diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 02583fe..82fdd5d 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -14,6 +14,12 @@
 providersdir = ${libdir}/ipmid-providers
 providers_LTLIBRARIES =
 
+if FEATURE_IPMI_WHITELIST
+IPMI_WHITELIST_SOURCE = ipmiwhitelist.cpp
+else
+IPMI_WHITELIST_SOURCE =
+endif
+
 bin_PROGRAMS = \
 	ipmid
 
@@ -28,7 +34,7 @@
 	fru-read-gen.cpp
 
 BUILT_SOURCES = \
-	ipmiwhitelist.cpp \
+	$(IPMI_WHITELIST_SOURCE) \
 	$(libipmi20_BUILT_LIST)
 
 CLEANFILES = $(BUILT_SOURCES)
@@ -158,6 +164,7 @@
 	-version-info 0:0:0 -shared
 libsysintfcmds_la_CXXFLAGS = $(COMMON_CXX)
 
+if FEATURE_IPMI_WHITELIST
 libwhitelistdir = ${libdir}/ipmid-providers
 libwhitelist_LTLIBRARIES = libwhitelist.la
 libwhitelist_la_SOURCES = \
@@ -170,6 +177,7 @@
 	-version-info 0:0:0 -shared
 libwhitelist_la_CXXFLAGS = $(COMMON_CXX)
 nodist_libwhitelist_la_SOURCES = ipmiwhitelist.cpp
+endif
 
 nobase_include_HEADERS = \
 	user_channel/channel_layer.hpp \
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 296165f..29f58e2 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -255,6 +255,17 @@
       )
 AM_CONDITIONAL([FEATURE_TRANSPORT_OEM], [test x$transport_oem = xtrue])
 
+# IPMI whitelist mechanism is not needed by everyone; offer a way to disable it
+AC_ARG_ENABLE([ipmi-whitelist],
+    [ --enable-ipmi-whitelist   Enable/disable IPMI whitelist filtering],
+    [case "${enableval}" in
+      yes) ipmi_whitelist=true ;;
+      no) ipmi_whitelist=false ;;
+      *) AC_MSG_ERROR([bad value ${enableval} for --enable-ipmi-whitelist]) ;;
+      esac],[ipmi_whitelist=true]
+      )
+AM_CONDITIONAL([FEATURE_IPMI_WHITELIST], [test x$ipmi_whitelist = xtrue])
+
 # Create configured output
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([
     Makefile