diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 4a137d1ae..abd03bf0a 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,13 @@
+2006-12-13  Thomas Schwinge  <tschwinge@gnu.org>
+
+	* Makefile.in (enable_grub_emu): New variable.
+	* configure.ac (--enable-grub-emu): New option.
+	Do the checks for (n)curses only if `--enable-grub-emu' is requested.
+	* conf/i386-efi.rmk (sbin_UTILITIES): Add `grub-emu' only if requested.
+	* conf/i386-pc.rmk: Likewise.
+	* conf/powerpc-ieee1275.rmk: Likewise.
+	* conf/sparc64-ieee1275.rmk (bin_UTILITIES): Likewise.
+
 2006-12-12  Marco Gerards  <marco@gnu.org>
 
 	* include/grub/err.h (grub_err_t): Add `GRUB_ERR_MENU'.
diff --git a/Makefile.in b/Makefile.in
index e2ddbb2a1..35ba19159 100644
--- a/Makefile.in
+++ b/Makefile.in
@@ -73,6 +73,9 @@ LIBCURSES = @LIBCURSES@
 LIBLZO = @LIBLZO@
 YACC = @YACC@
 
+# Options.
+enable_grub_emu = @enable_grub_emu@
+
 ### General variables.
 
 RMKFILES = $(addprefix conf/,common.rmk i386-pc.rmk powerpc-ieee1275.rmk \
diff --git a/conf/i386-efi.rmk b/conf/i386-efi.rmk
index 61261bf13..d6b5d89cc 100644
--- a/conf/i386-efi.rmk
+++ b/conf/i386-efi.rmk
@@ -6,7 +6,10 @@ COMMON_LDFLAGS = -melf_i386 -nostdlib
 
 # Utilities.
 bin_UTILITIES = grub-mkimage
-#sbin_UTILITIES = grub-setup grub-emu grub-mkdevicemap grub-probe
+#sbin_UTILITIES = grub-setup grub-mkdevicemap grub-probe
+#ifeq ($(enable_grub_emu), yes)
+#sbin_UTILITIES += grub-emu
+#endif
 
 # For grub-mkimage.
 grub_mkimage_SOURCES = util/i386/efi/grub-mkimage.c util/misc.c \
diff --git a/conf/i386-pc.rmk b/conf/i386-pc.rmk
index c8e894189..80255776d 100644
--- a/conf/i386-pc.rmk
+++ b/conf/i386-pc.rmk
@@ -51,7 +51,10 @@ kernel_syms.lst: $(addprefix include/grub/,$(kernel_img_HEADERS)) config.h genke
 
 # Utilities.
 bin_UTILITIES = grub-mkimage
-sbin_UTILITIES = grub-setup grub-emu grub-mkdevicemap grub-probe
+sbin_UTILITIES = grub-setup grub-mkdevicemap grub-probe
+ifeq ($(enable_grub_emu), yes)
+sbin_UTILITIES += grub-emu
+endif
 
 # For grub-mkimage.
 grub_mkimage_SOURCES = util/i386/pc/grub-mkimage.c util/misc.c \
diff --git a/conf/powerpc-ieee1275.rmk b/conf/powerpc-ieee1275.rmk
index 7973fbac4..937c74ebd 100644
--- a/conf/powerpc-ieee1275.rmk
+++ b/conf/powerpc-ieee1275.rmk
@@ -26,7 +26,9 @@ pkgdata_PROGRAMS = kernel.elf
 
 # Utilities.
 bin_UTILITIES = grub-mkimage
-sbin_UTILITIES = grub-emu 
+ifeq ($(enable_grub_emu), yes)
+sbin_UTILITIES = grub-emu
+endif
  
 # For grub-mkimage.
 grub_mkimage_SOURCES = util/powerpc/ieee1275/grub-mkimage.c util/misc.c \
diff --git a/conf/sparc64-ieee1275.rmk b/conf/sparc64-ieee1275.rmk
index 44ade359e..d5c820c8f 100644
--- a/conf/sparc64-ieee1275.rmk
+++ b/conf/sparc64-ieee1275.rmk
@@ -29,7 +29,10 @@ kernel_syms.lst: $(addprefix include/grub/,$(kernel_elf_HEADERS)) config.h genke
 pkgdata_PROGRAMS = kernel.elf
 
 # Utilities.
-#bin_UTILITIES = grub-emu grub-mkimage
+#bin_UTILITIES = grub-mkimage
+#ifeq ($(enable_grub_emu), yes)
+#bin_UTILITIES += grub-emu
+#endif
 
 # For grub-mkimage.
 grub_mkimage_SOURCES = util/sparc64/ieee1275/grub-mkimage.c util/misc.c \
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 17484dd92..ba205b501 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -145,14 +145,6 @@ if test "$target_cpu"-"$platform" = i386-pc; then
   AC_CHECK_HEADERS(lzo/lzo1x.h lzo1x.h)
 fi
 
-# Check for curses.
-AC_CHECK_LIB(ncurses, wgetch, [LIBCURSES="-lncurses"],
-  [AC_CHECK_LIB(curses, wgetch, [LIBCURSES="-lcurses"])])
-AC_SUBST(LIBCURSES)
-
-# Check for headers.
-AC_CHECK_HEADERS(ncurses/curses.h ncurses.h curses.h)
-
 # Check for functions.
 AC_CHECK_FUNCS(posix_memalign memalign)
 
@@ -265,13 +257,35 @@ CPPFLAGS="$tmp_CPPFLAGS"
 LDFLAGS="$tmp_LDFLAGS"
 LIBS="$tmp_LIBS"
 
+#
 # Check for options.
+#
+
+# Memory manager debugging.
 AC_ARG_ENABLE([mm-debug], 
 	      AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-mm-debug],
                              [include memory manager debugging]),
               [AC_DEFINE([MM_DEBUG], [1],
                          [Define to 1 if you enable memory manager debugging.])])
 
+AC_ARG_ENABLE([grub-emu],
+	      [AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-grub-emu],
+                             [build and install the `grub-emu' debugging utility])])
+[if [ x"$enable_grub_emu" = xyes ]; then
+  # Check for curses libraries.]
+  AC_CHECK_LIB([ncurses], [wgetch], [LIBCURSES="-lncurses"],
+    [AC_CHECK_LIB([curses], [wgetch], [LIBCURSES="-lcurses"],
+      [AC_MSG_ERROR([(n)curses libraries are required to build `grub-emu'])])])
+  AC_SUBST([LIBCURSES])
+
+  [# Check for headers.]
+  AC_CHECK_HEADERS([ncurses/curses.h], [],
+    [AC_CHECK_HEADERS([ncurses.h], [],
+      [AC_CHECK_HEADERS([curses.h], [],
+	[AC_MSG_ERROR([(n)curses header files are required to build `grub-emu'])])])])
+[fi]
+AC_SUBST([enable_grub_emu])
+
 # Output files.
 AC_CONFIG_LINKS([include/grub/cpu:include/grub/$target_cpu
 	include/grub/machine:include/grub/$target_cpu/$platform])