diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 7d549aac..b68c1c22 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -110,6 +110,14 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE(coredump,
 AC_MSG_CHECKING([if we should build libunwind-coredump])
 AC_MSG_RESULT([$enable_coredump])
 
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(ptrace,
+	AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-ptrace],[building libunwind-ptrace library]),,
+        [AC_CHECK_HEADER([sys/ptrace.h], [enable_ptrace=yes], [enable_ptrace=no])]
+)
+
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([if we should build libunwind-ptrace])
+AC_MSG_RESULT([$enable_ptrace])
+
 AC_MSG_CHECKING([for build architecture])
 AC_MSG_RESULT([$build_arch])
 AC_MSG_CHECKING([for host architecture])
@@ -120,6 +128,7 @@ AC_MSG_CHECKING([for target operating system])
 AC_MSG_RESULT([$target_os])
 
 AM_CONDITIONAL(BUILD_COREDUMP, test x$enable_coredump = xyes)
+AM_CONDITIONAL(BUILD_PTRACE, test x$enable_ptrace = xyes)
 AM_CONDITIONAL(REMOTE_ONLY, test x$target_arch != x$host_arch)
 AM_CONDITIONAL(ARCH_ARM, test x$target_arch = xarm)
 AM_CONDITIONAL(ARCH_IA64, test x$target_arch = xia64)
diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index adfbef36..5bc4b3e0 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -9,7 +9,10 @@ COMMON_SO_LDFLAGS =	-XCClinker -nostartfiles
 lib_LIBRARIES =
 lib_LTLIBRARIES =
 if !REMOTE_ONLY
-lib_LTLIBRARIES += libunwind.la libunwind-ptrace.la
+lib_LTLIBRARIES += libunwind.la
+if BUILD_PTRACE
+lib_LTLIBRARIES += libunwind-ptrace.la
+endif
 if BUILD_COREDUMP
 lib_LTLIBRARIES += libunwind-coredump.la
 endif
@@ -22,8 +25,11 @@ pkgconfigdir = $(libdir)/pkgconfig
 pkgconfig_DATA = libunwind-generic.pc
 
 if !REMOTE_ONLY
-pkgconfig_DATA += unwind/libunwind.pc ptrace/libunwind-ptrace.pc         \
-                  setjmp/libunwind-setjmp.pc
+pkgconfig_DATA += unwind/libunwind.pc setjmp/libunwind-setjmp.pc
+endif
+
+if BUILD_PTRACE
+pkgconfig_DATA += ptrace/libunwind-ptrace.pc
 endif
 
 if BUILD_COREDUMP
diff --git a/tests/Makefile.am b/tests/Makefile.am
index a7700622..fc5529d9 100644
--- a/tests/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/Makefile.am
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ if USE_ALTIVEC
 endif #USE_ALTIVEC
 endif #ARCH_PPC64
 endif #!ARCH_IA64
- check_SCRIPTS_cdep =	run-ptrace-mapper run-ptrace-misc
+ check_SCRIPTS_cdep =
  check_PROGRAMS_cdep =	Gtest-bt Ltest-bt Gtest-exc Ltest-exc		 \
 			Gtest-init Ltest-init				 \
 			Gtest-concurrent Ltest-concurrent		 \
@@ -45,12 +45,16 @@ endif #!ARCH_IA64
 			Gtest-dyn1 Ltest-dyn1				 \
 			Gtest-trace Ltest-trace				 \
 			test-async-sig test-flush-cache test-init-remote \
-			test-mem test-setjmp test-ptrace Ltest-varargs	 \
+			test-mem test-setjmp Ltest-varargs	 \
 			Ltest-nomalloc Ltest-nocalloc Lrs-race
- noinst_PROGRAMS_cdep = forker crasher mapper test-ptrace-misc		 \
-			Gperf-simple Lperf-simple
+ noinst_PROGRAMS_cdep = forker crasher Gperf-simple Lperf-simple \
+			Gperf-trace Lperf-trace
 
- noinst_PROGRAMS_cdep += Gperf-trace Lperf-trace
+if BUILD_PTRACE
+ check_SCRIPTS_cdep += run-ptrace-mapper run-ptrace-misc
+ check_PROGRAMS_cdep += test-ptrace
+ noinst_PROGRAMS_cdep += mapper test-ptrace-misc
+endif
 
 if SUPPORT_CXX_EXCEPTIONS
  check_PROGRAMS_cdep += Ltest-cxx-exceptions