diff --git a/CMake/FindGdkPixbuf.cmake b/CMake/FindGdkPixbuf.cmake
index 53bb0501..4ea1d5b9 100644
--- a/CMake/FindGdkPixbuf.cmake
+++ b/CMake/FindGdkPixbuf.cmake
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ IF(NOT GDK_PIXBUF_FOUND AND NOT PKG_CONFIG_FOUND)
         # Report results
         IF(GDK_PIXBUF_LIBRARIES AND GDK_PIXBUF_INCLUDE_DIRS)
                 SET(GDK_PIXBUF_FOUND 1)
+                SET(GdkPixbuf_FOUND 1)
                 IF(NOT GdkPixbuf_FIND_QUIETLY)
                         MESSAGE(STATUS "Found GdkPixbuf: ${GDK_PIXBUF_LIBRARIES}")
                 ENDIF(NOT GdkPixbuf_FIND_QUIETLY)
@@ -41,6 +42,8 @@ IF(NOT GDK_PIXBUF_FOUND AND NOT PKG_CONFIG_FOUND)
                         ENDIF(NOT GdkPixbuf_FIND_QUIETLY)
                 ENDIF(GdkPixbuf_FIND_REQUIRED)
         ENDIF(GDK_PIXBUF_LIBRARIES AND GDK_PIXBUF_INCLUDE_DIRS)
+ELSE(NOT GDK_PIXBUF_FOUND AND NOT PKG_CONFIG_FOUND)
+        SET(GdkPixbuf_FOUND 1)
 ENDIF(NOT GDK_PIXBUF_FOUND AND NOT PKG_CONFIG_FOUND)
 
 # Hide advanced variables from CMake GUIs
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 31e79ca4..5cd9c67b 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ option(enable-swaybg "Enables the wallpaper utility" YES)
 option(enable-swaybar "Enables the swaybar utility" YES)
 option(enable-swaygrab "Enables the swaygrab utility" YES)
 option(enable-swaymsg "Enables the swaymsg utility" YES)
+option(enable-gdk-pixbuf "Use Pixbuf to support more image formats" YES)
 
 find_package(JsonC REQUIRED)
 find_package(PCRE REQUIRED)
@@ -60,6 +61,17 @@ find_package(PAM)
 include(FeatureSummary)
 include(Manpage)
 
+if (enable-gdk-pixbuf)
+  if (GDK_PIXBUF_FOUND)
+    set(WITH_GDK_PIXBUF YES)
+    add_definitions(-DWITH_GDK_PIXBUF)
+  else()
+    message(WARNING "gdk-pixbuf required but not found, only png images supported.")
+  endif()
+else()
+  message(STATUS "Building without gdk-pixbuf, only png images supported.")
+endif()
+
 include_directories(include)
 
 add_subdirectory(protocols)
@@ -68,10 +80,10 @@ add_subdirectory(wayland)
 
 add_subdirectory(sway)
 if(enable-swaybg)
-  if(CAIRO_FOUND AND PANGO_FOUND AND GDK_PIXBUF_FOUND)
+  if(CAIRO_FOUND AND PANGO_FOUND)
     add_subdirectory(swaybg)
   else()
-    message(WARNING "Not building swaybg - cairo, pango, and gdk-pixbuf are required.")
+    message(WARNING "Not building swaybg - cairo, and pango are required.")
   endif()
 endif()
 if(enable-swaymsg)
@@ -81,17 +93,17 @@ if(enable-swaygrab)
   add_subdirectory(swaygrab)
 endif()
 if(enable-swaybar)
-  if(CAIRO_FOUND AND PANGO_FOUND AND GDK_PIXBUF_FOUND)
+  if(CAIRO_FOUND AND PANGO_FOUND)
     add_subdirectory(swaybar)
   else()
-    message(WARNING "Not building swaybar - cairo, pango, and gdk-pixbuf are required.")
+    message(WARNING "Not building swaybar - cairo, and pango  are required.")
   endif()
 endif()
 if(enable-swaylock)
-  if(CAIRO_FOUND AND PANGO_FOUND AND GDK_PIXBUF_FOUND AND PAM_FOUND)
+  if(CAIRO_FOUND AND PANGO_FOUND AND PAM_FOUND)
     add_subdirectory(swaylock)
   else()
-    message(WARNING "Not building swaylock - cairo, pango, gdk-pixbuf, and PAM are required.")
+    message(WARNING "Not building swaylock - cairo, pango, and PAM are required.")
   endif()
 endif()
 
diff --git a/include/client/cairo.h b/include/client/cairo.h
index 98ced907..ad8390c4 100644
--- a/include/client/cairo.h
+++ b/include/client/cairo.h
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 #ifndef _SWAY_CAIRO_H
 #define _SWAY_CAIRO_H
 
+#ifdef WITH_GDK_PIXBUF
 #include <gdk-pixbuf/gdk-pixbuf.h>
 
 cairo_surface_t* gdk_cairo_image_surface_create_from_pixbuf(const GdkPixbuf *gdkbuf);
+#endif //WITH_GDK_PIXBUF
 
 #endif
diff --git a/swaybg/CMakeLists.txt b/swaybg/CMakeLists.txt
index 4dc961ff..68098370 100644
--- a/swaybg/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/swaybg/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ include_directories(
 	${WAYLAND_CLIENT_INCLUDE_DIR}
 	${CAIRO_INCLUDE_DIRS}
 	${PANGO_INCLUDE_DIRS}
-	${GDK_PIXBUF_INCLUDE_DIRS}
 )
 
 add_executable(swaybg
@@ -17,10 +16,18 @@ target_link_libraries(swaybg
 	${WAYLAND_CURSOR_LIBRARIES}
 	${CAIRO_LIBRARIES}
 	${PANGO_LIBRARIES}
-	${GDK_PIXBUF_LIBRARIES}
 	m
 )
 
+if (WITH_GDK_PIXBUF)
+  include_directories(
+	  ${GDK_PIXBUF_INCLUDE_DIRS}
+  )
+  target_link_libraries(swaybg
+	  ${GDK_PIXBUF_LIBRARIES}
+  )
+endif()
+
 install(
 	TARGETS swaybg
 	RUNTIME
diff --git a/swaybg/main.c b/swaybg/main.c
index 2ae06c6f..b936be2b 100644
--- a/swaybg/main.c
+++ b/swaybg/main.c
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ int main(int argc, const char **argv) {
 	desktop_shell_set_background(registry->desktop_shell, output->output, window->surface);
 	list_add(surfaces, window);
 
+#ifdef WITH_GDK_PIXBUF
 	GError *err = NULL;
 	GdkPixbuf *pixbuf = gdk_pixbuf_new_from_file(argv[2], &err);
 	if (!pixbuf) {
@@ -63,6 +64,9 @@ int main(int argc, const char **argv) {
 	}
 	cairo_surface_t *image = gdk_cairo_image_surface_create_from_pixbuf(pixbuf);
 	g_object_unref(pixbuf);
+#else
+	cairo_surface_t *image = cairo_image_surface_create_from_png(argv[2]);
+#endif //WITH_GDK_PIXBUF
 	if (!image) {
 		sway_abort("Failed to read background image.");
 	}
diff --git a/swaylock/CMakeLists.txt b/swaylock/CMakeLists.txt
index 306be80e..950a170d 100644
--- a/swaylock/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/swaylock/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ include_directories(
 	${PROTOCOLS_INCLUDE_DIRS}
 	${WAYLAND_CLIENT_INCLUDE_DIR}
 	${CAIRO_INCLUDE_DIRS}
-	${GDK_PIXBUF_INCLUDE_DIRS}
 	${PANGO_INCLUDE_DIRS}
 	${PAM_INCLUDE_DIRS}
 )
@@ -17,12 +16,20 @@ target_link_libraries(swaylock
 	${WAYLAND_CLIENT_LIBRARIES}
 	${WAYLAND_CURSOR_LIBRARIES}
 	${CAIRO_LIBRARIES}
-	${GDK_PIXBUF_LIBRARIES}
 	${PANGO_LIBRARIES}
 	${PAM_LIBRARIES}
 	m
 )
 
+if (WITH_GDK_PIXBUF)
+  include_directories(
+	  ${GDK_PIXBUF_INCLUDE_DIRS}
+  )
+  target_link_libraries(swaylock
+	  ${GDK_PIXBUF_LIBRARIES}
+  )
+endif()
+
 install(
 	TARGETS swaylock
 	RUNTIME
diff --git a/swaylock/main.c b/swaylock/main.c
index 82b88731..eccb902e 100644
--- a/swaylock/main.c
+++ b/swaylock/main.c
@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 
 	registry->input->notify = notify_key;
 
+#ifdef WITH_GDK_PIXBUF
 	GError *err = NULL;
 	GdkPixbuf *pixbuf = gdk_pixbuf_new_from_file(argv[1], &err); // TODO: Parse i3lock arguments
 	if (!pixbuf) {
@@ -120,6 +121,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 	}
 	cairo_surface_t *image = gdk_cairo_image_surface_create_from_pixbuf(pixbuf);
 	g_object_unref(pixbuf);
+#else
+  cairo_surface_t *image = cairo_image_surface_create_from_png(argv[1]);
+#endif //WITH_GDK_PIXBUF
 	if (!image) {
 		sway_abort("Failed to read background image.");
 	}
diff --git a/wayland/CMakeLists.txt b/wayland/CMakeLists.txt
index 6519cd7d..282ea1aa 100644
--- a/wayland/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/wayland/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 include_directories(
 	${PROTOCOLS_INCLUDE_DIRS}
 	${PANGO_INCLUDE_DIRS}
-	${GDK_PIXBUF_INCLUDE_DIRS}
 	${XKBCOMMON_INCLUDE_DIRS}
 )
 
@@ -17,6 +16,14 @@ target_link_libraries(sway-wayland
 	sway-common
 	sway-protocols
 	${PANGO_LIBRARIES}
-	${GDK_PIXBUF_LIBRARIES}
 	${XKBCOMMON_LIBRARIES}
 	)
+
+if (WITH_GDK_PIXBUF)
+  include_directories(
+	  ${GDK_PIXBUF_INCLUDE_DIRS}
+  )
+  target_link_libraries(sway-wayland
+	  ${GDK_PIXBUF_LIBRARIES}
+  )
+endif()
diff --git a/wayland/cairo.c b/wayland/cairo.c
index 10a15f40..7462b10a 100644
--- a/wayland/cairo.c
+++ b/wayland/cairo.c
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
-#include <gdk-pixbuf/gdk-pixbuf.h>
 #include <cairo/cairo.h>
 #include "client/cairo.h"
 
+#ifdef WITH_GDK_PIXBUF
+#include <gdk-pixbuf/gdk-pixbuf.h>
+
 #ifndef GDK_PIXBUF_CHECK_VERSION
 #define GDK_PIXBUF_CHECK_VERSION(major,minor,micro) \
 	(GDK_PIXBUF_MAJOR > (major) || \
@@ -103,3 +105,4 @@ cairo_surface_t* gdk_cairo_image_surface_create_from_pixbuf(const GdkPixbuf *gdk
 	cairo_surface_mark_dirty(cs);
 	return cs;
 }
+#endif //WITH_GDK_PIXBUF