diff --git a/BUILD.gn b/BUILD.gn
index 3be28fe6e0..107cde7bc1 100644
--- a/BUILD.gn
+++ b/BUILD.gn
@@ -97,6 +97,10 @@ config("common_inherited_config") {
   cflags = []
   ldflags = []
 
+  if (rtc_enable_symbol_export) {
+    defines = [ "WEBRTC_ENABLE_SYMBOL_EXPORT" ]
+  }
+
   if (build_with_mozilla) {
     defines += [ "WEBRTC_MOZILLA_BUILD" ]
   }
diff --git a/rtc_base/system/rtc_export.h b/rtc_base/system/rtc_export.h
index b7a0fe4168..d1eb60ad78 100644
--- a/rtc_base/system/rtc_export.h
+++ b/rtc_base/system/rtc_export.h
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 // When WebRTC is built as a static library the RTC_EXPORT macro expands to
 // nothing.
 
-#ifdef COMPONENT_BUILD
+#ifdef WEBRTC_ENABLE_SYMBOL_EXPORT
 
 #ifdef WEBRTC_WIN
 
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
 
 #endif  // WEBRTC_WIN
 
-#endif  // COMPONENT_BUILD
+#endif  // WEBRTC_ENABLE_SYMBOL_EXPORT
 
 #ifndef RTC_EXPORT
 #define RTC_EXPORT
diff --git a/webrtc.gni b/webrtc.gni
index 71c830e2bc..bba336912d 100644
--- a/webrtc.gni
+++ b/webrtc.gni
@@ -35,6 +35,10 @@ if (is_mac) {
 }
 
 declare_args() {
+  # Setting this to true will make RTC_EXPORT (see rtc_base/system/rtc_export.h)
+  # expand to code that will manage symbols visibility.
+  rtc_enable_symbol_export = false
+
   # Setting this to true will define WEBRTC_EXCLUDE_FIELD_TRIAL_DEFAULT which
   # will tell the pre-processor to remove the default definition of symbols
   # needed to use field_trial. In that case a new implementation needs to be