diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 6814b5ff5907b..8163392de87d4 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ list(APPEND CMAKE_MODULE_PATH ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/module)
 # Configurable options.
 # When adding a new option, end the <help_text> with a full stop for consistency.
 include(CMakeDependentOption)
+option(BUILD_DAEMON "Build bitcoind executable." ON)
 option(ASM "Use assembly routines." ON)
 cmake_dependent_option(CXX20 "Enable compilation in C++20 mode." OFF "NOT MSVC" ON)
 
@@ -72,11 +73,45 @@ include(cmake/secp256k1.cmake)
 include(CheckStdFilesystem)
 check_std_filesystem()
 
+find_package(PkgConfig)
+if(BUILD_DAEMON)
+  set(THREADS_PREFER_PTHREAD_FLAG ON)
+  find_package(Threads REQUIRED)
+
+  if(APPLE)
+    execute_process(
+      COMMAND brew --prefix boost
+      OUTPUT_VARIABLE BOOST_ROOT
+      ERROR_QUIET
+      OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE
+    )
+  endif()
+  set(Boost_NO_BOOST_CMAKE ON)
+  # Find Boost headers only.
+  find_package(Boost 1.64.0 REQUIRED)
+  mark_as_advanced(Boost_INCLUDE_DIR)
+  target_compile_definitions(Boost::boost INTERFACE
+    $<$<CONFIG:Debug>:BOOST_MULTI_INDEX_ENABLE_SAFE_MODE>
+  )
+
+  pkg_check_modules(libevent REQUIRED libevent>=2.1.8 IMPORTED_TARGET)
+  target_link_libraries(PkgConfig::libevent INTERFACE
+    $<$<PLATFORM_ID:Windows>:iphlpapi;ws2_32>
+  )
+endif()
+
+if(NOT WIN32 AND BUILD_DAEMON)
+  pkg_check_modules(libevent_pthreads REQUIRED libevent_pthreads>=2.1.8 IMPORTED_TARGET)
+endif()
+
 add_subdirectory(src)
 
 message("\n")
 message("Configure summary")
 message("=================")
+message("Executables:")
+message("  bitcoind ............................ ${BUILD_DAEMON}")
+message("")
 get_directory_property(definitions COMPILE_DEFINITIONS)
 string(REPLACE ";" " " definitions "${definitions}")
 message("Preprocessor defined macros ........... ${definitions}")
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 8a77ed465e110..1945af5015a5f 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ include_directories(${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR} ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR})
 
 add_subdirectory(crypto)
 add_subdirectory(univalue)
+add_subdirectory(util)
 
 
 # Stable, backwards-compatible consensus functionality
@@ -27,3 +28,165 @@ add_library(bitcoin_consensus OBJECT EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL
   util/strencodings.cpp
 )
 target_link_libraries(bitcoin_consensus PRIVATE secp256k1)
+
+
+# Home for common functionality shared by different executables and libraries.
+# Similar to `bitcoin_util` library, but higher-level.
+add_library(bitcoin_common STATIC EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL
+  base58.cpp
+  bech32.cpp
+  chainparams.cpp
+  coins.cpp
+  common/bloom.cpp
+  common/interfaces.cpp
+  common/run_command.cpp
+  $<$<TARGET_EXISTS:PkgConfig::libevent>:common/url.cpp>
+  compressor.cpp
+  core_read.cpp
+  core_write.cpp
+  deploymentinfo.cpp
+  external_signer.cpp
+  init/common.cpp
+  key.cpp
+  key_io.cpp
+  merkleblock.cpp
+  net_types.cpp
+  netaddress.cpp
+  netbase.cpp
+  net_permissions.cpp
+  outputtype.cpp
+  policy/feerate.cpp
+  policy/policy.cpp
+  protocol.cpp
+  psbt.cpp
+  rpc/rawtransaction_util.cpp
+  rpc/request.cpp
+  rpc/external_signer.cpp
+  rpc/util.cpp
+  scheduler.cpp
+  script/descriptor.cpp
+  script/miniscript.cpp
+  script/sign.cpp
+  script/signingprovider.cpp
+  script/standard.cpp
+  warnings.cpp
+)
+target_link_libraries(bitcoin_common
+  PRIVATE
+    bitcoin_consensus
+    bitcoin_util
+    univalue
+    secp256k1
+    Boost::boost
+    $<TARGET_NAME_IF_EXISTS:PkgConfig::libevent>
+)
+
+
+# P2P and RPC server functionality used by `bitcoind` and `bitcoin-qt` executables.
+add_library(bitcoin_node STATIC EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL
+  addrdb.cpp
+  addrman.cpp
+  banman.cpp
+  blockencodings.cpp
+  blockfilter.cpp
+  chain.cpp
+  consensus/tx_verify.cpp
+  dbwrapper.cpp
+  deploymentstatus.cpp
+  flatfile.cpp
+  headerssync.cpp
+  httprpc.cpp
+  httpserver.cpp
+  i2p.cpp
+  index/base.cpp
+  index/blockfilterindex.cpp
+  index/coinstatsindex.cpp
+  index/txindex.cpp
+  init.cpp
+  kernel/chain.cpp
+  kernel/checks.cpp
+  kernel/coinstats.cpp
+  kernel/context.cpp
+  kernel/cs_main.cpp
+  kernel/mempool_persist.cpp
+  mapport.cpp
+  net.cpp
+  netgroup.cpp
+  net_processing.cpp
+  node/blockstorage.cpp
+  node/caches.cpp
+  node/chainstate.cpp
+  node/chainstatemanager_args.cpp
+  node/coin.cpp
+  node/connection_types.cpp
+  node/context.cpp
+  node/eviction.cpp
+  node/interface_ui.cpp
+  node/interfaces.cpp
+  node/mempool_args.cpp
+  node/mempool_persist_args.cpp
+  node/miner.cpp
+  node/minisketchwrapper.cpp
+  node/psbt.cpp
+  node/transaction.cpp
+  node/txreconciliation.cpp
+  node/utxo_snapshot.cpp
+  node/validation_cache_args.cpp
+  noui.cpp
+  policy/fees.cpp
+  policy/fees_args.cpp
+  policy/packages.cpp
+  policy/rbf.cpp
+  policy/settings.cpp
+  pow.cpp
+  rest.cpp
+  rpc/blockchain.cpp
+  rpc/fees.cpp
+  rpc/mempool.cpp
+  rpc/mining.cpp
+  rpc/net.cpp
+  rpc/node.cpp
+  rpc/output_script.cpp
+  rpc/rawtransaction.cpp
+  rpc/server.cpp
+  rpc/server_util.cpp
+  rpc/signmessage.cpp
+  rpc/txoutproof.cpp
+  script/sigcache.cpp
+  shutdown.cpp
+  signet.cpp
+  timedata.cpp
+  torcontrol.cpp
+  txdb.cpp
+  txmempool.cpp
+  txorphanage.cpp
+  txrequest.cpp
+  validation.cpp
+  validationinterface.cpp
+  versionbits.cpp
+
+  dummywallet.cpp
+)
+target_link_libraries(bitcoin_node
+  PRIVATE
+    bitcoin_common
+    bitcoin_util
+    leveldb
+    minisketch
+    univalue
+    Boost::boost
+    $<$<NOT:$<PLATFORM_ID:Windows>>:PkgConfig::libevent_pthreads>
+)
+
+
+# Bitcoin Core bitcoind.
+if(BUILD_DAEMON)
+  add_executable(bitcoind
+    bitcoind.cpp
+    init/bitcoind.cpp
+  )
+  target_link_libraries(bitcoind
+    PRIVATE
+      bitcoin_node
+  )
+endif()
diff --git a/src/util/CMakeLists.txt b/src/util/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..b95cef138c7e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/util/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+# Copyright (c) 2023 The Bitcoin Core developers
+# Distributed under the MIT software license, see the accompanying
+# file COPYING or http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php.
+
+add_library(bitcoin_util STATIC EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL
+  asmap.cpp
+  bip32.cpp
+  bytevectorhash.cpp
+  check.cpp
+  error.cpp
+  fees.cpp
+  getuniquepath.cpp
+  hasher.cpp
+  message.cpp
+  moneystr.cpp
+  rbf.cpp
+  readwritefile.cpp
+  settings.cpp
+  serfloat.cpp
+  sock.cpp
+  spanparsing.cpp
+  strencodings.cpp
+  string.cpp
+  syscall_sandbox.cpp
+  syserror.cpp
+  system.cpp
+  thread.cpp
+  threadinterrupt.cpp
+  threadnames.cpp
+  time.cpp
+  tokenpipe.cpp
+  ../chainparamsbase.cpp
+  ../clientversion.cpp
+  ../fs.cpp
+  ../logging.cpp
+  ../random.cpp
+  ../randomenv.cpp
+  ../support/cleanse.cpp
+  ../support/lockedpool.cpp
+  ../sync.cpp
+)
+
+target_compile_definitions(bitcoin_util
+  PRIVATE
+    $<$<CXX_COMPILER_ID:MSVC>:_SILENCE_CXX17_CODECVT_HEADER_DEPRECATION_WARNING>
+)
+
+target_link_libraries(bitcoin_util
+  PRIVATE
+    bitcoin_crypto
+    univalue
+    Threads::Threads
+    $<TARGET_NAME_IF_EXISTS:std_filesystem>
+)