diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index b55cb8af..d9c5e9ce 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -28,11 +28,11 @@ else
 mu4e=
 endif
 
-if BUILD_PERL
-perl=perl
-else
-perl=
-endif
+# if BUILD_PERL
+# perl=perl
+# else
+# perl=
+# endif
 
 SUBDIRS=m4 man lib $(guile) mu $(mu4e) contrib toys # $(perl)
 
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index f646b816..06be07f1 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -84,18 +84,18 @@ AS_IF([test "x$enable_mu4e" != "xno"], [
 AM_CONDITIONAL(BUILD_MU4E, test "x$build_mu4e" = "xyes")
 
 # Perl interface requires Data::SExpression
-build_perl=no
-AC_ARG_ENABLE([perl],
-  AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-perl],[Enable building the Perl interface]))
-AC_ARG_VAR([PERL], [the Perl interpreter command])
-AC_CHECK_PROGS([PERL], [perl], [no])
-AS_IF([test x"$enable_perl" = "xyes" -a x"$PERL" != "xno"], [
-    AM_PERL_MODULE([Data::SExpression],[build_perl=yes])
-    if test x"$build_perl" = "xyes"; then
-	perl_version=`$PERL -Iperl/lib -Mmup -e 'print "$mup::VERSION\n";'`
-    fi
-])
-AM_CONDITIONAL(BUILD_PERL, test "x$build_perl" = "xyes")
+dnl build_perl=no
+dnl AC_ARG_ENABLE([perl],
+dnl   AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-perl],[Enable building the Perl interface]))
+dnl AC_ARG_VAR([PERL], [the Perl interpreter command])
+dnl AC_CHECK_PROGS([PERL], [perl], [no])
+dnl AS_IF([test x"$enable_perl" = "xyes" -a x"$PERL" != "xno"], [
+dnl     AM_PERL_MODULE([Data::SExpression],[build_perl=yes])
+dnl     if test x"$build_perl" = "xyes"; then
+dnl 	perl_version=`$PERL -Iperl/lib -Mmup -e 'print "$mup::VERSION\n";'`
+dnl     fi
+dnl ])
+dnl AM_CONDITIONAL(BUILD_PERL, test "x$build_perl" = "xyes")
 
 # we need some special tricks for filesystems that don't have d_type;
 # e.g. Solaris. See mu-maildir.c. Explicitly disabling it is for
@@ -281,12 +281,12 @@ contrib/Makefile
 ])
 AC_OUTPUT
 
-if test x"$build_perl" != "xno"; then
-   echo "Configuring Perl interface..."
-   cd perl
-   $PERL Makefile.PL
-   cd ..
-fi
+dnl if test x"$build_perl" != "xno"; then
+dnl    echo "Configuring Perl interface..."
+dnl    cd perl
+dnl    $PERL Makefile.PL
+dnl    cd ..
+dnl fi
 
 echo
 echo "mu configuration is complete."