diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 423bccba..6e9b4bcf 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -644,6 +644,7 @@ HAVE_HTTP1
 HAVE_LIBNGHTTP2
 enable_netsnmp
 with_restconf
+with_libcurl
 LINKAGE
 LIBSTATIC_SUFFIX
 SH_SUFFIX
@@ -724,6 +725,7 @@ enable_debug
 with_cligen
 enable_yang_patch
 enable_yang_schema_mount
+with_libcurl
 enable_publish
 with_restconf
 enable_http1
@@ -1391,6 +1393,8 @@ Optional Packages:
   --with-PACKAGE[=ARG]    use PACKAGE [ARG=yes]
   --without-PACKAGE       do not use PACKAGE (same as --with-PACKAGE=no)
   --with-cligen=dir       Use CLIGEN installation in this dir
+  --without-libcurl       Disable use of libcurl, affects publish
+                          notification, including clixon_util_stream
   --with-restconf=native  Integration with embedded web server (DEFAULT)
   --with-restconf=fcgi    FCGI interface for stand-alone web rev-proxy eg
                           nginx
@@ -4699,25 +4703,16 @@ $as_echo "#define CLIXON_YANG_SCHEMA_MOUNT 1" >>confdefs.h
 
 fi
 
-# Experimental: Curl publish notification stream to eg Nginx nchan.
-# Check whether --enable-publish was given.
-if test "${enable_publish+set}" = set; then :
-  enableval=$enable_publish;
-	  if test "$enableval" = no; then
-	      ac_enable_publish=no
-	  else
-	      ac_enable_publish=yes
-          fi
+# publish streams uses libcurl
 
+# Check whether --with-libcurl was given.
+if test "${with_libcurl+set}" = set; then :
+  withval=$with_libcurl; with_libcurl=$withval
 else
-   ac_enable_publish=no
+  with_libcurl=yes
 fi
 
-{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: publish is $ac_enable_publish" >&5
-$as_echo "publish is $ac_enable_publish" >&6; }
-
-if test "$ac_enable_publish" = "yes"; then
-   # publish streams uses libcurl
+if test "x${with_libcurl}" != "xno"; then
 
 { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for grep that handles long lines and -e" >&5
 $as_echo_n "checking for grep that handles long lines and -e... " >&6; }
@@ -4978,16 +4973,16 @@ fi
 done
 
 
-for ac_header in curl.h
+for ac_header in curl/curl.h
 do :
-  ac_fn_c_check_header_mongrel "$LINENO" "curl.h" "ac_cv_header_curl_h" "$ac_includes_default"
-if test "x$ac_cv_header_curl_h" = xyes; then :
+  ac_fn_c_check_header_mongrel "$LINENO" "curl/curl.h" "ac_cv_header_curl_curl_h" "$ac_includes_default"
+if test "x$ac_cv_header_curl_curl_h" = xyes; then :
   cat >>confdefs.h <<_ACEOF
-#define HAVE_CURL_H 1
+#define HAVE_CURL_CURL_H 1
 _ACEOF
 
 else
-  as_fn_error $? "curl missing" "$LINENO" 5
+  as_fn_error $? "curl header(s) missing" "$LINENO" 5
 fi
 
 done
@@ -5039,10 +5034,32 @@ else
   as_fn_error $? "libcurl missing" "$LINENO" 5
 fi
 
+fi
+
+# Experimental: Curl publish notification stream to eg Nginx nchan.
+# Check whether --enable-publish was given.
+if test "${enable_publish+set}" = set; then :
+  enableval=$enable_publish;
+	  if test "$enableval" = no; then
+	      ac_enable_publish=no
+	  else
+	      ac_enable_publish=yes
+          fi
+
+else
+   ac_enable_publish=no
+fi
+
+if test "$ac_enable_publish" = "yes"; then
+   if test "x${with_libcurl}" = "xno"; then
+      as_fn_error $? "--enable-publish conflicts with --without-libcurl" "$LINENO" 5
+   fi
 
 $as_echo "#define CLIXON_PUBLISH_STREAMS 1" >>confdefs.h
 
 fi
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: publish is $ac_enable_publish" >&5
+$as_echo "publish is $ac_enable_publish" >&6; }
 
 for ac_header in cligen/cligen.h
 do :
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 27f3f5b7..0b645cd4 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -114,6 +114,7 @@ AC_SUBST(LIBS)
 AC_SUBST(SH_SUFFIX)
 AC_SUBST(LIBSTATIC_SUFFIX)
 AC_SUBST(LINKAGE)
+AC_SUBST(with_libcurl)
 AC_SUBST(with_restconf)  # Set to native or fcgi -> compile apps/restconf
 AC_SUBST(enable_netsnmp) # Enable build of apps/snmp
 AC_SUBST(HAVE_LIBNGHTTP2,false) # consider using neutral constant such as with-http2
@@ -213,8 +214,19 @@ if test "${enable_yang_schema_mount}" = "yes"; then
    AC_DEFINE(CLIXON_YANG_SCHEMA_MOUNT, 1, [Enable YANG schema mount, RFC 8528])
 fi
 
+# publish streams uses libcurl
+AC_ARG_WITH([libcurl],
+	[AS_HELP_STRING([--without-libcurl],
+	   [Disable use of libcurl, affects publish notification, including clixon_util_stream])],
+	[with_libcurl=$withval],[with_libcurl=yes])
+if test "x${with_libcurl}" != "xno"; then
+   AC_CHECK_HEADERS(curl/curl.h,[], AC_MSG_ERROR([curl header(s) missing]))
+   AC_CHECK_LIB(curl, curl_global_init,, AC_MSG_ERROR([libcurl missing]))
+fi
+
 # Experimental: Curl publish notification stream to eg Nginx nchan. 
-AC_ARG_ENABLE(publish, AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-publish],[Enable publish of notification streams using SSE and curl]),[
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(publish, AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-publish],
+	[Enable publish of notification streams using SSE and curl]),[
 	  if test "$enableval" = no; then
 	      ac_enable_publish=no
 	  else	      
@@ -222,14 +234,13 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE(publish, AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-publish],[Enable publish of noti
           fi
         ],
 	[ ac_enable_publish=no])
-AC_MSG_RESULT(publish is $ac_enable_publish)	
-
 if test "$ac_enable_publish" = "yes"; then
-   # publish streams uses libcurl
-   AC_CHECK_HEADERS(curl.h,[], AC_MSG_ERROR([curl missing]))	
-   AC_CHECK_LIB(curl, curl_global_init,, AC_MSG_ERROR([libcurl missing]))
+   if test "x${with_libcurl}" = "xno"; then
+      AC_MSG_ERROR([--enable-publish conflicts with --without-libcurl])
+   fi
    AC_DEFINE(CLIXON_PUBLISH_STREAMS, 1, [Enable publish of notification streams using SSE and curl])
 fi
+AC_MSG_RESULT(publish is $ac_enable_publish)
 
 AC_CHECK_HEADERS(cligen/cligen.h,, AC_MSG_ERROR([CLIgen missing. Try: git clone https://github.com/clicon/cligen.git]))
 
diff --git a/include/clixon_config.h.in b/include/clixon_config.h.in
index 142e7611..fa506fc5 100644
--- a/include/clixon_config.h.in
+++ b/include/clixon_config.h.in
@@ -30,8 +30,8 @@
 /* Define to 1 if you have the <cligen/cligen.h> header file. */
 #undef HAVE_CLIGEN_CLIGEN_H
 
-/* Define to 1 if you have the <curl.h> header file. */
-#undef HAVE_CURL_H
+/* Define to 1 if you have the <curl/curl.h> header file. */
+#undef HAVE_CURL_CURL_H
 
 /* Define to 1 if you have the `getpeereid' function. */
 #undef HAVE_GETPEEREID
diff --git a/util/Makefile.in b/util/Makefile.in
index 1afa0e51..536a8a65 100644
--- a/util/Makefile.in
+++ b/util/Makefile.in
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ localstatedir	= @localstatedir@
 sysconfdir	= @sysconfdir@
 HOST_VENDOR     = @host_vendor@
 with_restconf	= @with_restconf@
+with_libcurl	= @with_libcurl@
 LIBXML2_CFLAGS  = @LIBXML2_CFLAGS@
 
 SH_SUFFIX	= @SH_SUFFIX@
@@ -102,7 +103,9 @@ APPSRC   += clixon_util_dispatcher.c
 APPSRC   += clixon_netconf_ssh_callhome.c
 APPSRC   += clixon_netconf_ssh_callhome_client.c
 ifdef with_restconf
-APPSRC   += clixon_util_stream.c # Needs curl
+ifdef with_libcurl
+APPSRC   += clixon_util_stream.c
+endif
 ifeq ($(with_restconf), native)
 APPSRC   += clixon_restconf_callhome_client.c
 endif