diff --git a/Programs/.gitignore b/Programs/.gitignore
index c832c06fa7..39aeb35111 100644
--- a/Programs/.gitignore
+++ b/Programs/.gitignore
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 /brltty
 /brltty-atb
+/brltty-cldr
 /brltty-ctb
 /brltty-ktb
 /brltty-lscmds
diff --git a/Programs/Makefile.in b/Programs/Makefile.in
index 25c4b4098c..495c870c2b 100644
--- a/Programs/Makefile.in
+++ b/Programs/Makefile.in
@@ -532,7 +532,7 @@ ctb_louis.$O:
 BRLTTY_CTB_OBJECTS = brltty-ctb.$O $(PROGRAM_OBJECTS) $(PREFS_OBJECTS) dataarea.$O $(TTB_OBJECTS) $(CTB_OBJECTS)
 
 brltty-ctb$X: $(BRLTTY_CTB_OBJECTS)
-	$(CC) $(LDFLAGS) -o $@ $(BRLTTY_CTB_OBJECTS) $(LOUIS_LIBS) $(LDLIBS)
+	$(CC) $(LDFLAGS) -o $@ $(BRLTTY_CTB_OBJECTS) $(LOUIS_LIBS) $(EXPAT_LIBS) $(LDLIBS)
 
 brltty-ctb.$O:
 	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -c $(SRC_DIR)/brltty-ctb.c
@@ -666,7 +666,7 @@ uninstall-api-bindings:
 BRLTTY_CLDR_OBJECTS = brltty-cldr.$O cldr.$O $(PROGRAM_OBJECTS)
 
 brltty-cldr$X: $(BRLTTY_CLDR_OBJECTS)
-	$(CC) $(LDFLAGS) -o $@ $(BRLTTY_CLDR_OBJECTS) -lexpat $(LDLIBS)
+	$(CC) $(LDFLAGS) -o $@ $(BRLTTY_CLDR_OBJECTS) $(EXPAT_LIBS) $(LDLIBS)
 
 brltty-cldr.$O:
 	$(CC) $(LIBCFLAGS) -c $(SRC_DIR)/brltty-cldr.c
@@ -775,7 +775,7 @@ learn.$O:
 ###############################################################################
 
 BRLTTY_OBJECTS = brltty.$O $(CORE_OBJECTS)
-BRLTTY_LIBRARIES = $(BRAILLE_DRIVER_LIBRARIES) $(SPEECH_DRIVER_LIBRARIES) $(SCREEN_DRIVER_LIBRARIES) $(SERVICE_LIBS) $(PCM_LIBS) $(MIDI_LIBS) $(USB_LIBS) $(BLUETOOTH_LIBS) $(LOUIS_LIBS) $(POLKIT_LIBS) $(LDLIBS)
+BRLTTY_LIBRARIES = $(BRAILLE_DRIVER_LIBRARIES) $(SPEECH_DRIVER_LIBRARIES) $(SCREEN_DRIVER_LIBRARIES) $(SERVICE_LIBS) $(PCM_LIBS) $(MIDI_LIBS) $(USB_LIBS) $(BLUETOOTH_LIBS) $(LOUIS_LIBS) $(EXPAT_LIBS) $(POLKIT_LIBS) $(LDLIBS)
 
 brltty$X: $(BRLTTY_OBJECTS)
 	$(CC) $(LDFLAGS) -o $@ $(BRLTTY_OBJECTS) $(BRLTTY_LIBRARIES)
@@ -952,11 +952,11 @@ xbrlapi.$O:
 
 ###############################################################################
 
-TBL2HEX_OBJECTS_FOR_BUILD = tbl2hex.$(O_FOR_BUILD) $(PROGRAM_OBJECTS_FOR_BUILD) dataarea.$(O_FOR_BUILD) ttb_compile.$(O_FOR_BUILD) ttb_native.$(O_FOR_BUILD) atb_compile.$(O_FOR_BUILD) ctb_compile.$(O_FOR_BUILD)
+TBL2HEX_OBJECTS_FOR_BUILD = tbl2hex.$(O_FOR_BUILD) $(PROGRAM_OBJECTS_FOR_BUILD) dataarea.$(O_FOR_BUILD) ttb_compile.$(O_FOR_BUILD) ttb_native.$(O_FOR_BUILD) atb_compile.$(O_FOR_BUILD) ctb_compile.$(O_FOR_BUILD) cldr.$(O_FOR_BUILD)
 TBL2HEX_OBJECTS = $(TBL2HEX_OBJECTS_FOR_BUILD:.$(O_FOR_BUILD)=.$B)
 
 tbl2hex$(X_FOR_BUILD): $(TBL2HEX_OBJECTS)
-	$(CC_FOR_BUILD) $(LDFLAGS_FOR_BUILD) -o $@ $(TBL2HEX_OBJECTS) $(LDLIBS_FOR_BUILD)
+	$(CC_FOR_BUILD) $(LDFLAGS_FOR_BUILD) -o $@ $(TBL2HEX_OBJECTS) $(EXPAT_LIBS_FOR_BUILD) $(LDLIBS_FOR_BUILD)
 
 ###############################################################################
 
diff --git a/Programs/cldr.c b/Programs/cldr.c
index b0432a08b5..cbf84ebb48 100644
--- a/Programs/cldr.c
+++ b/Programs/cldr.c
@@ -22,12 +22,14 @@
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
 #include <sys/stat.h>
-#include <expat.h>
 
 #include "log.h"
 #include "cldr.h"
 #include "file.h"
 
+#ifdef HAVE_EXPAT
+#include <expat.h>
+
 const char cldrDefaultDirectory[] = "/usr/share/unicode/cldr/common/annotations";
 const char cldrDefaultExtension[] = ".xml";
 
@@ -160,9 +162,11 @@ handleElementEnd (void *userData, const char *name) {
 
   dpo->document.depth -= 1;
 }
+#endif /* HAVE_EXPAT */
 
 CLDR_DocumentParserObject *
 cldrNewDocumentParser (CLDR_AnnotationHandler *handler, void *data) {
+#ifdef HAVE_EXPAT
   CLDR_DocumentParserObject *dpo;
 
   if ((dpo = malloc(sizeof(*dpo)))) {
@@ -190,12 +194,14 @@ cldrNewDocumentParser (CLDR_AnnotationHandler *handler, void *data) {
   } else {
     logMallocError();
   }
+#endif /* HAVE_EXPAT */
 
   return NULL;
 }
 
 void
 cldrDestroyDocumentParser (CLDR_DocumentParserObject *dpo) {
+#ifdef HAVE_EXPAT
   if (dpo->annotation.sequence) {
     free(dpo->annotation.sequence);
     dpo->annotation.sequence = NULL;
@@ -208,10 +214,12 @@ cldrDestroyDocumentParser (CLDR_DocumentParserObject *dpo) {
 
   XML_ParserFree(dpo->document.parser);
   free(dpo);
+#endif /* HAVE_EXPAT */
 }
 
 int
 cldrParseText (CLDR_DocumentParserObject *dpo, const char *text, size_t size, int final) {
+#ifdef HAVE_EXPAT
   enum XML_Status status = XML_Parse(dpo->document.parser, text, size, final);
 
   switch (status) {
@@ -226,6 +234,7 @@ cldrParseText (CLDR_DocumentParserObject *dpo, const char *text, size_t size, in
       logMessage(LOG_WARNING, "unrecognized CLDR parse status: %d", status);
       break;
   }
+#endif /* HAVE_EXPAT */
 
   return 0;
 }
@@ -255,6 +264,7 @@ cldrParseFile (
   char *path = makeFilePath(cldrDefaultDirectory, name, cldrDefaultExtension);
 
   if (path) {
+    logMessage(LOG_DEBUG, "processing CLDR annotations file: %s", path);
     int fd = open(path, O_RDONLY);
 
     if (fd != -1) {
diff --git a/config.h.in b/config.h.in
index 1fb856ba32..51b217abf1 100644
--- a/config.h.in
+++ b/config.h.in
@@ -83,6 +83,9 @@ extern "C" {
 /* Define this if the header file iconv.h exists. */
 #undef HAVE_ICONV_H
 
+/* Define this if XML parsing support is to be included. */
+#undef HAVE_EXPAT
+
 /* Define this if the header file pwd.h exists. */
 #undef HAVE_PWD_H
 
diff --git a/config.mk.in b/config.mk.in
index 942e09a425..0c1449bbc7 100644
--- a/config.mk.in
+++ b/config.mk.in
@@ -106,6 +106,9 @@ POLKIT_PACKAGE = @polkit_package@
 POLKIT_INCLUDES = @polkit_includes@
 POLKIT_LIBS = @polkit_libs@
 
+EXPAT_INCLUDES = @expat_includes@
+EXPAT_LIBS = @expat_libs@
+
 LOUIS_INCLUDES = @louis_includes@
 LOUIS_LIBS = @louis_libs@
 
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index d9b8376c57..1e2774abf7 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1105,6 +1105,21 @@ BRLTTY_ARG_PACKAGE([system], [base system], [], [dnl
       ;;
 ])
 
+expat_includes=""
+expat_libs=""
+BRLTTY_ARG_DISABLE(
+   [expat],
+   [support for XML parsing (CLDR)],
+   [],
+[dnl
+   BRLTTY_HAVE_PACKAGE([expat], [expat], [dnl
+      AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([HAVE_EXPAT], [1],
+                         [Define this if XML parsing support is to be included.])
+   ])
+])
+AC_SUBST([expat_includes])
+AC_SUBST([expat_libs])
+
 BRLTTY_ARG_DISABLE(
    [contracted-braille],
    [in-line contracted braille],
@@ -1116,7 +1131,7 @@ BRLTTY_ARG_DISABLE(
    all_brltty_ctb="all-brltty-ctb"
    install_brltty_ctb="install-brltty-ctb"
 
-   contracted_braille_objects='ctb_compile.$O ctb_translate.$O ctb_native.$O ctb_external.$O'
+   contracted_braille_objects='ctb_compile.$O cldr.$O ctb_translate.$O ctb_native.$O ctb_external.$O'
    install_contraction_tables=install-contraction-tables
 
    louis_includes=""