--- configure.ac	2011-04-30 17:59:31.703059001 +0200
+++ configure.ac	2011-04-30 18:01:37.189725667 +0200
@@ -151,15 +151,20 @@ 
 dnl video4linux/hardware dependent tools. Else, undefine HAVE_V4L
 
 have_video4linux=false
+AC_ARG_WITH([v4l], AC_HELP_STRING([--without-v4l], [Disable v4l1 API]))
+AS_IF([test "x$with_v4l" != "xno"], [
 case $host in
   *-*-linux*)
   AC_CHECK_HEADER(linux/videodev.h,
                   [have_video4linux=true
                    AC_DEFINE(HAVE_V4L, 1,
-		             [Building for Linux - using the video4linux API])],
-                  [AC_MSG_ERROR([videodev.h not found - please install the linux kernel headers])])
-   ;;
-esac
+		             [Building for Linux - using the video4linux API])], [])
+  ;; 
+esac])
+
+AS_IF([test "x$have_video4linux" != "xtrue" && test "x$with_v4l" != "xno"],
+        [have_video4linux=false
+	 AC_MSG_WARN([videodev.h not found - please install the linux kernel headers programms needing v4l disabled])])
 AM_CONDITIONAL(HAVE_V4L, test x$have_video4linux = xtrue)
 
 dnl *********************************************************************