diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 932164bb04..ac6da48963 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -611,6 +611,13 @@ fi
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(KERNEL_FIRMWARE_DIR, "$KERNEL_FIRMWARE_DIR", [Define to path of the kernel firmware directory])
 AC_SUBST(KERNEL_FIRMWARE_DIR)
 
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(crashtrace,
+              AS_HELP_STRING([--disable-crashtrace], [Disable GNU backtrace extensions]),
+              [enable_crashtrace=${enableval}], [enable_crashtrace=yes])
+if test x"$enable_crashtrace" = xyes; then
+  AC_DEFINE(ENABLE_CRASHTRACE, 1, [Define if you have GNU backtrace extensions])
+fi
+
 NM_COMPILER_WARNINGS
 
 GTK_DOC_CHECK(1.0)
diff --git a/src/logging/nm-logging.c b/src/logging/nm-logging.c
index d8353f2719..078f15272c 100644
--- a/src/logging/nm-logging.c
+++ b/src/logging/nm-logging.c
@@ -30,10 +30,13 @@
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <sys/wait.h>
 #include <sys/stat.h>
-#include <execinfo.h>
 #include <strings.h>
 #include <string.h>
 
+#ifdef ENABLE_CRASHTRACE
+#include <execinfo.h>
+#endif
+
 #include <glib/gi18n.h>
 
 #include "nm-logging.h"
@@ -262,6 +265,7 @@ _nm_log (const char *loc,
 static void
 fallback_get_backtrace (void)
 {
+#ifdef ENABLE_CRASHTRACE
 	void *frames[64];
 	Dl_info info;
 	size_t size;
@@ -289,6 +293,7 @@ fallback_get_backtrace (void)
 		}
 	}
 	syslog (LOG_CRIT, "******************* END **********************************");
+#endif  /* ENABLE_CRASHTRACE */
 }