diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index eeb704a0..246029cc 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@ AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([foreign subdir-objects])
 # Checks for programs.
 AC_PROG_CC
 
+# Options
+AC_ARG_WITH([libxml2],
+    [AS_HELP_STRING([--with-libxml2], [link with libxml2 instead of expat])])
+
 # Checks for libraries.
 AC_CHECK_LIB([ncurses], [main], [], 
     [AC_MSG_ERROR([ncurses is required for profanity])])
@@ -18,8 +22,6 @@ AC_CHECK_LIB([resolv], [main], [],
     [AC_MSG_ERROR([libresolv is required for profanity])])
 AC_CHECK_LIB([ssl], [main], [], 
     [AC_MSG_ERROR([openssl is required for profanity])])
-AC_CHECK_LIB([expat], [main], [], 
-    [AC_MSG_ERROR([expat is required for profanity])])
 AC_CHECK_LIB([strophe], [main], [], 
     [AC_MSG_ERROR([libstrophe is required for profanity])])
 AC_CHECK_LIB([glib-2.0], [main], [], 
@@ -31,6 +33,14 @@ AC_CHECK_LIB([notify], [main], [],
 AC_CHECK_LIB([headunit], [main], [], 
     [AC_MSG_NOTICE([headunit not found, will not be able to run tests])])
 
+if test "x$with_libxml2" = xyes; then
+    AC_CHECK_LIB([xml2], [main], [], 
+        [AC_MSG_ERROR([libxml2 is required for profanity])])
+else
+    AC_CHECK_LIB([expat], [main], [], 
+        [AC_MSG_ERROR([expat is required for profanity])])
+fi
+
 # Checks for header files.
 AC_CHECK_HEADERS([stdlib.h string.h])
 AC_CHECK_HEADERS([ncurses.h], [], [])
@@ -41,7 +51,7 @@ PKG_CHECK_MODULES([NOTIFY], [libnotify], [],
     [AC_MSG_NOTICE([libnotify module not found])])
 
 AM_CFLAGS="-Wall "
-AM_CFLAGS="$AM_CFLAGS -lstrophe -lexpat -lncurses -lcurl -lresolv "
+AM_CFLAGS="$AM_CFLAGS -lstrophe -lncurses -lcurl -lresolv "
 AM_CFLAGS="$AM_CFLAGS $DEPS_LIBS $NOTIFY_LIBS"
 
 AM_CPPFLAGS="$DEPS_CFLAGS $NOTIFY_CFLAGS"