diff --git a/autogen.sh b/autogen.sh
index 97cd052..a16e002 100755
--- a/autogen.sh
+++ b/autogen.sh
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ echo "${NAME}_CPPFLAGS = -I\$(srcdir)/$i/ ${COMMON_CPPFLAGS}" >>$OUT
 echo "${NAME}_CFLAGS = ${COMMON_CFLAGS}" >>$OUT
 echo "${NAME}_CXXFLAGS = ${COMMON_CXXFLAGS}" >>$OUT
 echo "${NAME}_LDFLAGS = ${COMMON_LDFLAGS}" >>$OUT
-echo "${NAME}_LDADD = -lgmp -lcrypto++ ${COMMON_LDADD} " >>$OUT
+echo "${NAME}_LDADD = -lgmp @CRYPTOPP_LIBS@ ${COMMON_LDADD} " >>$OUT
 
 libtoolize --force && aclocal && autoconf && automake --add-missing
 
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 293a785..bc4d7df 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -18,10 +18,24 @@ AC_PROG_INSTALL
 AC_CHECK_HEADERS([gmp.h], , AC_MSG_ERROR([Codecrypt requires gmp.h]))
 AC_CHECK_LIB(gmp, __gmpz_init, , AC_MSG_ERROR([Codecrypt requires libgmp]))
 
-#check for presence of Crypto++
-AC_LANG_PUSH([C++])
-AC_CHECK_HEADERS([crypto++/sha.h crypto++/tiger.h crypto++/ripemd.h], , AC_MSG_ERROR([Codecrypt requires Crypto++]))
-AC_LANG_POP([C++])
+#check whether to build with crypto++
+AC_ARG_WITH([cryptopp],
+	AC_HELP_STRING([--with-cryptopp],[Build algorithms that need Crypto++ support]),
+	[WITH_CRYPTOPP=$withval],
+	[WITH_CRYPTOPP=yes])
+
+#and check crypto++
+if test "$WITH_CRYPTOPP" = "yes"; then
+	
+	AC_LANG_PUSH([C++])
+	AC_CHECK_HEADERS([crypto++/sha.h crypto++/tiger.h crypto++/ripemd.h], , AC_MSG_ERROR([Codecrypt requires Crypto++]))
+	AC_LANG_POP([C++])
+
+	AC_DEFINE([HAVE_CRYPTOPP], [1])
+	AC_SUBST([CRYPTOPP_LIBS], [-lcryptopp])
+else
+	AC_DEFINE([HAVE_CRYPTOPP], [0])
+fi
 
 #check for standard functions
 AC_CHECK_FUNCS([memset mkdir], , AC_MSG_ERROR([Required function missing]))
diff --git a/src/algo_suite.cpp b/src/algo_suite.cpp
index 77788b8..b726de2 100644
--- a/src/algo_suite.cpp
+++ b/src/algo_suite.cpp
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@
 void fill_algorithm_suite (algorithm_suite&s)
 {
 #define do_alg(x) static x var_##x ; var_##x.register_into_suite(s);
+
+#if HAVE_CRYPTOPP==1
 	do_alg (algo_mceqd128);
 	do_alg (algo_mceqd192);
 	do_alg (algo_mceqd256);
@@ -33,6 +35,7 @@ void fill_algorithm_suite (algorithm_suite&s)
 	do_alg (algo_fmtseq128h20);
 	do_alg (algo_fmtseq192h20);
 	do_alg (algo_fmtseq256h20);
+#endif //HAVE_CRYPTOPP==1
 
 	do_alg (algo_mceqd128cube);
 	do_alg (algo_mceqd192cube);
diff --git a/src/algos_enc.cpp b/src/algos_enc.cpp
index 54b9009..cfbee2e 100644
--- a/src/algos_enc.cpp
+++ b/src/algos_enc.cpp
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ static int mceqd_create_keypair (sencode**pub, sencode**priv, prng&rng)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+#if HAVE_CRYPTOPP==1
+
 int algo_mceqd128::create_keypair (sencode**pub, sencode**priv, prng&rng)
 {
 	return mceqd_create_keypair<16, 7, 32, 4> (pub, priv, rng);
@@ -53,6 +55,8 @@ int algo_mceqd256::create_keypair (sencode**pub, sencode**priv, prng&rng)
 	return mceqd_create_keypair<16, 8, 32, 4> (pub, priv, rng);
 }
 
+#endif //HAVE_CRYPTOPP==1
+
 int algo_mceqd128cube::create_keypair (sencode**pub, sencode**priv, prng&rng)
 {
 	return mceqd_create_keypair<16, 7, 32, 4> (pub, priv, rng);
@@ -406,9 +410,10 @@ static int fo_decrypt (const bvector&cipher, bvector&plain,
  * Instances for actual encryption/descryption algorithms
  */
 
+#if HAVE_CRYPTOPP==1
+
 #include "sha_hash.h"
 #include "rmd_hash.h"
-#include "cube_hash.h"
 
 int algo_mceqd128::encrypt (const bvector&plain, bvector&cipher,
                             sencode* pubkey, prng&rng)
@@ -482,6 +487,10 @@ int algo_mceqd256::decrypt (const bvector&cipher, bvector&plain,
 	       (cipher, plain, privkey);
 }
 
+#endif //HAVE_CRYPTOPP==1
+
+#include "cube_hash.h"
+
 int algo_mceqd128cube::encrypt (const bvector&plain, bvector&cipher,
                                 sencode* pubkey, prng&rng)
 {
diff --git a/src/algos_enc.h b/src/algos_enc.h
index dc1381b..0d7e874 100644
--- a/src/algos_enc.h
+++ b/src/algos_enc.h
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@
 
 #include "algorithm.h"
 
+#if HAVE_CRYPTOPP==1
+
 /*
  * SHA-based variants
  */
@@ -91,6 +93,8 @@ public:
 	int create_keypair (sencode**pub, sencode**priv, prng&rng);
 };
 
+#endif //HAVE_CRYPTOPP==1
+
 /*
  * Cubehash-based variants
  */
diff --git a/src/algos_sig.cpp b/src/algos_sig.cpp
index 545f49c..4b20f15 100644
--- a/src/algos_sig.cpp
+++ b/src/algos_sig.cpp
@@ -19,9 +19,7 @@
 #include "algos_sig.h"
 
 #include "fmtseq.h"
-#include "sha_hash.h"
-#include "rmd_hash.h"
-#include "tiger_hash.h"
+#include "hash.h"
 #include "arcfour.h"
 
 /*
@@ -182,6 +180,12 @@ static int fmtseq_create_keypair (sencode**pub, sencode**priv, prng&rng)
  * actual instantiations
  */
 
+#if HAVE_CRYPTOPP==1
+
+#include "sha_hash.h"
+#include "rmd_hash.h"
+#include "tiger_hash.h"
+
 int algo_fmtseq128::sign (const bvector&msg,
                           bvector&sig,
                           sencode**privkey,
@@ -345,6 +349,8 @@ int algo_fmtseq256h20::create_keypair (sencode**pub, sencode**priv, prng&rng)
 	       (pub, priv, rng);
 }
 
+#endif //HAVE_CRYPTOPP==1
+
 /*
  * CubeHash variants of everything above.
  */
diff --git a/src/rmd_hash.h b/src/rmd_hash.h
index fae7841..e18be5c 100644
--- a/src/rmd_hash.h
+++ b/src/rmd_hash.h
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
 #ifndef _ccr_rmd_hash_h_
 #define _ccr_rmd_hash_h_
 
+#if HAVE_CRYPTOPP==1
+
 #include "hash.h"
 #include <crypto++/ripemd.h>
 
@@ -40,4 +42,6 @@ public:
 	}
 };
 
+#endif //HAVE_CRYPTOPP==1
+
 #endif
diff --git a/src/sha_hash.h b/src/sha_hash.h
index 7953bd3..6589b60 100644
--- a/src/sha_hash.h
+++ b/src/sha_hash.h
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@
 #ifndef _ccr_sha_hash_h_
 #define _ccr_sha_hash_h_
 
+#if HAVE_CRYPTOPP==1
+
 #include "hash.h"
 
 #include <crypto++/sha.h>
@@ -74,4 +76,6 @@ public:
 	}
 };
 
+#endif //HAVE_CRYPTOPP==1
+
 #endif
diff --git a/src/tiger_hash.h b/src/tiger_hash.h
index 5e42062..8c83744 100644
--- a/src/tiger_hash.h
+++ b/src/tiger_hash.h
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
 #ifndef _ccr_tiger_hash_h_
 #define _ccr_tiger_hash_h_
 
+#if HAVE_CRYPTOPP==1
+
 #include "hash.h"
 #include <crypto++/tiger.h>
 
@@ -40,4 +42,6 @@ public:
 	}
 };
 
+#endif //HAVE_CRYPTOPP==1
+
 #endif