diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index c15aaa933e..3ff4615596 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1690,6 +1690,15 @@ if test "$have_colord" = "yes"; then
 fi
 AM_CONDITIONAL(HAVE_COLORD, test "x$have_colord" = "xyes")
 
+##################################################
+# Check for harfbuzz
+##################################################
+
+PKG_CHECK_MODULES(HARFBUZZ, harfbuzz >= 0.9, have_harfbuzz=yes, have_harfbuzz=no)
+AC_SUBST(HARFBUZZ_CFLAGS)
+AC_SUBST(HARFBUZZ_LIBS)
+AM_CONDITIONAL(BUILD_FONT_DEMO, [ test "x$have_harfbuzz" = xyes ])
+
 ##################################################
 # Checks for gtk-doc and docbook-tools
 ##################################################
diff --git a/demos/gtk-demo/Makefile.am b/demos/gtk-demo/Makefile.am
index 64cc8c4d71..60e4e13d39 100644
--- a/demos/gtk-demo/Makefile.am
+++ b/demos/gtk-demo/Makefile.am
@@ -70,12 +70,18 @@ demos_base =					\
 	transparent.c				\
 	tree_store.c
 
-if OS_UNIX
-demos = $(demos_base) font_features.c pagesetup.c
-else
-demos = $(demos_base)
+demos_opt =
+
+if BUILD_FONT_DEMO
+demos_opt += font_features.c
 endif
 
+if OS_UNIX
+demos_opt += pagesetup.c
+endif
+
+demos = $(demos_base) $(demos_opt)
+
 AM_CPPFLAGS = \
 	-I$(top_srcdir) 			\
 	-I$(top_builddir)/gdk			\
@@ -94,6 +100,11 @@ LDADDS = \
 	$(GDK_DEP_LIBS)				\
 	-lm
 
+if BUILD_FONT_DEMO
+AM_CPPFLAGS += $(HARFBUZZ_CFLAGS)
+LDADDS += $(HARFBUZZ_LIBS)
+endif
+
 bin_PROGRAMS = gtk3-demo gtk3-demo-application
 
 desktopdir = $(datadir)/applications