diff --git a/src/librawspeed/metadata/CameraMetaData.h b/src/librawspeed/metadata/CameraMetaData.h
index e0fd83143..c745afebf 100644
--- a/src/librawspeed/metadata/CameraMetaData.h
+++ b/src/librawspeed/metadata/CameraMetaData.h
@@ -41,7 +41,8 @@ struct CameraId {
   }
 };
 
-class CameraMetaData final {
+// NOTE: *NOT* `final`, could be derived from by downstream.
+class CameraMetaData {
 public:
   CameraMetaData() = default;
 
diff --git a/test/librawspeed/metadata/CameraMetaDataTest.cpp b/test/librawspeed/metadata/CameraMetaDataTest.cpp
index 8d3af21a4..0e9c25350 100644
--- a/test/librawspeed/metadata/CameraMetaDataTest.cpp
+++ b/test/librawspeed/metadata/CameraMetaDataTest.cpp
@@ -36,6 +36,10 @@ namespace rawspeed_test {
 
 static const std::string camfile(RAWSPEED_SOURCE_DIR "/data/cameras.xml");
 
+TEST(CameraMetaDataTest, CompileTimeCanInherit) {
+  struct MyCameraMetaData : public CameraMetaData {};
+}
+
 TEST(CameraMetaDataTest, CamerasXml) {
   ASSERT_NO_THROW({ CameraMetaData Data(camfile.c_str()); });