diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index d9d6f6c..0ff2914 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+vNEXT:
+	Added USELIBPCRE to make use of regex engine
+	optional.
+
 v1.17: 	09MAR2015
 	Support RFC5952-style IPv6 addresses, e.g. [::]:443.
 
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 342ef13..001e7f5 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 VERSION=$(shell ./genver.sh -r)
 USELIBCONFIG=1	# Use libconfig? (necessary to use configuration files)
+USELIBPCRE=1	# Use libpcre? (necessary to use regex probe)
 USELIBWRAP?=	# Use libwrap?
 USELIBCAP=	# Use libcap?
 COV_TEST= 	# Perform test coverage?
@@ -29,6 +30,10 @@ ifneq ($(strip $(USELIBWRAP)),)
 	CPPFLAGS+=-DLIBWRAP
 endif
 
+ifneq ($(strip $(USELIBPCRE)),)
+	CPPFLAGS+=-DLIBPCRE
+endif
+
 ifneq ($(strip $(USELIBCONFIG)),)
 	LIBS:=$(LIBS) -lconfig
 	CPPFLAGS+=-DLIBCONFIG
diff --git a/probe.c b/probe.c
index a2b2218..c5500b5 100644
--- a/probe.c
+++ b/probe.c
@@ -21,7 +21,9 @@
 
 #define _GNU_SOURCE
 #include <stdio.h>
+#ifdef LIBPCRE
 #include <regex.h>
+#endif
 #include <ctype.h>
 #include "probe.h"
 
@@ -244,6 +246,7 @@ static int is_adb_protocol(const char *p, int len, struct proto *proto)
 
 static int regex_probe(const char *p, int len, struct proto *proto)
 {
+#ifdef LIBPCRE
     regex_t **probe = proto->data;
     regmatch_t pos = { 0, len };
 
@@ -251,6 +254,11 @@ static int regex_probe(const char *p, int len, struct proto *proto)
         /* try them all */;
 
     return (*probe != NULL);
+#else
+    /* Should never happen as we check when loading config file */
+    fprintf(stderr, "FATAL: regex probe called but not built in\n");
+    exit(5);
+#endif
 }
 
 /* 
diff --git a/sslh-main.c b/sslh-main.c
index 607b44f..2029856 100644
--- a/sslh-main.c
+++ b/sslh-main.c
@@ -25,7 +25,9 @@
 #ifdef LIBCONFIG
 #include <libconfig.h>
 #endif
+#ifdef LIBPCRE
 #include <regex.h>
+#endif
 
 #include "common.h"
 #include "probe.h"
@@ -174,6 +176,7 @@ static int config_listen(config_t *config, struct addrinfo **listen)
 #ifdef LIBCONFIG
 static void setup_regex_probe(struct proto *p, config_setting_t* probes)
 {
+#ifdef LIBPCRE
     int num_probes, errsize, i, res;
     char *err;
     const char * expr;
@@ -201,6 +204,10 @@ static void setup_regex_probe(struct proto *p, config_setting_t* probes)
             exit(1);
         }
     }
+#else
+    fprintf(stderr, "line %d: regex probe specified but not compiled in\n", config_setting_source_line(probes));
+    exit(5);
+#endif
 }
 #endif