diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index d276716ad..4ec7ad612 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+2013-11-12  Vladimir Serbinenko  <phcoder@gmail.com>
+
+	* configure.ac: Allow disabling themes.
+
 2013-11-12  Lukas Schwaighofer <lukas@schwaighofer.name>
 
 	* util/grub.d/20_linux_xen.in: Don't decompress initrd.
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 343d5f401..a0f17a2db 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1143,7 +1143,14 @@ DJVU_FONT_SOURCE=
 
 starfield_excuse=
 
-if test x"$enable_build_grub_mkfont" = xno ; then
+AC_ARG_ENABLE([grub-themes],
+	      [AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-grub-themes],
+                             [build and install GRUB themes (default=guessed)])])
+if test x"$enable_grub_themes" = xno ; then
+  starfield_excuse="explicitly disabled"
+fi
+
+if test x"$starfield_excuse" = x && test x"$enable_build_grub_mkfont" = xno ; then
   starfield_excuse="No build-time grub-mkfont"
 fi
 
@@ -1162,6 +1169,10 @@ if test x"$starfield_excuse" = x; then
    fi
 fi
 
+if test x"$enable_grub_themes" = xyes &&  test x"$starfield_excuse" != x; then
+   AC_MSG_ERROR([themes were explicitly requested but requirements are not satisfied])
+fi
+
 AC_SUBST([DJVU_FONT_SOURCE])
 
 FONT_SOURCE=