diff -ru a/configure.in b/configure.in
--- a/configure.in	2009-10-21 06:38:24.000000000 +0900
+++ b/configure.in	2009-10-21 06:48:06.000000000 +0900
@@ -500,20 +500,30 @@
 # ===================
 # GConf configuration
 
+AC_ARG_WITH([gconf],
+            AC_HELP_STRING([--without-gconf], [Build without gconf (default: check)]),
+            [],
+            [with_gconf=check])
+
 dnl The following conditional is set in AM_GCONF_SOURCE_2.
 dnl Because we may skip its execution, we have to set a default here.
 AM_CONDITIONAL([GCONF_SCHEMAS_INSTALL], [false])
 
-dnl Don't publish the GCONFTOOL variable, AM_GCONF_SOURCE_2 has ``gconftool-2'' hardwired.
-m4_pattern_allow([^AM_GCONF_SOURCE_2$])
 GCONFTOOL=
-AC_CHECK_PROG([GCONFTOOL], [gconftool-2], [gconftool-2], [no])
-if test "x$GCONFTOOL" = "xno"; then
-    AC_MSG_WARN([thumbnailer will not be built, unable to find gconftool-2])
+if test "x$with_gconf" = "xyes" -o "x$with_gconf" = "xcheck"; then
+	dnl Don't publish the GCONFTOOL variable, AM_GCONF_SOURCE_2 has ``gconftool-2'' hardwired.
+	m4_pattern_allow([^AM_GCONF_SOURCE_2$])
+	AC_CHECK_PROG([GCONFTOOL], [gconftool-2], [gconftool-2], [no])
+	if test "x$GCONFTOOL" = "xno"; then
+	    AC_MSG_WARN([thumbnailer will not be built, unable to find gconftool-2])
+	else
+	    AM_GCONF_SOURCE_2
+	fi
 else
-    AM_GCONF_SOURCE_2
+	AC_MSG_WARN([thumbnailer will not be built, gconf support is disabled])
 fi
 AM_CONDITIONAL(WITH_GCONF, test "x$GCONFTOOL" != "xno")
+# ===================
 
 LDFLAGS="-no-undefined $LDFLAGS"