diff --git a/wscript b/wscript
index dae8ab6..af7da25 100644
--- a/wscript
+++ b/wscript
@@ -11,16 +11,21 @@ out = 'build'
 
 def options(opt):
   opt.load('compiler_cxx')
+  opt.add_option('--disable-vlc', action='store_true', default=False, help='disable libvlc')
 
 def configure(conf):
   conf.load('compiler_cxx')
 
+  conf.env.DISABLE_VLC=conf.options.disable_vlc
+
   conf.check(header_name='jack/jack.h')
   conf.check(header_name='fftw3.h')
   conf.check(header_name='samplerate.h')
   conf.check(header_name='sys/ipc.h')
   conf.check(header_name='sys/shm.h')
-  conf.check(header_name='vlc/vlc.h')
+
+  if not conf.options.disable_vlc:
+    conf.check(header_name='vlc/vlc.h')
 
   conf.check(header_name='X11/Xlib.h', auto_add_header_name=True)
   conf.check(header_name='X11/extensions/Xrender.h')
@@ -33,10 +38,12 @@ def configure(conf):
   conf.check(lib='X11', uselib_store='X11')
   conf.check(lib='Xext', uselib_store='Xext')
   conf.check(lib='Xrender', uselib_store='Xrender')
-  conf.check(lib='vlc', uselib_store='vlc')
   conf.check(lib='m', uselib_store='m', mandatory=False)
   conf.check(lib='pthread', uselib_store='pthread', mandatory=False)
 
+  if not conf.options.disable_vlc:
+    conf.check(lib='vlc', uselib_store='vlc')
+
   conf.check(function_name='clock_gettime', header_name='time.h', mandatory=False)
   conf.check(function_name='clock_gettime', header_name='time.h', lib='rt', uselib_store='rt', mandatory=False,
              msg='Checking for clock_gettime in librt')
@@ -77,18 +84,19 @@ def build(bld):
               cxxflags='-Wall -g -DUTILNAMESPACE=BitX11Util',
               target='bitx11')
 
-  bld.program(source='src/bitvlc/main.cpp\
-                      src/bitvlc/bitvlc.cpp\
-                      src/util/condition.cpp\
-                      src/util/debugwindow.cpp\
-                      src/util/log.cpp\
-                      src/util/misc.cpp\
-                      src/util/mutex.cpp\
-                      src/util/thread.cpp\
-                      src/util/timeutils.cpp\
-                      src/util/tcpsocket.cpp',
-              use=['m', 'rt', 'X11', 'Xrender', 'Xext', 'vlc'],
-              includes='./src',
-              cxxflags='-Wall -g -DUTILNAMESPACE=BitVlcUtil',
-              target='bitvlc')
+  if not bld.env.DISABLE_VLC:
+    bld.program(source='src/bitvlc/main.cpp\
+                        src/bitvlc/bitvlc.cpp\
+                        src/util/condition.cpp\
+                        src/util/debugwindow.cpp\
+                        src/util/log.cpp\
+                        src/util/misc.cpp\
+                        src/util/mutex.cpp\
+                        src/util/thread.cpp\
+                        src/util/timeutils.cpp\
+                        src/util/tcpsocket.cpp',
+                use=['m', 'rt', 'X11', 'Xrender', 'Xext', 'vlc'],
+                includes='./src',
+                cxxflags='-Wall -g -DUTILNAMESPACE=BitVlcUtil',
+                target='bitvlc')