diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index bcd1ff82..39af6917 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -27,8 +27,6 @@ core_sources = \
     src/plugins/api.h src/plugins/api.c \
     src/plugins/callbacks.h src/plugins/callbacks.c \
     src/plugins/c_plugins.h src/plugins/c_plugins.c \
-    src/plugins/ruby_plugins.h src/plugins/ruby_plugins.c \
-    src/plugins/ruby_api.h src/plugins/ruby_api.c \
     src/plugins/c_api.h src/plugins/c_api.c
 
 main_source = src/main.c
@@ -37,19 +35,29 @@ python_sources = \
     src/plugins/python_plugins.h src/plugins/python_plugins.c \
     src/plugins/python_api.h src/plugins/python_api.c
 
+ruby_sources = \
+    src/plugins/ruby_plugins.h src/plugins/ruby_plugins.c \
+    src/plugins/ruby_api.h src/plugins/ruby_api.c
+
 test_sources = \
     tests/test_roster.c tests/test_common.c tests/test_history.c \
     tests/test_autocomplete.c tests/testsuite.c tests/test_parser.c \
     tests/test_jid.c
 
 if BUILD_PYTHON_API
-all_sources = $(core_sources) $(python_sources)
+with_python_sources = $(core_sources) $(python_sources)
 else
-all_sources = $(core_sources)
+with_python_sources = $(core_sources)
+endif
+
+if BUILD_RUBY_API
+with_ruby_sources = $(with_python_sources) $(ruby_sources)
+else
+with_ruby_sources = $(with_python_sources)
 endif
 
 bin_PROGRAMS = profanity
-profanity_SOURCES = $(main_source) $(all_sources)
+profanity_SOURCES = $(main_source) $(with_ruby_sources)
 
 lib_LTLIBRARIES = libprofanity.la
 libprofanity_la_LDFLAGS=-module -avoid-version -shared
@@ -60,7 +68,7 @@ library_include_HEADERS = src/plugins/profapi.h
 
 TESTS = tests/testsuite
 check_PROGRAMS = tests/testsuite
-tests_testsuite_SOURCES = $(all_sources) $(test_sources)
+tests_testsuite_SOURCES = $(with_ruby_sources) $(test_sources)
 tests_testsuite_LDADD = -lheadunit -lstdc++
 
 man_MANS = docs/profanity.1
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index d9a58da1..07971f32 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -12,6 +12,18 @@ AC_CONFIG_HEADERS([src/config.h])
 AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([foreign subdir-objects])
 AX_PREFIX_CONFIG_H([src/prof_config.h], [PROF], [src/config.h])
 
+AC_DEFUN([AX_WITH_RUBY],[
+    AX_WITH_PROG(RUBY,ruby,$1,$2)
+])
+AX_RUBY_DEVEL
+AM_CONDITIONAL([BUILD_RUBY_API], [true])
+AC_DEFINE([HAVE_RUBY], [1], [Ruby support])
+
+AX_PYTHON_DEVEL
+AM_CONDITIONAL([BUILD_PYTHON_API], [true])
+AC_DEFINE([HAVE_PYTHON], [1], [Python support])
+#AC_CHECK_PROG(PYTHON_CONFIG, python-config, yes, no)
+
 # Checks for programs.
 AC_PROG_CC
 
@@ -76,23 +88,6 @@ AC_CHECK_LIB([headunit], [main], [],
 AC_CHECK_LIB([dl], [main], [],
     [AC_MSG_ERROR([dl library needed to run C plugins])])
 
-# check for python development, for python plugin support
-AC_CHECK_PROG(PYTHON_CONFIG, python-config, yes, no)
-if test $PYTHON_CONFIG = yes; then
-    AC_MSG_NOTICE([Python supported.])
-    AC_DEFINE([HAVE_PYTHON], [1], [Python])
-    PYTHON_CFLAGS=`python-config --cflags`
-    AC_MSG_NOTICE([Python CFLAGS=$PYTHON_CFLAGS])
-    PYTHON_LIBS=`python-config --libs`
-    AC_MSG_NOTICE([Python LIBS=$PYTHON_LIBS])
-    PYTHON_LDFLAGS=`python-config --ldflags`
-    AC_MSG_NOTICE([Python LDFLAGS=$PYTHON_LDFLAGS])
-    AM_CONDITIONAL([BUILD_PYTHON_API], [true])
-else
-    AC_MSG_NOTICE([Python not supported])
-    AM_CONDITIONAL([BUILD_PYTHON_API], [false])
-fi
-
 # Checks for header files.
 AC_CHECK_HEADERS([stdlib.h string.h])
 
@@ -111,20 +106,14 @@ fi
 # Default parameters
 AM_CFLAGS="-Wall -export-dynamic"
 
-# TODO use another method to get flags for system
-RUBY_CFLAGS="-I/usr/lib/ruby/1.8/x86_64-linux -L/usr/lib/ruby/1.8/x86_64-linux"
-RUBY_LIBS="-lruby1.8"
-
-AM_CFLAGS="$AM_CFLAGS $PYTHON_CFLAGS $RUBY_CFLAGS"
-
 if test "x$PACKAGE_STATUS" = xdevelopment; then
 #    AM_CFLAGS="$AM_CFLAGS -Wunused -Werror"
     AM_CFLAGS="$AM_CFLAGS -Wunused"
 fi
 
-LIBS="$LIBS $DEPS_LIBS $NOTIFY_LIBS $PYTHON_LIBS $RUBY_LIBS"
-AM_LDFLAGS="$AM_LDFLAGS $PYTHON_LDFLAGS"
-AM_CPPFLAGS="$DEPS_CFLAGS $NOTIFY_CFLAGS"
+LIBS="$LIBS $DEPS_LIBS $NOTIFY_LIBS"
+AM_LDFLAGS="$AM_LDFLAGS $PYTHON_LDFLAGS $RUBY_LDFLAGS"
+AM_CPPFLAGS="$DEPS_CFLAGS $NOTIFY_CFLAGS $PYTHON_CPPFLAGS $RUBY_CPPFLAGS"
 
 AC_SUBST(AM_LDFLAGS)
 AC_SUBST(AM_CFLAGS)
diff --git a/src/plugins/plugins.c b/src/plugins/plugins.c
index 1b82ef47..2423caf4 100644
--- a/src/plugins/plugins.c
+++ b/src/plugins/plugins.c
@@ -35,10 +35,13 @@
 #include "plugins/python_api.h"
 #endif
 
-#include "plugins/c_plugins.h"
-#include "plugins/c_api.h"
+#ifdef PROF_HAVE_RUBY
 #include "plugins/ruby_plugins.h"
 #include "plugins/ruby_api.h"
+#endif
+
+#include "plugins/c_plugins.h"
+#include "plugins/c_api.h"
 #include "ui/ui.h"
 
 static GSList* plugins;
@@ -51,7 +54,9 @@ plugins_init(void)
 #ifdef PROF_HAVE_PYTHON
     python_env_init();
 #endif
+#ifdef PROF_HAVE_RUBY
     ruby_env_init();
+#endif
     c_env_init();
 
     // load plugins
@@ -71,15 +76,17 @@ plugins_init(void)
                 }
             }
 #endif
-            if (g_str_has_suffix(filename, ".so")) {
-                ProfPlugin *plugin = c_plugin_create(filename);
+#ifdef PROF_HAVE_RUBY
+            if (g_str_has_suffix(filename, ".rb")) {
+                ProfPlugin *plugin = ruby_plugin_create(filename);
                 if (plugin != NULL) {
                     plugins = g_slist_append(plugins, plugin);
                     loaded = TRUE;
                 }
             }
-            if (g_str_has_suffix(filename, ".rb")) {
-                ProfPlugin *plugin = ruby_plugin_create(filename);
+#endif
+            if (g_str_has_suffix(filename, ".so")) {
+                ProfPlugin *plugin = c_plugin_create(filename);
                 if (plugin != NULL) {
                     plugins = g_slist_append(plugins, plugin);
                     loaded = TRUE;
@@ -310,24 +317,28 @@ plugins_shutdown(void)
 
     while (curr != NULL) {
         ProfPlugin *plugin = curr->data;
-        if (plugin->lang == LANG_C) {
-            c_plugin_destroy(plugin);
-        }
 #ifdef PROF_HAVE_PYTHON
         if (plugin->lang == LANG_PYTHON) {
             python_plugin_destroy(plugin);
         }
 #endif
+#ifdef PROF_HAVE_RUBY
         if (plugin->lang == LANG_RUBY) {
             ruby_plugin_destroy(plugin);
         }
+#endif
+        if (plugin->lang == LANG_C) {
+            c_plugin_destroy(plugin);
+        }
 
         curr = g_slist_next(curr);
     }
 #ifdef PROF_HAVE_PYTHON
     python_shutdown();
 #endif
+#ifdef PROF_HAVE_RUBY
     ruby_shutdown();
+#endif
     c_shutdown();
 }