diff --git a/interface/CMakeLists.txt b/interface/CMakeLists.txt
index 2559c00207..dd4e1dca18 100644
--- a/interface/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/interface/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -67,10 +67,6 @@ endforeach(EXTERNAL_SOURCE_SUBDIR)
 
 find_package(Qt5 COMPONENTS Core Gui Multimedia Network OpenGL Script Svg WebKit WebKitWidgets Xml UiTools)
 
-find_package(Qxmpp REQUIRED)
-add_definitions(-DQXMPP_STATIC)
-include_directories(SYSTEM ${QXMPP_INCLUDE_DIR})
-
 # grab the ui files in resources/ui
 file (GLOB_RECURSE QT_UI_FILES ui/*.ui)
 # have qt5 wrap them and generate the appropriate header files
@@ -132,6 +128,7 @@ find_package(LibOVR)
 find_package(Sixense)
 find_package(Visage)
 find_package(ZLIB)
+find_package(Qxmpp)
 
 # include the Sixense library for Razer Hydra if available
 if (SIXENSE_FOUND AND NOT DISABLE_SIXENSE)
@@ -171,6 +168,14 @@ if (LIBOVR_FOUND AND NOT DISABLE_LIBOVR)
     target_link_libraries(${TARGET_NAME} "${LIBOVR_LIBRARIES}")
 endif (LIBOVR_FOUND AND NOT DISABLE_LIBOVR)
 
+# and with qxmpp for chat
+if (QXMPP_FOUND AND NOT DISABLE_QXMPP)
+    add_definitions(-DHAVE_QXMPP -DQXMPP_STATIC)
+    include_directories(SYSTEM ${QXMPP_INCLUDE_DIR})
+
+    target_link_libraries(${TARGET_NAME} "${QXMPP_LIBRARY}")
+endif (QXMPP_FOUND AND NOT DISABLE_QXMPP)
+
 # include headers for interface and InterfaceConfig.
 include_directories("${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/src" "${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/includes")
 
@@ -182,7 +187,6 @@ target_link_libraries(
   ${TARGET_NAME}
   "${FACESHIFT_LIBRARIES}"
   "${ZLIB_LIBRARIES}"
-  "${QXMPP_LIBRARY}"
   Qt5::Core Qt5::Gui Qt5::Multimedia Qt5::Network Qt5::OpenGL 
   Qt5::Script Qt5::Svg Qt5::WebKit Qt5::WebKitWidgets Qt5::Xml Qt5::UiTools
 )
diff --git a/interface/src/Menu.cpp b/interface/src/Menu.cpp
index 2331a1bceb..5f6c541bc5 100644
--- a/interface/src/Menu.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/Menu.cpp
@@ -164,10 +164,14 @@ Menu::Menu() :
     addActionToQMenuAndActionHash(toolsMenu, MenuOption::FstUploader, 0, Application::getInstance(), SLOT(uploadFST()));
 
     _chatAction = addActionToQMenuAndActionHash(toolsMenu, MenuOption::Chat, 0, this, SLOT(showChat()));
+#ifdef HAVE_QXMPP
     const QXmppClient& xmppClient = XmppClient::getInstance().getXMPPClient();
     toggleChat();
     connect(&xmppClient, SIGNAL(connected()), this, SLOT(toggleChat()));
     connect(&xmppClient, SIGNAL(disconnected()), this, SLOT(toggleChat()));
+#else
+    _chatAction->setEnabled(false);
+#endif
 
     QMenu* viewMenu = addMenu("View");
 
@@ -1046,10 +1050,12 @@ void Menu::showChat() {
 }
 
 void Menu::toggleChat() {
+#ifdef HAVE_QXMPP
     _chatAction->setEnabled(XmppClient::getInstance().getXMPPClient().isConnected());
     if (!_chatAction->isEnabled() && _chatWindow) {
         _chatWindow->close();
     }
+#endif
 }
 
 void Menu::audioMuteToggled() {
diff --git a/interface/src/XmppClient.cpp b/interface/src/XmppClient.cpp
index de0a47c28a..df8cf34874 100644
--- a/interface/src/XmppClient.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/XmppClient.cpp
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 //  Copyright (c) 2013 High Fidelity, Inc. All rights reserved.
 //
 
+#ifdef HAVE_QXMPP
+
 #include <AccountManager.h>
 
 #include "XmppClient.h"
@@ -63,3 +65,5 @@ XmppClient::XmppClient(const XmppClient& other) {
 void XmppClient::operator =(XmppClient const& other) {
     Q_UNUSED(other);
 }
+
+#endif
diff --git a/interface/src/XmppClient.h b/interface/src/XmppClient.h
index 1ebe868424..905d6e64fb 100644
--- a/interface/src/XmppClient.h
+++ b/interface/src/XmppClient.h
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 //  Copyright (c) 2013 High Fidelity, Inc. All rights reserved.
 //
 
+#ifdef HAVE_QXMPP
+
 #ifndef __interface__XmppClient__
 #define __interface__XmppClient__
 
@@ -41,3 +43,5 @@ private:
 };
 
 #endif // __interface__XmppClient__
+
+#endif
diff --git a/interface/src/ui/ChatWindow.cpp b/interface/src/ui/ChatWindow.cpp
index 09b50ebf46..e7b78a897a 100644
--- a/interface/src/ui/ChatWindow.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/ui/ChatWindow.cpp
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ ChatWindow::ChatWindow() :
     ui->messagePlainTextEdit->installEventFilter(this);
 
     setAttribute(Qt::WA_DeleteOnClose);
-
+#ifdef HAVE_QXMPP
     const QXmppClient& xmppClient = XmppClient::getInstance().getXMPPClient();
     if (xmppClient.isConnected()) {
         participantsChanged();
@@ -56,16 +56,18 @@ ChatWindow::ChatWindow() :
         connect(&xmppClient, SIGNAL(connected()), this, SLOT(connected()));
     }
     connect(&xmppClient, SIGNAL(messageReceived(QXmppMessage)), this, SLOT(messageReceived(QXmppMessage)));
+#endif
 }
 
 ChatWindow::~ChatWindow() {
+#ifdef HAVE_QXMPP
     const QXmppClient& xmppClient = XmppClient::getInstance().getXMPPClient();
     disconnect(&xmppClient, SIGNAL(connected()), this, SLOT(connected()));
     disconnect(&xmppClient, SIGNAL(messageReceived(QXmppMessage)), this, SLOT(messageReceived(QXmppMessage)));
 
     const QXmppMucRoom* publicChatRoom = XmppClient::getInstance().getPublicChatRoom();
     disconnect(publicChatRoom, SIGNAL(participantsChanged()), this, SLOT(participantsChanged()));
-
+#endif
     delete ui;
 }
 
@@ -80,12 +82,14 @@ bool ChatWindow::eventFilter(QObject* sender, QEvent* event) {
         (keyEvent->modifiers() & Qt::ShiftModifier) == 0) {
         QString messageText = ui->messagePlainTextEdit->document()->toPlainText().trimmed();
         if (!messageText.isEmpty()) {
+#ifdef HAVE_QXMPP
             const QXmppMucRoom* publicChatRoom = XmppClient::getInstance().getPublicChatRoom();
             QXmppMessage message;
             message.setTo(publicChatRoom->jid());
             message.setType(QXmppMessage::GroupChat);
             message.setBody(messageText);
             XmppClient::getInstance().getXMPPClient().sendPacket(message);
+#endif
             ui->messagePlainTextEdit->document()->clear();
         }
         return true;
@@ -93,10 +97,12 @@ bool ChatWindow::eventFilter(QObject* sender, QEvent* event) {
     return false;
 }
 
+#ifdef HAVE_QXMPP
 QString ChatWindow::getParticipantName(const QString& participant) {
     const QXmppMucRoom* publicChatRoom = XmppClient::getInstance().getPublicChatRoom();
     return participant.right(participant.count() - 1 - publicChatRoom->jid().count());
 }
+#endif
 
 void ChatWindow::addTimeStamp() {
     QTimeSpan timePassed = QDateTime::currentDateTime() - lastMessageStamp;
@@ -133,10 +139,10 @@ void ChatWindow::connected() {
     ui->usersWidget->show();
     ui->messagesScrollArea->show();
     ui->messagePlainTextEdit->show();
-
+#ifdef HAVE_QXMPP
     const QXmppMucRoom* publicChatRoom = XmppClient::getInstance().getPublicChatRoom();
     connect(publicChatRoom, SIGNAL(participantsChanged()), this, SLOT(participantsChanged()));
-
+#endif
     startTimerForTimeStamps();
 }
 
@@ -146,6 +152,8 @@ void ChatWindow::timeout() {
     }
 }
 
+#ifdef HAVE_QXMPP
+
 void ChatWindow::error(QXmppClient::Error error) {
     ui->connectingToXMPPLabel->setText(QString::number(error));
 }
@@ -200,3 +208,5 @@ void ChatWindow::messageReceived(const QXmppMessage& message) {
         lastMessageStamp = QDateTime::currentDateTime();
     }
 }
+
+#endif
diff --git a/interface/src/ui/ChatWindow.h b/interface/src/ui/ChatWindow.h
index 16f8928d7e..9250da8933 100644
--- a/interface/src/ui/ChatWindow.h
+++ b/interface/src/ui/ChatWindow.h
@@ -15,9 +15,13 @@
 
 #include <Application.h>
 
+#ifdef HAVE_QXMPP
+
 #include <QXmppClient.h>
 #include <QXmppMessage.h>
 
+#endif
+
 namespace Ui {
 class ChatWindow;
 }
@@ -33,7 +37,9 @@ protected:
     bool eventFilter(QObject* sender, QEvent* event);
 
 private:
+#ifdef HAVE_QXMPP
     QString getParticipantName(const QString& participant);
+#endif
     void startTimerForTimeStamps();
     void addTimeStamp();
 
@@ -44,9 +50,11 @@ private:
 private slots:
     void connected();
     void timeout();
+#ifdef HAVE_QXMPP
     void error(QXmppClient::Error error);
     void participantsChanged();
     void messageReceived(const QXmppMessage& message);
+#endif
 };
 
 #endif /* defined(__interface__ChatWindow__) */