diff --git a/modules/xfeatures2d/CMakeLists.txt b/modules/xfeatures2d/CMakeLists.txt
index 3c86ebc141b..8d0ce8e6af0 100644
--- a/modules/xfeatures2d/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/modules/xfeatures2d/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -3,15 +3,21 @@ set(the_description "Contributed/Experimental Algorithms for Salient 2D Features
 if(HAVE_CUDA)
   ocv_warnings_disable(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS -Wundef)
 endif()
-ocv_define_module(xfeatures2d opencv_core opencv_imgproc opencv_features2d opencv_calib3d OPTIONAL opencv_shape opencv_ml opencv_cudaarithm WRAP python java)
 
 include(${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/download_vgg.cmake)
 include(${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/download_boostdesc.cmake)
 set(DOWNLOAD_DIR "${OpenCV_BINARY_DIR}/downloads/xfeatures2d")
+
 download_boost_descriptors("${DOWNLOAD_DIR}" boost_status)
+if(boost_status)
+  add_definitions(-DHAS_BOOST_DOWNLOAD=1)
+endif()
+
 download_vgg_descriptors("${DOWNLOAD_DIR}" vgg_status)
-if(NOT boost_status OR NOT vgg_status)
-  ocv_module_disable(xfeatures2d)
+if(vgg_status)
+  add_definitions(-DHAS_VGG_DOWNLOAD=1)
 endif()
 
+ocv_define_module(xfeatures2d opencv_core opencv_imgproc opencv_features2d opencv_calib3d OPTIONAL opencv_shape opencv_ml opencv_cudaarithm WRAP python java)
+
 ocv_module_include_directories("${DOWNLOAD_DIR}")
diff --git a/modules/xfeatures2d/src/boostdesc.cpp b/modules/xfeatures2d/src/boostdesc.cpp
index 3f7ee225fc9..3349d5aa642 100644
--- a/modules/xfeatures2d/src/boostdesc.cpp
+++ b/modules/xfeatures2d/src/boostdesc.cpp
@@ -65,6 +65,53 @@ namespace cv
 namespace xfeatures2d
 {
 
+#ifndef HAS_BOOST_DOWNLOAD // cmake was not able to download external resources
+class BoostDesc_Impl CV_FINAL : public BoostDesc
+{
+
+public:
+    explicit BoostDesc_Impl( int, bool, float)
+    {
+        CV_Error(cv::Error::NotSupported, "The library is built without Boosting support");
+    }
+    virtual ~BoostDesc_Impl() CV_OVERRIDE
+    {
+        CV_Error(cv::Error::NotSupported, "The library is built without Boosting support");
+    }
+    virtual int descriptorSize() const CV_OVERRIDE
+    {
+        CV_Error(cv::Error::NotSupported, "The library is built without Boosting support");
+    }
+    virtual int descriptorType() const CV_OVERRIDE
+    {
+        CV_Error(cv::Error::NotSupported, "The library is built without Boosting support");
+    }
+    virtual int defaultNorm()    const CV_OVERRIDE
+    {
+        CV_Error(cv::Error::NotSupported, "The library is built without Boosting support");
+    }
+    virtual void compute(InputArray, vector<KeyPoint>&, OutputArray)
+    {
+        CV_Error(cv::Error::NotSupported, "The library is built without Boosting support");
+    }
+    virtual void setUseScaleOrientation(const bool) CV_OVERRIDE
+    {
+        CV_Error(cv::Error::NotSupported, "The library is built without Boosting support");
+    }
+    virtual bool getUseScaleOrientation() const CV_OVERRIDE
+    {
+        CV_Error(cv::Error::NotSupported, "The library is built without Boosting support");
+    }
+    virtual void setScaleFactor(const float) CV_OVERRIDE
+    {
+        CV_Error(cv::Error::NotSupported, "The library is built without Boosting support");
+    }
+    virtual float getScaleFactor() const CV_OVERRIDE
+    {
+        CV_Error(cv::Error::NotSupported, "The library is built without Boosting support");
+    }
+};
+#else
 /*
  !BoostDesc implementation
  */
@@ -737,3 +784,5 @@ Ptr<BoostDesc> BoostDesc::create( int desc, bool use_scale_orientation, float sc
 
 } // END NAMESPACE XFEATURES2D
 } // END NAMESPACE CV
+
+#endif // HAS_BOOST_DOWNLOAD
diff --git a/modules/xfeatures2d/src/vgg.cpp b/modules/xfeatures2d/src/vgg.cpp
index a187f6b1d7a..40c3761557c 100644
--- a/modules/xfeatures2d/src/vgg.cpp
+++ b/modules/xfeatures2d/src/vgg.cpp
@@ -66,6 +66,81 @@ namespace cv
 namespace xfeatures2d
 {
 
+#ifndef HAS_VGG_DOWNLOAD
+
+class VGG_Impl CV_FINAL : public VGG
+{
+public:
+
+    // constructor
+    explicit VGG_Impl( int, float, bool, bool, float, bool)
+    {
+        CV_Error(cv::Error::NotSupported, "The library is built without VGG support");
+    }
+    virtual ~VGG_Impl() CV_OVERRIDE
+    {
+        CV_Error(cv::Error::NotSupported, "The library is built without VGG support");
+    }
+    virtual int descriptorSize() const CV_OVERRIDE
+    {
+        CV_Error(cv::Error::NotSupported, "The library is built without VGG support");
+    }
+    virtual int descriptorType() const CV_OVERRIDE
+    {
+        CV_Error(cv::Error::NotSupported, "The library is built without VGG support");
+    }
+    virtual int defaultNorm() const CV_OVERRIDE
+    {
+        CV_Error(cv::Error::NotSupported, "The library is built without VGG support");
+    }
+    virtual void compute( InputArray, vector<KeyPoint>&, OutputArray ) CV_OVERRIDE
+    {
+        CV_Error(cv::Error::NotSupported, "The library is built without VGG support");
+    }
+    virtual void setSigma(const float) CV_OVERRIDE
+    {
+        CV_Error(cv::Error::NotSupported, "The library is built without VGG support");
+    }
+    virtual float getSigma() const CV_OVERRIDE
+    {
+        CV_Error(cv::Error::NotSupported, "The library is built without VGG support");
+    }
+    virtual void setUseNormalizeImage(const bool) CV_OVERRIDE
+    {
+        CV_Error(cv::Error::NotSupported, "The library is built without VGG support");
+    }
+    virtual bool getUseNormalizeImage() const CV_OVERRIDE
+    {
+        CV_Error(cv::Error::NotSupported, "The library is built without VGG support");
+    }
+    virtual void setUseScaleOrientation(const bool) CV_OVERRIDE
+    {
+        CV_Error(cv::Error::NotSupported, "The library is built without VGG support");
+    }
+    virtual bool getUseScaleOrientation() const CV_OVERRIDE
+    {
+        CV_Error(cv::Error::NotSupported, "The library is built without VGG support");
+    }
+    virtual void setScaleFactor(const float) CV_OVERRIDE
+    {
+        CV_Error(cv::Error::NotSupported, "The library is built without VGG support");
+    }
+    virtual float getScaleFactor() const CV_OVERRIDE
+    {
+        CV_Error(cv::Error::NotSupported, "The library is built without VGG support");
+    }
+    virtual void setUseNormalizeDescriptor(const bool dsc_normalize) CV_OVERRIDE
+    {
+        CV_Error(cv::Error::NotSupported, "The library is built without VGG support");
+    }
+    virtual bool getUseNormalizeDescriptor() const CV_OVERRIDE
+    {
+        CV_Error(cv::Error::NotSupported, "The library is built without VGG support");
+    }
+};
+
+#else
+
 /*
  !VGG implementation
  */
@@ -536,3 +611,5 @@ Ptr<VGG> VGG::create( int desc, float isigma, bool img_normalize, bool use_scale
 
 } // END NAMESPACE XFEATURES2D
 } // END NAMESPACE CV
+
+#endif // HAS_VGG_DOWNLOAD