diff --git a/retroshare-gui/src/retroshare-gui.pro b/retroshare-gui/src/retroshare-gui.pro
index b51139ea4..8899de337 100644
--- a/retroshare-gui/src/retroshare-gui.pro
+++ b/retroshare-gui/src/retroshare-gui.pro
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 TEMPLATE = app
 QT     += network xml 
-CONFIG += qt gui uic qrc resources idle cmark
+CONFIG += qt gui uic qrc resources idle 
 CONFIG += console
 TARGET = retroshare
 DEFINES += TARGET=\\\"$${TARGET}\\\"
@@ -1371,6 +1371,7 @@ gxsgui {
 }
 
 cmark {
+  DEFINES *= USE_CMARK
 
   HEADERS += \
     ../../supportlibs/cmark/src/buffer.h								 \
diff --git a/retroshare-gui/src/util/HandleRichText.cpp b/retroshare-gui/src/util/HandleRichText.cpp
index 046ea47a6..8f7f158ab 100644
--- a/retroshare-gui/src/util/HandleRichText.cpp
+++ b/retroshare-gui/src/util/HandleRichText.cpp
@@ -38,9 +38,14 @@
 #include "util/imageutil.h"
 #include "util/rstime.h"
 
+// #define USE_CMARK
+
+#ifdef USE_CMARK
 //Include for CMark
+// This needs to be fixed: use system library if available, etc.
 #include <gui/../../../supportlibs/cmark/src/cmark.h>
 #include <gui/../../../supportlibs/cmark/src/node.h>
+#endif
 
 #include <iostream>
 
@@ -586,6 +591,7 @@ QString RsHtml::formatText(QTextDocument *textDocument, const QString &text, ulo
 	// Save Space and Tab because doc loose it.
 	formattedText=saveSpace(formattedText);
 
+#ifdef USE_CMARK
 	if (flag & RSHTML_FORMATTEXT_USE_CMARK) {
 		// Transform html to plain text
 		QTextBrowser textBrowser;
@@ -608,6 +614,7 @@ QString RsHtml::formatText(QTextDocument *textDocument, const QString &text, ulo
 		textBrowser.setHtml(formattedText);
 		formattedText=textBrowser.toHtml();
 	}
+#endif
 
 	QString errorMsg; int errorLine; int errorColumn;
 
diff --git a/retroshare.pri b/retroshare.pri
index 34f6dfee6..b448f6b24 100644
--- a/retroshare.pri
+++ b/retroshare.pri
@@ -30,11 +30,19 @@ no_retroshare_gui:CONFIG -= retroshare_gui
 
 CONFIG *= gxsdistsync
 
+# disabled by the time we fix compilation
+CONFIG *= no_cmark
+
 # To disable RetroShare-nogui append the following
 # assignation to qmake command line "CONFIG+=no_retroshare_nogui"
 CONFIG *= retroshare_nogui
 no_retroshare_nogui:CONFIG -= retroshare_nogui
 
+# To disable cmark append the following 
+# assignation to qmake command line "CONFIG+=no_cmark"
+CONFIG *= cmark
+no_cmark:CONFIG -= cmark
+
 # To enable RetroShare plugins append the following
 # assignation to qmake command line "CONFIG+=retroshare_plugins"
 CONFIG *= no_retroshare_plugins