diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index a1c70b9e5f..9aa3c896b2 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -288,74 +288,57 @@ pika_option(
 )
 pika_option(
   PIKA_WITH_TESTS_BENCHMARKS BOOL "Build benchmark tests (default: ON)" ON
-  CATEGORY "Build Targets"
+  DEPENDS "PIKA_WITH_TESTS" CATEGORY "Build Targets"
 )
 pika_option(
   PIKA_WITH_TESTS_REGRESSIONS BOOL "Build regression tests (default: ON)" ON
-  CATEGORY "Build Targets"
+  DEPENDS "PIKA_WITH_TESTS" CATEGORY "Build Targets"
 )
 pika_option(
-  PIKA_WITH_TESTS_UNIT BOOL "Build unit tests (default: ON)" ON
-  CATEGORY "Build Targets"
+  PIKA_WITH_TESTS_UNIT BOOL "Build unit tests (default: ON)" ON DEPENDS
+  "PIKA_WITH_TESTS" CATEGORY "Build Targets"
 )
 pika_option(
-  PIKA_WITH_TESTS_HEADERS BOOL "Build header tests (default: ON)" ON ADVANCED
+  PIKA_WITH_TESTS_HEADERS
+  BOOL
+  "Build header tests (default: ON)"
+  ON
+  ADVANCED
+  DEPENDS
+  "PIKA_WITH_TESTS"
   CATEGORY "Build Targets"
 )
 pika_option(
-  PIKA_WITH_TESTS_EXTERNAL_BUILD BOOL
-  "Build external CMake build tests (default: ON)" ON ADVANCED
+  PIKA_WITH_TESTS_EXTERNAL_BUILD
+  BOOL
+  "Build external CMake build tests (default: ON)"
+  ON
+  ADVANCED
+  DEPENDS
+  "PIKA_WITH_TESTS"
   CATEGORY "Build Targets"
 )
 pika_option(
-  PIKA_WITH_TESTS_EXAMPLES BOOL "Add examples as tests (default: ON)" ON
-  ADVANCED CATEGORY "Build Targets"
+  PIKA_WITH_TESTS_EXAMPLES
+  BOOL
+  "Add examples as tests (default: ON)"
+  ON
+  DEPENDS
+  "PIKA_WITH_TESTS;PIKA_WITH_EXAMPLES"
+  ADVANCED
+  CATEGORY "Build Targets"
 )
 pika_option(
   PIKA_WITH_COMPILE_ONLY_TESTS BOOL
   "Create build system support for compile time only tests (default: ON)" ON
-  CATEGORY "Build Targets"
+  DEPENDS "PIKA_WITH_TESTS" CATEGORY "Build Targets"
 )
 pika_option(
   PIKA_WITH_FAIL_COMPILE_TESTS BOOL
-  "Create build system support for fail compile tests (default: ON)" ON
-  CATEGORY "Build Targets"
+  "Create build system support for fail compile tests (default: ON)" ON DEPENDS
+  "PIKA_WITH_TESTS" CATEGORY "Build Targets"
 )
 
-# disable all tests if PIKA_WITH_TESTS=OFF
-if(NOT PIKA_WITH_TESTS)
-  pika_set_option(
-    PIKA_WITH_TESTS_BENCHMARKS
-    VALUE OFF
-    FORCE
-  )
-  pika_set_option(
-    PIKA_WITH_TESTS_REGRESSIONS
-    VALUE OFF
-    FORCE
-  )
-  pika_set_option(
-    PIKA_WITH_TESTS_UNIT
-    VALUE OFF
-    FORCE
-  )
-  pika_set_option(
-    PIKA_WITH_TESTS_HEADERS
-    VALUE OFF
-    FORCE
-  )
-  pika_set_option(
-    PIKA_WITH_TESTS_EXTERNAL_BUILD
-    VALUE OFF
-    FORCE
-  )
-  pika_set_option(
-    PIKA_WITH_TESTS_EXAMPLES
-    VALUE OFF
-    FORCE
-  )
-endif()
-
 pika_option(
   PIKA_WITH_TOOLS BOOL "Build tools (default: OFF)" OFF ADVANCED
   CATEGORY "Build Targets"
@@ -789,7 +772,7 @@ endif()
 pika_option(
   PIKA_WITH_EXAMPLES_OPENMP BOOL
   "Enable examples requiring OpenMP support (default: OFF)." OFF
-  CATEGORY "Build Targets"
+  CATEGORY "Build Targets" DEPENDS "PIKA_WITH_EXAMPLES"
   ADVANCED
 )
 if(PIKA_WITH_EXAMPLES_OPENMP)
@@ -798,7 +781,7 @@ endif()
 pika_option(
   PIKA_WITH_EXAMPLES_TBB BOOL
   "Enable examples requiring TBB support (default: OFF)." OFF
-  CATEGORY "Build Targets"
+  CATEGORY "Build Targets" DEPENDS "PIKA_WITH_EXAMPLES"
   ADVANCED
 )
 if(PIKA_WITH_EXAMPLES_TBB)
@@ -810,7 +793,7 @@ endif()
 pika_option(
   PIKA_WITH_EXAMPLES_QTHREADS BOOL
   "Enable examples requiring QThreads support (default: OFF)." OFF
-  CATEGORY "Build Targets"
+  CATEGORY "Build Targets" DEPENDS "PIKA_WITH_EXAMPLES"
   ADVANCED
 )
 if(PIKA_WITH_EXAMPLES_QTHREADS)
@@ -822,7 +805,7 @@ endif()
 pika_option(
   PIKA_WITH_EXAMPLES_HDF5 BOOL
   "Enable examples requiring HDF5 support (default: OFF)." OFF
-  CATEGORY "Build Targets"
+  CATEGORY "Build Targets" DEPENDS "PIKA_WITH_EXAMPLES"
   ADVANCED
 )
 if(PIKA_WITH_EXAMPLES_HDF5)
@@ -837,7 +820,7 @@ if(NOT "${PIKA_PLATFORM_UC}" STREQUAL "BLUEGENEQ")
   pika_option(
     PIKA_WITH_EXAMPLES_QT4 BOOL
     "Enable examples requiring Qt4 support (default: OFF)." OFF
-    CATEGORY "Build Targets"
+    CATEGORY "Build Targets" DEPENDS "PIKA_WITH_EXAMPLES"
     ADVANCED
   )
   if(PIKA_WITH_EXAMPLES_QT4)
diff --git a/cmake/pika_option.cmake b/cmake/pika_option.cmake
index cbf2287a17..971be0a1a2 100644
--- a/cmake/pika_option.cmake
+++ b/cmake/pika_option.cmake
@@ -5,63 +5,82 @@
 # Distributed under the Boost Software License, Version 1.0. (See accompanying
 # file LICENSE_1_0.txt or copy at http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt)
 
+include(CMakeDependentOption)
 include(CMakeParseArguments)
 
 set(PIKA_OPTION_CATEGORIES "Generic" "Build Targets" "Thread Manager"
                            "Profiling" "Debugging" "Modules"
 )
 
-function(pika_option option type description default)
+macro(pika_option option type description default)
   set(options ADVANCED)
-  set(one_value_args CATEGORY MODULE)
+  set(one_value_args CATEGORY DEPENDS MODULE)
   set(multi_value_args STRINGS)
   cmake_parse_arguments(
     PIKA_OPTION "${options}" "${one_value_args}" "${multi_value_args}" ${ARGN}
   )
 
-  if(NOT DEFINED ${option})
-    set(${option}
-        ${default}
-        CACHE ${type} "${description}" FORCE
-    )
-    if(PIKA_OPTION_ADVANCED)
-      mark_as_advanced(${option})
+  if("${type}" STREQUAL "BOOL")
+    # Use regular CMake options for booleans
+    if(NOT PIKA_OPTION_DEPENDS)
+      option("${option}" "${description}" "${default}")
+    else()
+      cmake_dependent_option(
+        "${option}" "${description}" "${default}" "${PIKA_OPTION_DEPENDS}" OFF
+      )
     endif()
   else()
-    # make sure that dependent projects can overwrite any of the pika options
-    unset(${option} PARENT_SCOPE)
-
-    get_property(
-      _option_is_cache_property
-      CACHE "${option}"
-      PROPERTY TYPE
-      SET
-    )
-    if(NOT _option_is_cache_property)
+    if(PIKA_OPTION_DEPENDS)
+      message(
+        FATAL_ERROR
+          "pika_option DEPENDS keyword can only be used with BOOL options"
+      )
+    endif()
+    # Use custom cache variables for other types
+    if(NOT DEFINED ${option})
       set(${option}
           ${default}
           CACHE ${type} "${description}" FORCE
       )
-      if(PIKA_OPTION_ADVANCED)
-        mark_as_advanced(${option})
-      endif()
     else()
-      set_property(CACHE "${option}" PROPERTY HELPSTRING "${description}")
-      set_property(CACHE "${option}" PROPERTY TYPE "${type}")
+      get_property(
+        _option_is_cache_property
+        CACHE "${option}"
+        PROPERTY TYPE
+        SET
+      )
+      if(NOT _option_is_cache_property)
+        set(${option}
+            ${default}
+            CACHE ${type} "${description}" FORCE
+        )
+        if(PIKA_OPTION_ADVANCED)
+          mark_as_advanced(${option})
+        endif()
+      else()
+        set_property(CACHE "${option}" PROPERTY HELPSTRING "${description}")
+        set_property(CACHE "${option}" PROPERTY TYPE "${type}")
+      endif()
     endif()
-  endif()
 
-  if(PIKA_OPTION_STRINGS)
-    if("${type}" STREQUAL "STRING")
-      set_property(CACHE "${option}" PROPERTY STRINGS "${PIKA_OPTION_STRINGS}")
-    else()
-      message(
-        FATAL_ERROR
-          "pika_option(): STRINGS can only be used if type is STRING !"
-      )
+    if(PIKA_OPTION_STRINGS)
+      if("${type}" STREQUAL "STRING")
+        set_property(
+          CACHE "${option}" PROPERTY STRINGS "${PIKA_OPTION_STRINGS}"
+        )
+      else()
+        message(
+          FATAL_ERROR
+            "pika_option(): STRINGS can only be used if type is STRING !"
+        )
+      endif()
     endif()
   endif()
 
+  if(PIKA_OPTION_ADVANCED)
+    mark_as_advanced(${option})
+  endif()
+
   if(PIKA_OPTION_MODULE)
     string(TOUPPER ${PIKA_OPTION_MODULE} module_uc)
     set(varname_uc PIKA_MODULE_CONFIG_${module_uc})
@@ -78,59 +97,4 @@ function(pika_option option type description default)
       ${_category}
       CACHE INTERNAL ""
   )
-endfunction()
-
-# simplify setting an option in cache
-function(pika_set_option option)
-  set(options FORCE)
-  set(one_value_args VALUE TYPE HELPSTRING)
-  set(multi_value_args)
-  cmake_parse_arguments(
-    PIKA_SET_OPTION "${options}" "${one_value_args}" "${multi_value_args}"
-    ${ARGN}
-  )
-
-  if(NOT DEFINED ${option})
-    pika_error("attempting to set an undefined option: ${option}")
-  endif()
-
-  set(${option}_force)
-  if(PIKA_SET_OPTION_FORCE)
-    set(${option}_force FORCE)
-  endif()
-
-  if(PIKA_SET_OPTION_HELPSTRING)
-    set(${option}_description ${PIKA_SET_OPTION_HELPSTRING})
-  else()
-    get_property(
-      ${option}_description
-      CACHE "${option}"
-      PROPERTY HELPSTRING
-    )
-  endif()
-
-  if(PIKA_SET_OPTION_TYPE)
-    set(${option}_type ${PIKA_SET_OPTION_TYPE})
-  else()
-    get_property(
-      ${option}_type
-      CACHE "${option}"
-      PROPERTY TYPE
-    )
-  endif()
-
-  if(DEFINED PIKA_SET_OPTION_VALUE)
-    set(${option}_value ${PIKA_SET_OPTION_VALUE})
-  else()
-    get_property(
-      ${option}_value
-      CACHE "${option}"
-      PROPERTY VALUE
-    )
-  endif()
-
-  set(${option}
-      ${${option}_value}
-      CACHE ${${option}_type} "${${option}_description}" ${${option}_force}
-  )
-endfunction()
+endmacro()