diff --git a/tasks/extension.rake b/tasks/extension.rake
index e09157a..ec1fb78 100644
--- a/tasks/extension.rake
+++ b/tasks/extension.rake
@@ -4,31 +4,35 @@
 #   spec.add_development_dependency( 'rake-compiler', '~> 0.8.1' )
 #
 # in your top level rakefile
-require 'rake/extensiontask'
-require 'rake/javaextensiontask'
+begin
+  require 'rake/extensiontask'
+  require 'rake/javaextensiontask'
 
-if RUBY_PLATFORM == "java" then
+  if RUBY_PLATFORM == "java" then
 
-  Rake::JavaExtensionTask.new( This.name) do |ext|
-    ext.ext_dir  = File.join( 'ext', This.name, "java" )
-    ext.lib_dir  = File.join( 'lib', This.name )
-    ext.gem_spec = This.java_gemspec
-  end
+    Rake::JavaExtensionTask.new( This.name) do |ext|
+      ext.ext_dir  = File.join( 'ext', This.name, "java" )
+      ext.lib_dir  = File.join( 'lib', This.name )
+      ext.gem_spec = This.java_gemspec
+    end
+
+  else
 
-else
+    Rake::ExtensionTask.new( This.name ) do |ext|
+      ext.ext_dir   = File.join( 'ext', This.name, "c" )
+      ext.lib_dir   = File.join( 'lib', This.name )
+      ext.gem_spec  = This.ruby_gemspec
 
-  Rake::ExtensionTask.new( This.name ) do |ext|
-    ext.ext_dir   = File.join( 'ext', This.name, "c" ) 
-    ext.lib_dir   = File.join( 'lib', This.name )
-    ext.gem_spec  = This.ruby_gemspec
-    
-    ext.cross_compile  = true               # enable cross compilation (requires cross compile toolchain)
-    ext.cross_platform = 'i386-mswin32'     # forces the Windows platform instead of the default one
-                                            # configure options only for cross compile
+      ext.cross_compile  = true               # enable cross compilation (requires cross compile toolchain)
+      ext.cross_platform = 'i386-mswin32'     # forces the Windows platform instead of the default one
+                                              # configure options only for cross compile
+    end
   end
 
+  task :test_requirements => :compile
+rescue LoadError
+  This.task_warning( 'extension' )
 end
 
 CLOBBER << FileList["lib/**/*.{jar,so,bundle}"]
 CLOBBER << FileList["lib/#{This.name}/1.{8,9}/"]
-task :test_requirements => :compile