diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index aedfd43fc3..4fab590917 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -200,7 +200,11 @@ esac
 AC_SUBST(DARWIN_LDFLAGS)
 
 dnl *** Check for bz2
-AG_GST_CHECK_LIBHEADER(BZ2, bz2, BZ2_bzlibVersion, , bzlib.h,, AC_ERROR([libbz2 is required]))
+AG_GST_CHECK_LIBHEADER(BZ2, bz2, BZ2_bzlibVersion, , bzlib.h, have_bz2=yes, have_bz2=no)
+AM_CONDITIONAL(HAVE_BZ2, test "x$have_bz2" = "xyes")
+if test "x$have_bz2" = "xno"; then
+  AC_WARN([libbz2 not found, matroska demuxer will not be able to read bz2 tracks])
+fi
 
 dnl *** configure external libs ***
 
diff --git a/ext/ffmpeg/Makefile.am b/ext/ffmpeg/Makefile.am
index 622fe71c7a..fb81b15e0d 100644
--- a/ext/ffmpeg/Makefile.am
+++ b/ext/ffmpeg/Makefile.am
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 plugin_LTLIBRARIES = libgstffmpeg.la
 
+if HAVE_BZ2
+    BZ2_LIBS = -lbz2
+else
+    BZ2_LIBS =
+endif
+
 libgstffmpeg_la_SOURCES = gstffmpeg.c	\
 			  gstffmpegprotocol.c	\
 			  gstffmpegcodecmap.c	\
@@ -15,7 +21,7 @@ libgstffmpeg_la_SOURCES = gstffmpeg.c	\
 
 libgstffmpeg_la_CFLAGS = $(GST_CFLAGS) $(GST_PLUGINS_BASE_CFLAGS) \
 	$(FFMPEG_CFLAGS)
-libgstffmpeg_la_LIBADD = $(FFMPEG_LIBS) $(GST_BASE_LIBS) $(GST_PLUGINS_BASE_LIBS) -lgstaudio-$(GST_MAJORMINOR) $(LIBM) $(WIN32_LIBS) -lz -lbz2
+libgstffmpeg_la_LIBADD = $(FFMPEG_LIBS) $(GST_BASE_LIBS) $(GST_PLUGINS_BASE_LIBS) -lgstaudio-$(GST_MAJORMINOR) $(LIBM) $(WIN32_LIBS) -lz $(BZ2_LIBS)
 libgstffmpeg_la_LDFLAGS = $(GST_PLUGIN_LDFLAGS) $(DARWIN_LDFLAGS)
 libgstffmpeg_la_LIBTOOLFLAGS = --tag=disable-static