diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 233fc88..92a2814 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE(render,
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(ffmpeg,
  [  --enable-ffmpeg         Enable ffmpeg decoder support (default: enabled)],
  [enable_ffmpeg=$enableval],[enable_ffmpeg=yes])
+AC_ARG_WITH(sys-expat,
+ [  --with-sys-expat        Use the system expat library (default: use bundled expat library)],
+ [], [with_sys_expat=no])
 
 AC_MSG_CHECKING(for install location)
 case "$prefix" in
@@ -165,6 +168,15 @@ if test x$enable_ffmpeg = xyes; then
   LIBS="$LIBS $FFMPEG_LIBS"
 fi
 
+dnl check if system expat requested
+if test "x$with_sys_expat" = "xyes"; then
+  AC_CHECK_LIB([expat],[XML_ParserCreate],[SYS_EXPAT="yes"])
+  if test "x$SYS_EXPAT" = "x" ; then
+    AC_MSG_WARN([system expat library not found, will use built-in instead])
+	with_sys_expat=no
+  fi
+fi
+AM_CONDITIONAL(SYS_EXPAT, [test x$with_sys_expat = xyes])
 
 dnl vars
 AC_SUBST(LDFLAGS)
diff --git a/src/svgxml/Makefile.am b/src/svgxml/Makefile.am
index 28ef05c..72370ea 100644
--- a/src/svgxml/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/svgxml/Makefile.am
@@ -1,7 +1,15 @@
+if SYS_EXPAT
+SUBDIRS =
+else
 SUBDIRS = expat
+endif
 
 noinst_LTLIBRARIES = libwxsvgxml.la
 libwxsvgxml_la_SOURCES = svgxml.cpp svgxmlhelpr.cpp
+if SYS_EXPAT
+libwxsvgxml_la_LIBADD = -lexpat
+else
 libwxsvgxml_la_LIBADD = expat/libexpat.la
+endif
 
 INCLUDES = -I$(top_builddir)/include/wxSVGXML