diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 1684c5151..565e425be 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -154,11 +154,19 @@ dnl --enable-cluster: define CLUSTER in the code. This is for cluster support
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(cluster,
     AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-cluster],[Enable cluster support, (experimental) ]))
 
+dnl --enable-help: try to force --ansi option to the compiler
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(help,
+    AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-help],[Force building nghelp (deprecated)]))
+
 dnl --enable-xgraph: Compile the xgraph plotting program. Default is "no".
 dnl Xgraph is a plotting package for X11 once very popular.
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(xgraph,
     AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-xgraph],[Enable xgraph compilation.]))
 
+dnl --enable-x: Compile software using x libraries. A GUI will be provided then. 
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(x,
+    AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-x],[Enable X11 gui]))
+
 dnl --with-readline:  Includes GNU readline support into CLI.  Default is "no".
 dnl Including readline into ngspice is a violation of GPL license. It's use
 dnl is discouraged.
@@ -267,6 +275,12 @@ case $with_windows in
 	yes )
 		AC_DEFINE(X_DISPLAY_MISSING)
 		AC_MSG_RESULT(No X display!)
+		AM_CONDITIONAL(NO_X, test x$with_windows = xyes)
+		if test "x$enable_help" = "xyes"; then
+		  AM_CONDITIONAL(NO_HELP, test ! x$with_windows = xyes)
+		else
+		  AM_CONDITIONAL(NO_HELP, true)
+		fi
 		CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -mwindows";;
 	* )
 
@@ -361,14 +375,26 @@ dnl for MacOSX or Linux, but
 dnl			-lXaw -lXmu -lXt -lXext -lX11
 dnl seems to be the popular choice.
 dnl (The previous order was -lX11 -lXt -lXext -lXmu -lXaw)
-
+if test "x$enable_x" = "xno"; then 
+	no_x = "no"	
+fi
 if test ! "$no_x" = "yes" ; then
 	AC_CHECK_LIB(Xaw,main,X_LIBS="$X_LIBS -lXaw",AC_MSG_ERROR(Couldn't find Xaw library),$X_LIBS  $X_EXTRA_LIBS)
 	AC_CHECK_LIB(Xmu,main,X_LIBS="$X_LIBS -lXmu",AC_MSG_ERROR(Couldn't find Xmu library), $X_LIBS $X_EXTRA_LIBS)
 	X_LIBS="$X_LIBS -lXt"
 	AC_CHECK_LIB(Xext, XShmAttach,X_LIBS="$X_LIBS -lXext",AC_MSG_ERROR(Couldn't find Xext library), $X_LIBS $X_EXTRA_LIBS)
 	X_LIBS="$X_LIBS -lX11"
-
+	AM_CONDITIONAL(NO_X, false)
+else
+	AC_DEFINE(X_DISPLAY_MISSING)
+	AC_MSG_RESULT(No X display!)
+	AM_CONDITIONAL(NO_X, true)
+fi 
+  
+if ( test "x$enable_help" = "xyes" ) && ! ( test "$no_x" = "yes" ) ; then
+	AM_CONDITIONAL(NO_HELP, false)
+else
+	AM_CONDITIONAL(NO_HELP, true)
 fi ;;
 
 esac
diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index 9f9c2cfcf..214ac883a 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -4,12 +4,15 @@
 SUBDIRS = misc maths frontend spicelib include @XSPICEDIR@ @CIDERDIR@
 DIST_SUBDIRS = misc maths frontend spicelib include xspice ciderlib
 
-bin_PROGRAMS =  ngspice ngnutmeg nghelp ngmakeidx
+bin_PROGRAMS =  ngspice ngnutmeg ngmakeidx
 	        	        
 if !WINDOWS
 bin_PROGRAMS += ngsconvert ngproc2mod ngmultidec
 endif
 
+if !NO_HELP
+bin_PROGRAMS += nghelp
+endif
 EXTRA_DIST = ngspice.txt ngspice.idx setplot spectrum \
 	     devload devaxis ciderinit winmain.c
 
@@ -104,7 +107,6 @@ ngspice_LDADD = \
 	@XSPICELIB2@		  \
 	frontend/parser/libparser.a \
 	frontend/numparam/libnumparam.a \
-	frontend/help/libhlp.a \
 	spicelib/parser/libinp.a \
 	@CIDERSIM@		\
 	maths/deriv/libderiv.a \
@@ -114,7 +116,10 @@ ngspice_LDADD = \
 	maths/ni/libni.a \
 	maths/sparse/libsparse.a \
 	misc/libmisc.a
-
+if !NO_X
+ngspice_LDADD += \
+	frontend/help/libhlp.a 
+endif
 
 winmain.o: winmain.c
 		$(COMPILE) -DSIMULATOR -o winmain.o  -c $(srcdir)/winmain.c
@@ -140,17 +145,21 @@ ngnutmeg_LDADD = \
 	frontend/plotting/libplotting.a \
 	frontend/parser/libparser.a \
 	frontend/numparam/libnumparam.a \
-	frontend/help/libhlp.a \
 	maths/cmaths/libcmaths.a \
 	maths/misc/libmathmisc.a \
 	maths/poly/libpoly.a \
 	misc/libmisc.a \
 	spicelib/parser/libinp.a
+if !NO_X
+ngnutmeg_LDADD += \
+	frontend/help/libhlp.a 
+endif
 
 ## help:
 
 nghelp_SOURCES = conf.c nghelp.c
 
+if !NO_HELP
 if WINDOWS
 nghelp_SOURCES += winmain.c
 endif
@@ -160,8 +169,12 @@ endif
 # that would otherwise occur (thanks to Andreas Unger for this fix).
 nghelp_LDADD = \
 	frontend/terminal.o \
-	frontend/help/libhlp.a \
 	misc/libmisc.a
+if !NO_X
+nghelp_LDADD += \
+	frontend/help/libhlp.a 
+endif
+endif
 
 ## These programs currently fail to build on Windows
 if !WINDOWS 
diff --git a/src/frontend/com_ghelp.c b/src/frontend/com_ghelp.c
index 7ce58c041..b7d451d81 100644
--- a/src/frontend/com_ghelp.c
+++ b/src/frontend/com_ghelp.c
@@ -1,14 +1,17 @@
+#ifndef X_DISPLAY_MISSING
 #include <ngspice.h>
 #include <wordlist.h>
 #include <bool.h>
 #include <variable.h>
-#include <hlpdefs.h>
 
-#include "com_ghelp.h"
-#include "com_help.h"
 #include "variable.h"
 #include "streams.h"
 #include "cpextern.h"
+#include <hlpdefs.h>
+#endif
+
+#include "com_ghelp.h"
+#include "com_help.h"
 
 void
 com_ghelp(wordlist *wl)
@@ -31,6 +34,7 @@ com_ghelp(wordlist *wl)
         com_help(wl);
         return;
     }
+#ifndef X_DISPLAY_MISSING /* 1 */ 
     path = npath;
     if (cp_getvar("helpregfont", VT_STRING, buf))
         hlp_regfontname = copy(buf);
@@ -67,4 +71,5 @@ com_ghelp(wordlist *wl)
         hlp_displayname = NULL;
     hlp_main(path, wl);
     return;
+#endif /* X_DISPLAY_MISSING 1  */
 }
diff --git a/src/frontend/help/Makefile.am b/src/frontend/help/Makefile.am
index e2871d998..5a9f8a7ac 100644
--- a/src/frontend/help/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/frontend/help/Makefile.am
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 ## Process this file with automake to produce Makefile.in
 
+if !NO_X
+
 noinst_LIBRARIES = libhlp.a
 
 libhlp_a_SOURCES = \
@@ -14,5 +16,6 @@ libhlp_a_SOURCES = \
 
 INCLUDES = -I$(top_srcdir)/src/include @X_CFLAGS@
 
+endif 
 
 MAINTAINERCLEANFILES = Makefile.in
diff --git a/src/frontend/plotting/Makefile.am b/src/frontend/plotting/Makefile.am
index 90aef1c6a..8dd2723bb 100644
--- a/src/frontend/plotting/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/frontend/plotting/Makefile.am
@@ -22,11 +22,15 @@ libplotting_a_SOURCES = \
 	plotcurv.c	\
 	plotcurv.h	\
 	plotit.c	\
-	plotit.h	\
+	plotit.h	
+
+if !NO_X
+libplotting_a_SOURCES += \
 	x11.c		\
 	x11.h		\
 	xgraph.c	\
 	xgraph.h
+endif
 
 INCLUDES = -I$(top_srcdir)/src/include -I$(top_srcdir)/src/frontend @X_CFLAGS@ 
 
diff --git a/src/frontend/plotting/plotit.c b/src/frontend/plotting/plotit.c
index 8557a009f..d02287aaa 100644
--- a/src/frontend/plotting/plotit.c
+++ b/src/frontend/plotting/plotit.c
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 /* $Id$ */
 #include <ngspice.h>
+#include <config.h>
 #include <bool.h>
 #include <wordlist.h>
 #include <graph.h>
@@ -951,6 +952,7 @@ plotit(wordlist *wl, char *hcopy, char *devname)
             break;
         }
 
+#ifndef X_DISPLAY_MISSING
     if (devname && eq(devname, "xgraph")) {
 	/* Interface to XGraph-11 Plot Program */
 	ft_xgraph(xlims, ylims, hcopy,
@@ -961,7 +963,7 @@ plotit(wordlist *wl, char *hcopy, char *devname)
 	rtn = TRUE;
 	goto quit;
     }
-
+#endif
 
    if (devname && eq(devname, "gnuplot")) {
 	/* Interface to XGraph-11 Plot Program */