diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -47,6 +47,14 @@ AC_FUNC_MALLOC
 AC_TYPE_PID_T
 AC_TYPE_SIZE_T
 
+# selective compilation
+AC_ARG_ENABLE([server],
+	[AS_HELP_STRING([--disable-server],[Don't build the distren server])],
+	[enable_server=$enableval],
+	[enable_server=yes])
+AM_CONDITIONAL([ENABLE_SERVER],
+	[test "x$enable_server" = "xyes"])
+
 # to grab GNU-specific function prototypes for the following functions:
 # getline
 AC_DEFINE([_GNU_SOURCE], [1])
diff --git a/src/server/Makefile.am b/src/server/Makefile.am
--- a/src/server/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/server/Makefile.am
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
+bin_PROGRAMS =
+if ENABLE_SERVER
+bin_PROGRAMS += distrend distrenslave
+endif
+
 COMMON_SOURCES =  slavefuncs.c slavefuncs.h distrenjob.c distrenjob.h
 
-bin_PROGRAMS = distrend distrenslave
 distrend_SOURCES = distrend.c distrend.h ${COMMON_SOURCES} user_mgr.c user_mgr.h listen.h listen.c
 distrend_LDADD = @top_builddir@/src/common/libdistrencommon.la @DISTLIBS_LDADD@ @LIST_LIBS@
 distrend_LDFLAGS = @DISTLIBS_LDFLAGS@