diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index a97fa34..efa323a 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -25,3 +25,7 @@ strum_macros = "0.24.2"
 [lib]
 name = "gdcm_rs"
 path = "src/lib.rs"
+
+[features]
+default = ["charls"]
+charls = []
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a4ae6d9..9e4517c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -7,3 +7,5 @@ Rust bindings for [Grassroots DICOM (GDCM)](https://github.com/malaterre/GDCM).
 
 The goal of this project is to provide an easy to use interface with GDCM.
 This can be used to decode a wide variety of compressed DICOM objects.
+### Feature Flags
+* `charls` use built-in libcharls
diff --git a/build.rs b/build.rs
index 4e0668b..aa7823f 100644
--- a/build.rs
+++ b/build.rs
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@ fn build() {
 
     // gdcm libs
     println!("cargo:rustc-link-lib=static=gdcmMSFF");
-    println!("cargo:rustc-link-lib=static=gdcmcharls");
     println!("cargo:rustc-link-lib=static=gdcmCommon");
     println!("cargo:rustc-link-lib=static=gdcmDICT");
     println!("cargo:rustc-link-lib=static=gdcmDSED");
@@ -53,6 +52,9 @@ fn build() {
     println!("cargo:rustc-link-lib=static=gdcmMEXD");
     println!("cargo:rustc-link-lib=static=gdcmzlib");
 
+    #[cfg(feature="charls")]
+    println!("cargo:rustc-link-lib=static=gdcmcharls");
+
     // FIXME: OSX ONLY
     println!("Building for {}", env::consts::OS);
     match env::consts::OS {