diff --git a/xorriso/compile_xorriso.sh b/xorriso/compile_xorriso.sh
index f3a39464..2ec6f6d8 100755
--- a/xorriso/compile_xorriso.sh
+++ b/xorriso/compile_xorriso.sh
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ do_strip=0
 static_opts=
 warn_opts="-Wall"
 nglibisofs=1
+def_libreadline="-DXorriso_with_readlinE"
+link_libreadline="-lreadline"
 
 for i in "$@"
 do
@@ -35,11 +37,16 @@ do
   elif test "$i" = "-g"
   then
     debug_opts="-g -O0"
+  elif test "$i" = "-no_libreadline"
+  then
+    def_libreadline=""
+    link_libreadline=""
   elif test "$i" = "-help" -o "$i" = "--help" -o "$i" = "-h"
   then
     echo \
         "$xorr/compile_xorriso.sh : to be executed above top level directories"
     echo "Options:"
+    echo "  -no_libreadline   do not compile for and link with libreadline."
     echo "  -do_diet          produce capability reduced lean version."
     echo "  -do_strip         apply program strip to compiled programs."
     echo "  -g                produce debuggable programm."
@@ -83,7 +90,7 @@ date -u '+#define Xorriso_build_timestamP "%Y.%m.%d.%H%M%S"' >"$xorr"/xorriso_bu
 echo "Build timestamp   :  $(sed -e 's/#define Xorriso_build_timestamP "//' -e 's/"$//' "$xorr"/xorriso_buildstamp.h)"
 
 echo "compiling program $xorr/xorriso.c $static_opts $debug_opts $def_opts"
-cc -I. -DXorriso_with_maiN -DXorriso_with_regeX -DXorriso_with_readlinE \
+cc -I. -DXorriso_with_maiN -DXorriso_with_regeX $def_libreadline \
   $warn_opts \
   $static_opts \
   $debug_opts \
@@ -130,7 +137,7 @@ cc -I. -DXorriso_with_maiN -DXorriso_with_regeX -DXorriso_with_readlinE \
   \
   $libisofs \
   \
-  -lreadline \
+  $link_libreadline \
   \
   -lpthread