Index: lib/Parrot/Configure/Options/Conf.pm
===================================================================
--- lib/Parrot/Configure/Options/Conf.pm	(revision 48768)
+++ lib/Parrot/Configure/Options/Conf.pm	(working copy)
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@
    --without-gettext    Build parrot without gettext support
    --without-gmp        Build parrot without GMP support
    --without-opengl     Build parrot without OpenGL support (GL/GLU/GLUT)
+   --without-readline   Build parrot without readline support
    --without-pcre       Build parrot without pcre support
    --without-zlib       Build parrot without zlib support
 
Index: lib/Parrot/Configure/Options/Conf/Shared.pm
===================================================================
--- lib/Parrot/Configure/Options/Conf/Shared.pm	(revision 48768)
+++ lib/Parrot/Configure/Options/Conf/Shared.pm	(working copy)
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@
     without-gmp
     without-icu
     without-opengl
+    without-readline
     without-pcre
     without-threads
     without-zlib
Index: config/auto/readline.pm
===================================================================
--- config/auto/readline.pm	(revision 48768)
+++ config/auto/readline.pm	(working copy)
@@ -36,6 +36,14 @@
 sub runstep {
     my ( $self, $conf ) = @_;
 
+    my $without_opt = $conf->options->get('without-readline');
+
+    if ($without_opt) {
+        $conf->data->set('HAS_READLINE' => 0);
+        $self->set_result('not requested'); 
+        return 1;
+    }
+
     my $cc     = $conf->data->get('cc');
     my $osname = $conf->data->get('osname');