diff -Naurp matchbox-panel-0.9.3.orig/configure.ac matchbox-panel-0.9.3/configure.ac
--- matchbox-panel-0.9.3.orig/configure.ac	2006-03-07 18:46:39.000000000 +0000
+++ matchbox-panel-0.9.3/configure.ac	2010-05-18 13:10:59.000000000 +0000
@@ -56,6 +56,10 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE(acpi-linux,
   [  --enable-acpi-linux   Use Linux ACPI rather than APM for battery info],
      enable_acpi_linux=$enableval, enable_acpi_linux=no )
 
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(wireless-tools,
+  [  --enable-wireless-tools   enable building of wifi applet],
+     enable_wireless_tools=$enableval, enable_wireless_tools=no )
+
 PKG_CHECK_MODULES(LIBMB, libmb >= 1.6,,
 	         AC_MSG_ERROR([*** Required Matchbox Library (libmb) 1.6 not installed ***]))
 
@@ -209,17 +213,20 @@ AM_CONDITIONAL(WANT_ACPI, test x$enable_
 
 dnl ------ wireless checks --------------------------------------------------
 
-wifi_enabled=no
-
-AC_CHECK_HEADERS(iwlib.h, have_iwlib_h=yes, have_iwlib_h=no)
-AC_CHECK_LIB(iw, iw_sockets_open, have_libiw=yes, have_libiw=yes)
+if test x$enable_wireless_tools = xyes; then
+  AC_CHECK_HEADERS(iwlib.h, have_iwlib_h=yes, 
+    AC_MSG_ERROR([Unable to find the wireless-tools headers]))
+  AC_CHECK_LIB(iw, iw_sockets_open, have_libiw=yes,
+    AC_MSG_ERROR([Unable to find the wireless-tools library]))
 
-if test x$have_iwlib_h = x"yes" && test x$have_libiw = x"yes"; then
-	WIRELESS_LIBS="-liw"
-	wifi_enabled=yes
+  WIRELESS_LIBS="-liw"
+  wifi_enabled=yes
+else
+  WIRELESS_LIBS=""
+  wifi_enabled=no
 fi
-AC_SUBST(WIRELESS_LIBS)
 
+AC_SUBST(WIRELESS_LIBS)
 AM_CONDITIONAL(WANT_WIFI, test x$wifi_enabled = x"yes")