diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index de15e137..d2356872 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -47,8 +47,7 @@ bin_PROGRAMS = \
 	pwdx \
 	tload \
 	uptime \
-	vmstat \
-	w
+	vmstat
 if BUILD_PIDWAIT
 bin_PROGRAMS += pidwait
 endif
@@ -60,8 +59,7 @@ usrbin_exec_PROGRAMS += \
 	pkill \
 	pmap \
 	uptime \
-	vmstat \
-	w
+	vmstat
 endif
 
 lib_LTLIBRARIES = \
@@ -74,7 +72,6 @@ dist_man_MANS = \
 	pmap.1 \
 	uptime.1 \
 	vmstat.8 \
-	w.1 \
 	ps/procps.1
 
 if !CYGWIN
@@ -137,6 +134,19 @@ else
   EXTRA_DIST += kill.1
 endif
 
+if BUILD_W
+if CYGWIN
+usrbin_exec_PROGRAMS += w
+else
+bin_PROGRAMS += w
+endif
+
+dist_man_MANS += w.1
+w_SOURCES = w.c lib/fileutils.c
+else
+  EXTRA_DIST += w.1
+endif
+
 if WITH_NCURSES
 if !CYGWIN
 bin_PROGRAMS += \
@@ -213,7 +223,6 @@ endif
 tload_SOURCES = tload.c lib/strutils.c lib/fileutils.c
 uptime_SOURCES = uptime.c lib/fileutils.c
 vmstat_SOURCES = vmstat.c lib/strutils.c lib/fileutils.c
-w_SOURCES = w.c lib/fileutils.c
 
 # proc/libprocps.la
 
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 750c0fbb..3e83fb88 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -234,6 +234,12 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE([kill],
   [], [enable_kill=yes]
 )
 AM_CONDITIONAL(BUILD_KILL, test "x$enable_kill" = xyes)
+AC_ARG_ENABLE([w],
+  AS_HELP_STRING([--disable-w], [do not build w]),
+  [], [enable_w=yes]
+)
+AM_CONDITIONAL(BUILD_W, test "x$enable_w" = xyes)
+
 AM_CONDITIONAL(LINUX, test "x$host_os" = xlinux-gnu)
 AM_CONDITIONAL(CYGWIN, test "x$host_os" = xcygwin)