--- recutils-1.7/configure.ac
+++ recutils-1.7/configure.ac
@@ -85,17 +85,32 @@
 fi
 AC_SUBST([CHECKLIBS])
 
+AC_ARG_ENABLE([curl],
+              AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-curl],
+                             [Enable support for remote descriptors using libcurl (default is YES)]),
+              [curl_enabled=$enableval], [curl_enabled=yes])
 have_curl=no
-AC_CHECK_LIB([curl],[curl_global_init],[have_curl=yes],)
-if test "x$have_curl" = "xyes"; then
-   CURLLIBS=-lcurl
+if test "x$curl_enabled" = "xyes"; then
+   AC_CHECK_LIB([curl],[curl_global_init],[have_curl=yes],)
+   if test "x$have_curl" = "xyes"; then
+       CURLLIBS=-lcurl
+   else
+       AC_MSG_ERROR([curl support enabled but libcurl not found])
+   fi
 fi
 AC_SUBST([CURLLIBS])
 
+AC_ARG_ENABLE([uuid],
+              AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-uuid],
+                             [Compile recutils with support for uuid types (default is YES)]),
+              [uuid_enabled=$enableval], [uuid_enabled=yes])
+
 have_uuid=no
-AC_CHECK_LIB([uuid],[uuid_generate],[have_uuid=yes],)
-if test "x$have_uuid" = "xyes"; then
-   UUIDLIBS=-luuid
+if test "x$uuid_enabled" = "xyes"; then
+   AC_CHECK_LIB([uuid],[uuid_generate],[have_uuid=yes],)
+      if test "x$have_uuid" = "xyes"; then
+         UUIDLIBS=-luuid
+      fi
 fi
 AC_SUBST([UUIDLIBS])
 AC_SUBST([have_uuid])
@@ -119,32 +134,42 @@
 AM_CONDITIONAL([CRYPT], [test "x$crypt_support" = "xyes"])
 AC_SUBST([crypt_support])
 
-have_glib=no
-PKG_CHECK_MODULES([GLIB], [glib-2.0 >= 2.0.0],
-                  [have_glib=yes], [have_glib=no])
-
+AC_ARG_ENABLE([mdb],
+              AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-mdb],
+                             [Build the mdb2rec utility (default is YES)]),
+              [mdb_enabled=$enableval], [mdb_enabled=yes])
 have_mdb=no
-AC_CHECK_LIB([mdb],[mdb_init],[have_mdb=yes],)
-if test "x$have_mdb" = "xyes"; then
-   MDBLIBS=-lmdb
-
-   OLD_CFLAGS=$CFLAGS
-   CFLAGS="$CFLAGS $pkg_cv_GLIB_CFLAGS"
-   mdb_uses_sdatetime=no
-   AC_CHECK_DECL([MDB_SDATETIME],[mdb_uses_sdatetime=yes],,[#include <glib.h>
+if test "x$mdb_enabled" = "xyes"; then
+   AC_CHECK_LIB([mdb],[mdb_init],[have_mdb=yes],)
+   if test "x$have_mdb" = "xyes"; then
+       MDBLIBS=-lmdb
+
+       OLD_CFLAGS=$CFLAGS
+       CFLAGS="$CFLAGS $pkg_cv_GLIB_CFLAGS"
+       mdb_uses_sdatetime=no
+       AC_CHECK_DECL([MDB_SDATETIME],[mdb_uses_sdatetime=yes],,[#include <glib.h>
 #include <mdbtools.h>])
-   CFLAGS=$OLD_CFLAGS
+       CFLAGS=$OLD_CFLAGS
 
-   if test "x$mdb_uses_sdatetime" = "xyes"; then
-      MDB_DATETIME="MDB_SDATETIME"
+       if test "x$mdb_uses_sdatetime" = "xyes"; then
+          MDB_DATETIME="MDB_SDATETIME"
+       else
+        MDB_DATETIME="MDB_DATETIME"
+       fi
    else
-      MDB_DATETIME="MDB_DATETIME"
+       AC_MSG_ERROR([mdb support enabled but libmdb not found])
    fi
 
    AC_SUBST([MDB_DATETIME])
 fi
 AC_SUBST([MDBLIBS])
 
+have_glib=no
+if test "x$mdb_enabled" = "xyes"; then
+    PKG_CHECK_MODULES([GLIB], [glib-2.0 >= 2.0.0],
+                      [have_glib=yes], [have_glib=no])
+fi
+
 AM_CONDITIONAL([COMPILE_MDB2REC],
                [test "x$have_glib" = "xyes" && test "x$have_mdb" = "xyes"])
 AM_CONDITIONAL([REMOTE_DESCRIPTORS], [test "x$have_curl" = "xyes"])
@@ -233,29 +258,6 @@
 
 dnl Report warnings
 
-if test "x$have_check" = "xno"; then
-   echo "warning: libcheck was not found in the system."
-   echo "warning: unit tests wont be compiled and executed upon make check."
-fi
-
-if test "x$have_mdb" = "xno"; then
-   echo "warning: libmdb was not found in the system."
-   echo "warning: the mdb2rec utility won't get built."
-fi
-
-if test "x$have_glib" = "xno"; then
-   echo "warning: glib was not found in the system."
-   echo "warning: the mdb2rec utility won't get built."
-fi
-
-if test "x$crypt_support" = "xno"; then
-   echo "warning: building recutils without encryption support."
-fi
-
-if test "x$have_uuid" = "xno"; then
-   echo "warning: building recutils without support for uuid types."
-fi
-
 if test "x$bash_headers_available" = "xno" || test "x$bash_builtins_enabled" = "xno"; then
    echo "warning: not building the recutils bash builtins."
 fi