diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 7da5465e..a84c8a36 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -146,10 +146,16 @@ PKG_CHECK_MODULES([glib],     [glib-2.0 >= ${glib_min_version} gio-unix-2.0 gmod
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([GLIB_VERSION_MIN_REQUIRED], [(G_ENCODE_VERSION(${glib_min_major},${glib_min_minor}))], [The lower GLib version supported])
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([GLIB_VERSION_MAX_ALLOWED], [(G_ENCODE_VERSION(${glib_min_major},${glib_min_minor}))], [The highest GLib version supported])
 GW_CHECK_XCB([xcb-aux xcb-xkb xkbcommon xkbcommon-x11 xcb-ewmh xcb-icccm xcb-cursor xcb-randr xcb-xinerama ])
+
+
+AC_ARG_ENABLE([imdkit], AS_HELP_STRING([--disable-imdkit], [Build with checks using check library (default: enabled)]))
+
+AS_IF([test "x${enable_imdkit}" != "xno"], [
 PKG_CHECK_MODULES([imdclient], [xcb-imdkit <= 1.0.2 ],
                   [AC_DEFINE([XCB_IMDKIT_1_0_3_LOWER], [1], [Indicate lower version of imdclient])
                   AC_DEFINE([XCB_IMDKIT],[1], [IMD Kit missing])],
                   [PKG_CHECK_MODULES([imdclient], [xcb-imdkit >= 1.0.3],[AC_DEFINE([XCB_IMDKIT],[1], [IMD Kit missing])],[HAVE_IMDKIT=0])])
+])
 PKG_CHECK_MODULES([pango],    [pango pangocairo])
 PKG_CHECK_MODULES([cairo],    [cairo cairo-xcb])
 PKG_CHECK_MODULES([libsn],    [libstartup-notification-1.0 ])
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index ab6ba486..5aa3d483 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -74,25 +74,27 @@ deps += [
     dependency('libstartup-notification-1.0'),
 ]
 
-imdkit_new  = dependency('xcb-imdkit', version: '>= 1.0.3', required: false)
-imdkit_old  = dependency('xcb-imdkit', version: '<= 1.0.2', required: false)
+header_conf = configuration_data()
+if get_option('imdkit')
+  imdkit_new  = dependency('xcb-imdkit', version: '>= 1.0.3', required: false)
+  imdkit_old  = dependency('xcb-imdkit', version: '<= 1.0.2', required: false)
+  if imdkit_new.found()
+    deps += imdkit_new
+    header_conf.set('XCB_IMDKIT_1_0_3_LOWER', false)
+    header_conf.set('XCB_IMDKIT', true)
+  elif imdkit_old.found()
+    deps+= imdkit_old
+    header_conf.set('XCB_IMDKIT_1_0_3_LOWER', true)
+    header_conf.set('XCB_IMDKIT', true)
+  else
+    header_conf.set('XCB_IMDKIT_1_0_3_LOWER', false)
+    header_conf.set('XCB_IMDKIT', false)
+  endif
+endif
 
 
 check = dependency('check', version: '>= 0.11.0', required: get_option('check'))
-header_conf = configuration_data()
 
-if imdkit_new.found()
-  deps += imdkit_new
-  header_conf.set('XCB_IMDKIT_1_0_3_LOWER', false)
-  header_conf.set('XCB_IMDKIT', true)
-elif imdkit_old.found()
-  deps+= imdkit_old
-  header_conf.set('XCB_IMDKIT_1_0_3_LOWER', true)
-  header_conf.set('XCB_IMDKIT', true)
-else
-  header_conf.set('XCB_IMDKIT_1_0_3_LOWER', false)
-  header_conf.set('XCB_IMDKIT', false)
-endif
 
 
 header_conf.set_quoted('PACKAGE_NAME', meson.project_name())
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 08fb0de0..9ca68fc6 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 option('drun', type: 'boolean', value: true, description: 'Desktop file mode')
 option('window', type: 'boolean', value: true, description: 'Window switcher mode')
 option('check', type: 'feature', description: 'Build and run libcheck-based tests')
+option('imdkit', type: 'boolean', value: true, description: 'IMDKit support')