diff --git a/GNUmakefile b/GNUmakefile
index f713ce2..317fb14 100644
--- a/GNUmakefile
+++ b/GNUmakefile
@@ -9,10 +9,10 @@ MV            := mv
 RANLIB        := ranlib
 CFLAGS        += -pipe -Wall
 USE_SSL       ?= NO
+USE_LIBEVENT  ?= YES
 USE_BIGENDIAN ?= AUTO
 BITS          ?= AUTO
 SILENT        ?= YES
-LDLIBS        += -levent
 TERSE         ?= NO
 STACK_PROTECT ?= NO
 
@@ -116,10 +116,14 @@ CFLAGS        += -DSSL_SUPPORT
 LDLIBS        += -lssl
 endif
 
+ifeq ($(USE_LIBEVENT),YES)
+CFLAGS        += -DUSE_LIBEVENT
+LDLIBS        += -levent
 ifneq ($(LIBEVENT_PATH),)
 CFLAGS        += -I$(LIBEVENT_PATH)
 LDFLAGS       += -L$(LIBEVENT_PATH)
 endif
+endif
 
 ifeq ($(GIT_REVISION),YES)
 CFLAGS        += -DGIT_REVISION=\"$(shell git show --abbrev-commit | head -n 1 | cut -f 2 -d " ")\"
diff --git a/src/network/connection.c b/src/network/connection.c
index 3c6f4f8..32f267d 100644
--- a/src/network/connection.c
+++ b/src/network/connection.c
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ static inline void net_con_flag_unset(struct net_connection* con, unsigned int f
     con->flags &= ~flag;
 }
 
+#ifdef USE_LIBEVENT
 static inline int net_con_convert_to_libevent_mask(int ev)
 {
 	int events = 0;
@@ -69,6 +70,7 @@ static inline int net_con_convert_from_libevent_mask(int ev)
 	if (ev & EV_WRITE)      events |= NET_EVENT_WRITE;
 	return events;
 }
+#endif
 
 static void net_con_event(int fd, short ev, void *arg);
 
@@ -92,10 +94,6 @@ void net_con_set(struct net_connection* con)
 	net_con_flag_set(con, NET_INITIALIZED);
 }
 
-#define CALLBACK(CON, EVENTS) \
-	if (CON->callback) \
-		CON->callback(con, EVENTS, CON->ptr);
-
 static void net_con_after_close(struct net_connection* con)
 {
 	if (net_con_flag_get(con, NET_INITIALIZED))
@@ -114,6 +112,10 @@ static void net_con_after_close(struct net_connection* con)
 	hub_free(con);
 }
 
+#define CALLBACK(CON, EVENTS) \
+	if (CON->callback) \
+		CON->callback(con, EVENTS, CON->ptr);
+
 static void net_con_event(int fd, short ev, void *arg)
 {
 	struct net_connection* con = (struct net_connection*) arg;
@@ -192,6 +194,7 @@ static void net_con_event(int fd, short ev, void *arg)
 	}
 }
 
+
 void net_con_initialize(struct net_connection* con, int sd, net_connection_cb callback, const void* ptr, int ev)
 {
 	uhub_assert(con);
diff --git a/src/network/connection.h b/src/network/connection.h
index bf02a69..5ef5ca5 100644
--- a/src/network/connection.h
+++ b/src/network/connection.h
@@ -52,8 +52,12 @@ struct net_connection
 	unsigned int         flags;     /** Connection flags */
 	void*                ptr;       /** data pointer */
 	net_connection_cb    callback;  /** Callback function */
+#ifdef USE_LIBEVENT
 	struct event         event;     /** libevent struct for read/write events */
 	struct event         timeout;   /** Used for internal timeout handling */
+#else
+#warning not implemented
+#endif
 	time_t               last_recv; /** Timestamp for last recv() */
 	time_t               last_send; /** Timestamp for last send() */
 #ifdef SSL_SUPPORT
diff --git a/src/system.h b/src/system.h
index 93c155c..44e89dc 100644
--- a/src/system.h
+++ b/src/system.h
@@ -102,7 +102,9 @@
 
 #define uhub_assert assert
 
+#ifdef USE_LIBEVENT
 #include <event.h>
+#endif
 
 #if defined(__APPLE__) || defined(__FreeBSD__) || defined(__OpenBSD__) || defined(__NetBSD__) || defined(__sun__)
 #undef HAVE_STRNDUP