diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index e5825a8..57a3c21 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -3,12 +3,13 @@ project(periphery C)
 
 option(BUILD_TESTS "Build test programs" ON)
 
-# Check for Linux kernel headers
+# Check for Linux kernel header files for character device GPIO support
 include(CheckIncludeFiles)
-CHECK_INCLUDE_FILES(linux/gpio.h HAVE_LINUX_HEADERS)
-if(NOT HAVE_LINUX_HEADERS)
-    message(FATAL_ERROR "c-periphery needs Linux kernel headers")
+CHECK_INCLUDE_FILES(linux/gpio.h HAVE_CDEV_GPIO_HEADERS)
+if(NOT HAVE_CDEV_GPIO_HEADERS)
+message(WARNING "Linux kernel header files not found for character device GPIO support. c-periphery will be built with legacy sysfs GPIO support only.")
 endif()
+add_definitions(-DPERIPHERY_GPIO_CDEV_SUPPORT=$<BOOL:${HAVE_CDEV_GPIO_HEADERS}>)
 
 # Library version
 set(VERSION "2.2.1")
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 86af9d9..130619b 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ SRCS = src/gpio.c src/led.c src/pwm.c src/spi.c src/i2c.c src/mmio.c src/serial.
 SRCDIR = src
 OBJDIR = obj
 
+PERIPHERY_GPIO_CDEV_SUPPORT ?= 1
+
 TEST_PROGRAMS = $(basename $(wildcard tests/*.c))
 
 ###########################################################################
@@ -14,7 +16,7 @@ COMMIT_ID := $(shell git describe --abbrev --always --tags --dirty 2>/dev/null |
 
 CFLAGS += -std=gnu99 -pedantic
 CFLAGS += -Wall -Wextra -Wno-unused-parameter $(DEBUG) -fPIC
-CFLAGS += -DPERIPHERY_VERSION_COMMIT=\"$(COMMIT_ID)\"
+CFLAGS += -DPERIPHERY_VERSION_COMMIT=\"$(COMMIT_ID)\" -DPERIPHERY_GPIO_CDEV_SUPPORT=$(PERIPHERY_GPIO_CDEV_SUPPORT)
 LDFLAGS +=
 
 ifdef CROSS_COMPILE
diff --git a/src/gpio.c b/src/gpio.c
index 3d26945..ede3187 100644
--- a/src/gpio.c
+++ b/src/gpio.c
@@ -20,7 +20,10 @@
 #include <errno.h>
 
 #include <sys/ioctl.h>
+
+#if PERIPHERY_GPIO_CDEV_SUPPORT
 #include <linux/gpio.h>
+#endif
 
 #include "gpio.h"
 
@@ -837,6 +840,8 @@ int gpio_open_sysfs(gpio_t *gpio, unsigned int line, gpio_direction_t direction)
 /* cdev implementation */
 /*********************************************************************************/
 
+#if PERIPHERY_GPIO_CDEV_SUPPORT
+
 static int _gpio_cdev_reopen(gpio_t *gpio, gpio_direction_t direction, gpio_edge_t edge, gpio_bias_t bias, gpio_drive_t drive, bool inverted) {
     uint32_t flags = 0;
 
@@ -1362,3 +1367,19 @@ int gpio_open_name(gpio_t *gpio, const char *path, const char *name, gpio_direct
 
     return gpio_open_name_advanced(gpio, path, name, &config);
 }
+
+#else /* PERIPHERY_GPIO_CDEV_SUPPORT */
+
+int gpio_open_advanced(gpio_t *gpio, const char *path, unsigned int line, const gpio_config_t *config) {
+    return _gpio_error(gpio, GPIO_ERROR_UNSUPPORTED, 0, "c-periphery library built without character device GPIO support.");
+}
+
+int gpio_open_name_advanced(gpio_t *gpio, const char *path, const char *name, const gpio_config_t *config) {
+    return _gpio_error(gpio, GPIO_ERROR_UNSUPPORTED, 0, "c-periphery library built without character device GPIO support.");
+}
+
+int gpio_open(gpio_t *gpio, const char *path, unsigned int line, gpio_direction_t direction) {
+    return _gpio_error(gpio, GPIO_ERROR_UNSUPPORTED, 0, "c-periphery library built without character device GPIO support.");
+}
+
+#endif