htmlhighlighter_test.cpp
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@
     {
         QStandardPaths::enableTestMode(true);
         m_repo = new Repository;
+        initRepositorySearchPaths(*m_repo);
     }
 
     void cleanupTestCase()
diff --git a/autotests/repository_benchmark.cpp b/autotests/repository_benchmark.cpp
--- a/autotests/repository_benchmark.cpp
+++ b/autotests/repository_benchmark.cpp
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@
     SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
 */
 
+#include "test-config.h"
+
 #include <repository.h>
 
 #include <QObject>
@@ -36,6 +38,7 @@
     {
         QBENCHMARK {
             Repository repo;
+            initRepositorySearchPaths(repo);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/autotests/syntaxrepository_test.cpp b/autotests/syntaxrepository_test.cpp
--- a/autotests/syntaxrepository_test.cpp
+++ b/autotests/syntaxrepository_test.cpp
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@
     void initTestCase()
     {
         QStandardPaths::enableTestMode(true);
+        initRepositorySearchPaths(m_repo);
     }
 
     void testDefinitionByExtension_data()
diff --git a/autotests/test-config.h.in b/autotests/test-config.h.in
--- a/autotests/test-config.h.in
+++ b/autotests/test-config.h.in
@@ -21,5 +21,26 @@
     SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
 */
 
+#include <QString>
+
+#include <repository.h>
+
 #define TESTSRCDIR "@CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR@"
 #define TESTBUILDDIR "@CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR@"
+
+/**
+ * init repository with right search paths, is needed if the files are not compiled in
+ * as resources
+ *
+ * @param repository repository to init search paths
+ */
+static void initRepositorySearchPaths(KSyntaxHighlighting::Repository &repository)
+{
+#ifdef HAS_SYNTAX_RESOURCE
+    Q_UNUSED(repository)
+#else
+    repository.addCustomSearchPath(QStringLiteral("@CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR@/data"));
+    repository.addCustomSearchPath(QStringLiteral("@CMAKE_BINARY_DIR@/data"));
+    repository.reload();
+#endif
+}
diff --git a/autotests/testhighlighter.cpp b/autotests/testhighlighter.cpp
--- a/autotests/testhighlighter.cpp
+++ b/autotests/testhighlighter.cpp
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@
     {
         QStandardPaths::enableTestMode(true);
         m_repo = new Repository;
+        initRepositorySearchPaths(*m_repo);
     }
 
     void cleanupTestCase()
diff --git a/autotests/theme_test.cpp b/autotests/theme_test.cpp
--- a/autotests/theme_test.cpp
+++ b/autotests/theme_test.cpp
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@
     SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
 */
 
+#include "test-config.h"
+
 #include <abstracthighlighter.h>
 #include <definition.h>
 #include <format.h>
@@ -58,6 +60,7 @@
     void initTestCase()
     {
         QStandardPaths::enableTestMode(true);
+        initRepositorySearchPaths(m_repo);
     }
 
     void testThemes()
diff --git a/data/CMakeLists.txt b/data/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/data/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/data/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,10 +1,9 @@
 # generate PHP definitions
 macro(generate_php_syntax_definition targetFile srcFile)
-    add_custom_command(
-        OUTPUT ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/${targetFile}
-        COMMAND ${PERL_EXECUTABLE} ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/generators/generate-php.pl < ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/syntax/${srcFile} > ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/${targetFile}
-        DEPENDS ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/generators/generate-php.pl ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/syntax/${srcFile}
-    )
+    execute_process(COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E make_directory ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/syntax)
+    execute_process(COMMAND ${PERL_EXECUTABLE} ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/generators/generate-php.pl
+        INPUT_FILE ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/syntax/${srcFile}
+        OUTPUT_FILE ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/syntax/${targetFile})
 endmacro()
 
 generate_php_syntax_definition(javascript-php.xml javascript.xml)
@@ -15,34 +14,48 @@
 file(GLOB src_defs "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/syntax/*.xml")
 set(defs
     ${src_defs}
-    ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/html-php.xml
-    ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/css-php.xml
-    ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/javascript-php.xml
+    ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/syntax/html-php.xml
+    ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/syntax/css-php.xml
+    ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/syntax/javascript-php.xml
 )
 
-# generate the resource file
-set(qrc_file ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/syntax-data.qrc)
-set(qrc_body "")
-foreach(def ${defs})
-    get_filename_component(def_name ${def} NAME)
-    string(APPEND qrc_body "<file alias=\"${def_name}\">${def}</file>\n")
-endforeach()
-set(SYNTAX_DATA_QRC_FILES_STRING ${qrc_body})
-configure_file(syntax-data.qrc.in ${qrc_file} @ONLY)
-
-# generate the index file
-add_custom_command(OUTPUT "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/index.katesyntax"
-  COMMAND katehighlightingindexer "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/index.katesyntax" "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/schema/language.xsd" "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/syntax-data.qrc"
-  DEPENDS ${defs} ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/schema/language.xsd ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/syntax-data.qrc
-)
+# theme data resource
+qt5_add_resources(themes_QRC ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/themes/theme-data.qrc)
 
-# generate the qrc file manually, to make dependencies on generated files work...
-add_custom_command(OUTPUT "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/qrc_syntax-data.cpp"
-    COMMAND ${Qt5Core_RCC_EXECUTABLE} --name syntax_data -o "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/qrc_syntax-data.cpp" "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/syntax-data.qrc"
-    DEPENDS ${defs} ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/index.katesyntax
-)
-set_source_files_properties("${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/qrc_syntax-data.cpp" PROPERTIES SKIP_AUTOMOC ON)
+# do we want syntax files bundled in the library?
+if (QRC_SYNTAX)
+    # generate the resource file
+    set(qrc_file ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/syntax-data.qrc)
+    set(qrc_body "")
+    foreach(def ${defs})
+        get_filename_component(def_name ${def} NAME)
+        string(APPEND qrc_body "<file alias=\"${def_name}\">${def}</file>\n")
+    endforeach()
+    set(SYNTAX_DATA_QRC_FILES_STRING ${qrc_body})
+    configure_file(syntax-data.qrc.in ${qrc_file} @ONLY)
+
+    # generate the index file
+    add_custom_command(OUTPUT "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/index.katesyntax"
+    COMMAND katehighlightingindexer "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/index.katesyntax" "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/schema/language.xsd" "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/syntax-data.qrc"
+    DEPENDS ${defs} ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/schema/language.xsd ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/syntax-data.qrc
+    )
+
+    # generate the qrc file manually, to make dependencies on generated files work...
+    add_custom_command(OUTPUT "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/qrc_syntax-data.cpp"
+        COMMAND ${Qt5Core_RCC_EXECUTABLE} --name syntax_data -o "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/qrc_syntax-data.cpp" "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/syntax-data.qrc"
+        DEPENDS ${defs} ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/index.katesyntax
+    )
+    set_source_files_properties("${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/qrc_syntax-data.cpp" PROPERTIES SKIP_AUTOMOC ON)
+
+    # object library to make cross-folder dependencies work, themes + syntax files
+    add_library(SyntaxHighlightingData OBJECT ${themes_QRC} ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/qrc_syntax-data.cpp)
+else()
+    # install the syntax files as normal files into the prefix
+    install (FILES ${defs} DESTINATION share/org.kde.syntax-highlighting/syntax)
+
+    # object library to make cross-folder dependencies work, only themes
+    add_library(SyntaxHighlightingData OBJECT ${themes_QRC})
+endif()
 
-# object library to make cross-folder dependencies work, set PIC to allow use in static and shared libs
-add_library(SyntaxHighlightingData OBJECT ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/qrc_syntax-data.cpp)
+# set PIC to allow use in static and shared libs
 set_property(TARGET SyntaxHighlightingData PROPERTY POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE 1)
diff --git a/src/lib/CMakeLists.txt b/src/lib/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/src/lib/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/lib/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -26,9 +26,7 @@
     CATEGORY_NAME org.kde.ksyntaxhighlighting
 )
 
-qt5_add_resources(themes_QRC ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/data/themes/theme-data.qrc)
-
-add_library(KF5SyntaxHighlighting ${syntax_highlighting_srcs} ${themes_QRC} $<TARGET_OBJECTS:SyntaxHighlightingData>)
+add_library(KF5SyntaxHighlighting ${syntax_highlighting_srcs} $<TARGET_OBJECTS:SyntaxHighlightingData>)
 generate_export_header(KF5SyntaxHighlighting BASE_NAME KSyntaxHighlighting)
 set_target_properties(KF5SyntaxHighlighting PROPERTIES
     VERSION ${SyntaxHighlighting_VERSION_STRING}
diff --git a/src/lib/repository.cpp b/src/lib/repository.cpp
--- a/src/lib/repository.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/repository.cpp
@@ -44,7 +44,9 @@
 
 static void initResource()
 {
+#ifdef HAS_SYNTAX_RESOURCE
     Q_INIT_RESOURCE(syntax_data);
+#endif
     Q_INIT_RESOURCE(theme_data);
 }