diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 269bf43..e41fa0f 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -181,6 +181,7 @@
 usb_redir=""
 opengl=""
 zlib="yes"
+guest_agent="yes"
 
 # parse CC options first
 for opt do
@@ -757,6 +758,10 @@
   ;;
   --disable-zlib-test) zlib="no"
   ;;
+  --enable-guest-agent) guest_agent="yes"
+  ;;
+  --disable-guest-agent) guest_agent="no"
+  ;;
   *) echo "ERROR: unknown option $opt"; show_help="yes"
   ;;
   esac
@@ -1034,6 +1039,8 @@
 echo "  --enable-smartcard-nss   enable smartcard nss support"
 echo "  --disable-usb-redir      disable usb network redirection support"
 echo "  --enable-usb-redir       enable usb network redirection support"
+echo "  --disable-guest-agent    disable building of the QEMU Guest Agent"
+echo "  --enable-guest-agent     enable building of the QEMU Guest Agent"
 echo ""
 echo "NOTE: The object files are built at the place where configure is launched"
 exit 1
@@ -1093,11 +1100,13 @@
   fi
 fi
 
-if has $python; then
-  :
-else
-  echo "Python not found. Use --python=/path/to/python"
-  exit 1
+if test "$guest_agent" != "no" ; then
+  if has $python; then
+    :
+  else
+    echo "Python not found. Use --python=/path/to/python"
+    exit 1
+  fi
 fi
 
 if test -z "$target_list" ; then
@@ -1835,14 +1844,16 @@
 
 ##########################################
 # glib support probe
-if $pkg_config --modversion glib-2.0 > /dev/null 2>&1 ; then
-    glib_cflags=`$pkg_config --cflags glib-2.0 2>/dev/null`
-    glib_libs=`$pkg_config --libs glib-2.0 2>/dev/null`
-    libs_softmmu="$glib_libs $libs_softmmu"
-    libs_tools="$glib_libs $libs_tools"
-else
-    echo "glib-2.0 required to compile QEMU"
-    exit 1
+if test "$guest_agent" != "no" ; then
+    if $pkg_config --modversion glib-2.0 > /dev/null 2>&1 ; then
+        glib_cflags=`$pkg_config --cflags glib-2.0 2>/dev/null`
+        glib_libs=`$pkg_config --libs glib-2.0 2>/dev/null`
+        libs_softmmu="$glib_libs $libs_softmmu"
+        libs_tools="$glib_libs $libs_tools"
+    else
+        echo "glib-2.0 required to compile QEMU"
+        exit 1
+    fi
 fi
 
 ##########################################
@@ -2602,7 +2613,9 @@
   tools="qemu-img\$(EXESUF) qemu-io\$(EXESUF) $tools"
   if [ "$linux" = "yes" -o "$bsd" = "yes" -o "$solaris" = "yes" ] ; then
       tools="qemu-nbd\$(EXESUF) $tools"
+    if [ "$guest_agent" = "yes" ]; then
       tools="qemu-ga\$(EXESUF) $tools"
+    fi
     if [ "$check_utests" = "yes" ]; then
       tools="check-qint check-qstring check-qdict check-qlist $tools"
       tools="check-qfloat check-qjson $tools"
@@ -2704,6 +2717,7 @@
 echo "nss used          $smartcard_nss"
 echo "usb net redir     $usb_redir"
 echo "OpenGL support    $opengl"
+echo "build guest agent $guest_agent"
 
 if test "$sdl_too_old" = "yes"; then
 echo "-> Your SDL version is too old - please upgrade to have SDL support"