diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index fc643afc..9a4173d7 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -27,8 +27,9 @@ webpki = "~0.21.3"
   features = [ "serde" ]
 
   [dependencies.igd]
-  version = "~0.12.0"
+  version = "~0.11.1"
   features = [ "aio" ]
+  optional = true
 
   [dependencies.quinn]
   version = "~0.6.1"
@@ -54,3 +55,7 @@ rand = "~0.7.3"
 
 [target."cfg(any(all(unix, not(any(target_os = \"android\", target_os = \"androideabi\", target_os = \"ios\"))), windows))".dependencies]
 dirs-next = "2.0.0"
+
+[features]
+default = [ "igd" ]
+no-igd = []
diff --git a/src/api.rs b/src/api.rs
index 651918d5..436f2ada 100644
--- a/src/api.rs
+++ b/src/api.rs
@@ -15,9 +15,11 @@ use super::{
     peer_config::{self, DEFAULT_IDLE_TIMEOUT_MSEC, DEFAULT_KEEP_ALIVE_INTERVAL_MSEC},
 };
 use futures::{future, TryFutureExt};
-use log::{debug, error, info, trace, warn};
+#[cfg(not(feature = "no-igd"))]
+use log::warn;
+use log::{debug, error, info, trace};
 use std::net::{IpAddr, Ipv4Addr, SocketAddr, UdpSocket};
-use std::path::PathBuf;
+use std::{collections::HashSet, path::PathBuf};
 
 /// In the absence of a port supplied by the user via the config we will first try using this
 /// before using a random port.
@@ -315,25 +317,40 @@ fn bind(
 
 fn unwrap_config_or_default(cfg: Option<Config>) -> Result<Config> {
     let mut cfg = cfg.map_or(Config::read_or_construct_default(None)?, |cfg| cfg);
+
     if cfg.local_ip.is_none() {
-        cfg.local_ip = match crate::igd::get_local_ip() {
-            Ok(addr) => Some(addr),
-            Err(err) => {
-                warn!("Error realizing local IP using IGD gateway: {}", err);
-                let socket = UdpSocket::bind("0.0.0.0:0")?;
-                let mut local_ip = None;
-                for addr in cfg.hard_coded_contacts.iter() {
-                    if let Ok(Ok(local_addr)) = socket.connect(addr).map(|()| socket.local_addr()) {
-                        local_ip = Some(local_addr.ip());
-                        break;
-                    }
+        #[cfg(feature = "no-igd")]
+        {
+            cfg.local_ip = realize_ip_from_contacts(&cfg.hard_coded_contacts)?;
+        }
+
+        #[cfg(not(feature = "no-igd"))]
+        {
+            cfg.local_ip = match crate::igd::get_local_ip() {
+                Ok(addr) => Some(addr),
+                Err(err) => {
+                    warn!("Error realizing local IP using IGD gateway: {}", err);
+                    realize_ip_from_contacts(&cfg.hard_coded_contacts)?
                 }
-                local_ip
             }
         }
-    };
+    }
+
     if cfg.clean {
         Config::clear_config_from_disk(None)?;
     }
+
     Ok(cfg)
 }
+
+fn realize_ip_from_contacts(contacts: &HashSet<SocketAddr>) -> Result<Option<IpAddr>> {
+    debug!("Realizing local IP by connecting to contacts");
+    let socket = UdpSocket::bind("0.0.0.0:0")?;
+    for addr in contacts.iter() {
+        if let Ok(Ok(local_addr)) = socket.connect(addr).map(|()| socket.local_addr()) {
+            return Ok(Some(local_addr.ip()));
+        }
+    }
+
+    Ok(None)
+}
diff --git a/src/endpoint.rs b/src/endpoint.rs
index 01188ee9..9da6e220 100644
--- a/src/endpoint.rs
+++ b/src/endpoint.rs
@@ -8,10 +8,10 @@
 // Software.
 
 use super::error::Error;
-use super::igd::forward_port;
 use super::wire_msg::WireMsg;
+#[cfg(not(feature = "no-igd"))]
+use super::{api::DEFAULT_UPNP_LEASE_DURATION_SEC, igd::forward_port};
 use super::{
-    api::DEFAULT_UPNP_LEASE_DURATION_SEC,
     connection_deduplicator::ConnectionDeduplicator,
     connection_pool::ConnectionPool,
     connections::{
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ use tokio::time::timeout;
 const CERT_SERVER_NAME: &str = "MaidSAFE.net";
 
 // Number of seconds before timing out the IGD request to forward a port.
+#[cfg(not(feature = "no-igd"))]
 const PORT_FORWARD_TIMEOUT: u64 = 30;
 
 /// Channel on which incoming messages can be listened to
@@ -210,6 +211,12 @@ impl Endpoint {
 
         let mut addr = None;
 
+        #[cfg(feature = "no-igd")]
+        if self.qp2p_config.forward_port {
+            warn!("Ignoring 'forward_port' flag from config since IGD has been disabled (feature 'no-igd' has been set)");
+        }
+
+        #[cfg(not(feature = "no-igd"))]
         if self.qp2p_config.forward_port {
             // Attempt to use IGD for port forwarding
             match timeout(
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index c98080e6..cc8072ba 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ mod connection_pool;
 mod connections;
 mod endpoint;
 mod error;
+#[cfg(not(feature = "no-igd"))]
 mod igd;
 mod peer_config;
 #[cfg(test)]