diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index b4aa0082..fadc2951 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -111,6 +111,9 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE(rrd_graph,AS_HELP_STRING([--disable-rrd_graph],[disable all rrd_gr
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(rrd_restore,AS_HELP_STRING([--disable-rrd_restore],[disable rrd_restore XML import functions]),
 [],[enable_rrd_restore=yes])
 
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(glib2,AS_HELP_STRING([--disable-glib2],[disable all glib2 functions]),
+[],[enable_glib2=yes])
+
 AM_CONDITIONAL(BUILD_DOCS,[test $enable_docs != no])
 AM_CONDITIONAL(BUILD_EXAMPLES,[test $enable_examples != no])
 AM_CONDITIONAL(BUILD_RRDCGI,[test $enable_rrdcgi != no])
@@ -574,6 +577,11 @@ AM_CONDITIONAL(BUILD_RRDGRAPH,[test $enable_rrd_graph != no])
 
 AM_CONDITIONAL(BUILD_RRDRESTORE,[test $enable_rrd_restore != no])
 
+if test $enable_glib2 != no; then
+ AC_DEFINE([HAVE_GLIB2], [], [is glib2 supported by this install])
+fi
+
+AS_IF([test "x$enable_glib2" != xno], [
 EX_CHECK_ALL(glib-2.0,   glib_check_version,            glib.h,                 glib-2.0,    2.28.7, ftp://ftp.gtk.org/pub/glib/2.28/, "")
 
 AC_CACHE_CHECK([whether we need to include gthreads for g_thread_init],
@@ -598,6 +606,14 @@ AC_CHECK_FUNC(g_regex_new,[
         AC_MSG_ERROR([you need either glib with g_regex support or libpcre to compile rrdtool.])
    ])
 ])
+], [
+   EX_CHECK_ALL(pcre,   pcre_compile,            pcre.h,                 pcre,    x.x.x, [get a newer glib and you will not need pcre at all],"")
+   AC_CHECK_FUNC(pcre_compile,[
+        AC_DEFINE(HAVE_PCRE_COMPILE,[1],[we have pcre to replace missing regexp support form glib])
+   ],[
+        AC_MSG_ERROR([you need either glib with g_regex support or libpcre to compile rrdtool.])
+   ])
+])
 
 
 
diff --git a/src/rrd_create.c b/src/rrd_create.c
index 0cb5b78c..122a2803 100644
--- a/src/rrd_create.c
+++ b/src/rrd_create.c
@@ -9,7 +9,9 @@
 #include <time.h>
 #include <locale.h>
 #include <math.h>
+#ifdef HAVE_GLIB2
 #include <glib.h>       // will use glist and regex
+#endif
 
 
 
@@ -56,11 +58,13 @@ static void reset_pdp_prep(
     rrd_t *rrd);
 static int rrd_init_data(
     rrd_t *rrd);
+#ifdef HAVE_GLIB2
 static int rrd_prefill_data(
     rrd_t *rrd,
     const GList *sources_rrd_files,
     mapping_t *mappings,
     int mappings_cnt);
+#endif
 static int positive_mod(
     int a,
     int b);
@@ -82,8 +86,10 @@ int rrd_create(
         {"start", 'b', OPTPARSE_REQUIRED},
         {"step", 's', OPTPARSE_REQUIRED},
         {"daemon", 'd', OPTPARSE_REQUIRED},
+#ifdef HAVE_GLIB2
         {"source", 'r', OPTPARSE_REQUIRED},
         {"template", 't', OPTPARSE_REQUIRED},
+#endif
         {"no-overwrite", 'O', OPTPARSE_NONE},
         {0},
     };
@@ -96,7 +102,9 @@ int rrd_create(
     int       rc = -1;
     char     *opt_daemon = NULL;
     int       opt_no_overwrite = 0;
+#ifdef HAVE_GLIB2
     GList    *sources = NULL;
+#endif
     const char **sources_array = NULL;
     char     *template = NULL;
 
@@ -153,6 +161,7 @@ int rrd_create(
             opt_no_overwrite = 1;
             break;
 
+#ifdef HAVE_GLIB2
         case 'r':{
             struct stat st;
 
@@ -201,6 +210,7 @@ int rrd_create(
             template = optcpy;
             break;
         }
+#endif
         case '?':
             rrd_set_error("%s", options.errmsg);
             rc = -1;
@@ -213,6 +223,7 @@ int rrd_create(
         goto done;
     }
 
+#ifdef HAVE_GLIB2
     if (sources != NULL) {
         sources_array = malloc((g_list_length(sources) + 1) * sizeof(char *));
         if (sources_array == NULL) {
@@ -227,6 +238,7 @@ int rrd_create(
         }
         sources_array[n] = NULL;
     }
+#endif
     rrdc_connect(opt_daemon);
     if (rrdc_is_connected(opt_daemon)) {
         rc = rrdc_create_r2(options.argv[options.optind],
@@ -248,6 +260,7 @@ int rrd_create(
         free((char **) sources_array);  /* Cast 'sources_array' from 'const char **' to 'char **' to avoid MSVC warning C4090 */
         sources_array = NULL;
     }
+#ifdef HAVE_GLIB2
     if (sources != NULL) {
         // this will free the list elements as well
         g_list_free_full(sources, (GDestroyNotify) free);
@@ -257,6 +270,7 @@ int rrd_create(
         free(template);
         template = NULL;
     }
+#endif
     if (opt_daemon != NULL) {
         free(opt_daemon);
     }
@@ -809,6 +823,7 @@ int rrd_create_r(
 }
 
 
+#ifdef HAVE_GLIB2
 static void cleanup_source_file(
     rrd_file_t *file)
 {
@@ -823,6 +838,7 @@ static void cleanup_source_file(
 
     rrd_close(file);
 }
+#endif
 
 int rrd_create_r2(
     const char *filename,
@@ -839,7 +855,9 @@ int rrd_create_r2(
     unsigned long hashed_name;
     int       rc = -1;
     struct stat stat_buf;
+#ifdef HAVE_GLIB2
     GList    *sources_rrd_files = NULL;
+#endif
     mapping_t *mappings = NULL;
     int       mappings_cnt = 0;
     const char *require_version = NULL;
@@ -1039,6 +1057,7 @@ int rrd_create_r2(
 
     rc = -1;            // reset rc to default error state
 
+#ifdef HAVE_GLIB2
     if (sources != NULL) {
         time_t    sources_latest_last_up = 0;
 
@@ -1075,11 +1094,14 @@ int rrd_create_r2(
         }
         rrd_prefill_data(&rrd, sources_rrd_files, mappings, mappings_cnt);
     }
+#endif
 
     rc = write_rrd(filename, &rrd);
 
   done:
+#ifdef HAVE_GLIB2
     g_list_free_full(sources_rrd_files, (GDestroyNotify) cleanup_source_file);
+#endif
 
     if (mappings) {
         int       ii;
@@ -1586,6 +1608,7 @@ int write_fh(
 #undef FWRITE_CHECK
 }                       /* int write_file */
 
+#ifdef HAVE_GLIB2
 static long overlap(
     time_t start1,
     time_t end1,
@@ -2765,6 +2788,7 @@ static int rrd_prefill_data(
 
     return rc;
 }
+#endif
 
 // calculate a % b, guaranteeing a positive result...
 static int positive_mod(
diff --git a/src/rrd_daemon.c b/src/rrd_daemon.c
index 9c36eb1e..eb01b1f5 100644
--- a/src/rrd_daemon.c
+++ b/src/rrd_daemon.c
@@ -111,7 +111,9 @@
 #endif                          /* HAVE_LIBWRAP */
 
 #include "rrd_strtod.h"
+#ifdef HAVE_GLIB2
 #include <glib.h>
+#endif
 /* }}} */
 
 #define RRDD_LOG(severity, ...) \
diff --git a/src/rrd_graph.h b/src/rrd_graph.h
index 4df32ec6..7e87c72b 100644
--- a/src/rrd_graph.h
+++ b/src/rrd_graph.h
@@ -26,7 +26,9 @@
 #include "rrd_tool.h"
 #include "rrd_rpncalc.h"
 
+#ifdef HAVE_GLIB2
 #include <glib.h>
+#endif
 
 
 #define ALTYGRID  	 0x01   /* use alternative y grid algorithm */
diff --git a/src/rrd_update.c b/src/rrd_update.c
index 831b8eed..b3f0845c 100644
--- a/src/rrd_update.c
+++ b/src/rrd_update.c
@@ -26,7 +26,9 @@
 
 #include "rrd_client.h"
 #include "rrd_update.h"
+#ifdef HAVE_GLIB2
 #include <glib.h>
+#endif
 
 #include "rrd_strtod.h"
 
@@ -357,6 +359,7 @@ rrd_info_t *rrd_update_v(
     return result;
 }
 
+#ifdef HAVE_GLIB2
 static char *rrd_get_file_template(const char *filename) /* {{{ */
 {
 	rrd_t rrd;
@@ -665,6 +668,7 @@ error:
 
 	return ret;
 } /* }}} int rrd_template_update */
+#endif
 
 int rrd_update(
     int argc,
@@ -672,7 +676,9 @@ int rrd_update(
 {
     struct optparse_long longopts[] = {
         {"template",          't', OPTPARSE_REQUIRED},
+#ifdef HAVE_GLIB2
         {"daemon",            'd', OPTPARSE_REQUIRED},
+#endif
         {"skip-past-updates", 's', OPTPARSE_NONE},
         {0},
     };
@@ -698,6 +704,7 @@ int rrd_update(
             extra_flags |= RRD_SKIP_PAST_UPDATES;
             break;
 
+#ifdef HAVE_GLIB2
         case 'd':
             if (opt_daemon != NULL) {
                 free (opt_daemon);
@@ -709,6 +716,7 @@ int rrd_update(
                 goto out;
             }
             break;
+#endif
 
         case '?':
             rrd_set_error("%s", options.errmsg);
@@ -729,7 +737,10 @@ int rrd_update(
              goto out;
         }
     }
-
+#ifndef HAVE_GLIB2
+    rc = rrd_updatex_r(options.argv[options.optind], tmplt,extra_flags,
+                       options.argc - options.optind - 1, (const char **) (options.argv + options.optind + 1));
+#else
     if (! rrdc_is_connected(opt_daemon))
     {
       rc = rrd_updatex_r(options.argv[options.optind], tmplt,extra_flags,
@@ -760,6 +771,7 @@ int rrd_update(
 			rrd_set_error("Failed sending the values to rrdcached: %s",
 				rrd_strerror (rc));
     }
+#endif
 
   out:
     if (tmplt != NULL)
diff --git a/src/rrd_utils.c b/src/rrd_utils.c
index cd0f80b0..0464e467 100644
--- a/src/rrd_utils.c
+++ b/src/rrd_utils.c
@@ -25,7 +25,9 @@
 
 #include <assert.h>
 #include <errno.h>
+#ifdef HAVE_GLIB2
 #include <glib.h>
+#endif
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <sys/types.h>
@@ -284,8 +286,10 @@ const char * rrd_scaled_duration (const char * token,
 
 void rrd_thread_init(void)
 {
+#ifdef HAVE_GLIB2
 #if !GLIB_CHECK_VERSION(2, 32, 0)
     if (!g_thread_supported())
         g_thread_init(NULL);
 #endif
+#endif
 }