diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 7b17d52..f1701aa 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -34,8 +34,6 @@
 PROGRAM	:= lkvm
 PROGRAM_ALIAS := vm
 
-GUEST_INIT := guest/init
-
 OBJS	+= builtin-balloon.o
 OBJS	+= builtin-debug.o
 OBJS	+= builtin-help.o
@@ -279,8 +277,13 @@
 	endif
 endif
 
-ifneq ($(call try-build,$(SOURCE_STATIC),,-static),y)
-        $(error No static libc found. Please install glibc-static package.)
+ifeq ($(call try-build,$(SOURCE_STATIC),,-static),y)
+	CFLAGS		+= -DCONFIG_GUEST_INIT
+	GUEST_INIT	:= guest/init
+	GUEST_OBJS	= guest/guest_init.o
+else
+	$(warning No static libc found. Skipping guest init)
+	NOTFOUND        += static-libc
 endif
 
 ifeq (y,$(ARCH_WANT_LIBFDT))
@@ -356,7 +359,6 @@
 # $(OTHEROBJS) are things that do not get substituted like this.
 #
 STATIC_OBJS = $(patsubst %.o,%.static.o,$(OBJS) $(OBJS_STATOPT))
-GUEST_OBJS = guest/guest_init.o
 
 $(PROGRAM)-static:  $(STATIC_OBJS) $(OTHEROBJS) $(GUEST_INIT)
 	$(E) "  LINK    " $@
diff --git a/builtin-run.c b/builtin-run.c
index 1ee75ad..e0c8732 100644
--- a/builtin-run.c
+++ b/builtin-run.c
@@ -59,9 +59,6 @@
 
 bool do_debug_print = false;
 
-extern char _binary_guest_init_start;
-extern char _binary_guest_init_size;
-
 static const char * const run_usage[] = {
 	"lkvm run [<options>] [<kernel image>]",
 	NULL
@@ -345,30 +342,6 @@
 	usage_with_options(run_usage, options);
 }
 
-static int kvm_setup_guest_init(struct kvm *kvm)
-{
-	const char *rootfs = kvm->cfg.custom_rootfs_name;
-	char tmp[PATH_MAX];
-	size_t size;
-	int fd, ret;
-	char *data;
-
-	/* Setup /virt/init */
-	size = (size_t)&_binary_guest_init_size;
-	data = (char *)&_binary_guest_init_start;
-	snprintf(tmp, PATH_MAX, "%s%s/virt/init", kvm__get_dir(), rootfs);
-	remove(tmp);
-	fd = open(tmp, O_CREAT | O_WRONLY, 0755);
-	if (fd < 0)
-		die("Fail to setup %s", tmp);
-	ret = xwrite(fd, data, size);
-	if (ret < 0)
-		die("Fail to setup %s", tmp);
-	close(fd);
-
-	return 0;
-}
-
 static int kvm_run_set_sandbox(struct kvm *kvm)
 {
 	const char *guestfs_name = kvm->cfg.custom_rootfs_name;
@@ -631,7 +604,7 @@
 
 			if (!kvm->cfg.no_dhcp)
 				strcat(real_cmdline, "  ip=dhcp");
-			if (kvm_setup_guest_init(kvm))
+			if (kvm_setup_guest_init(kvm->cfg.custom_rootfs_name))
 				die("Failed to setup init for guest.");
 		}
 	} else if (!strstr(real_cmdline, "root=")) {
diff --git a/builtin-setup.c b/builtin-setup.c
index 8b45c56..40fef15 100644
--- a/builtin-setup.c
+++ b/builtin-setup.c
@@ -16,9 +16,6 @@
 #include <sys/mman.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
 
-extern char _binary_guest_init_start;
-extern char _binary_guest_init_size;
-
 static const char *instance_name;
 
 static const char * const setup_usage[] = {
@@ -124,7 +121,11 @@
 	"/etc/ld.so.conf",
 };
 
-static int copy_init(const char *guestfs_name)
+#ifdef CONFIG_GUEST_INIT
+extern char _binary_guest_init_start;
+extern char _binary_guest_init_size;
+
+int kvm_setup_guest_init(const char *guestfs_name)
 {
 	char path[PATH_MAX];
 	size_t size;
@@ -144,7 +145,15 @@
 	close(fd);
 
 	return 0;
+
 }
+#else
+int kvm_setup_guest_init(const char *guestfs_name)
+{
+	die("Guest init image not compiled in");
+	return 0;
+}
+#endif
 
 static int copy_passwd(const char *guestfs_name)
 {
@@ -222,7 +231,7 @@
 		make_guestfs_symlink(guestfs_name, guestfs_symlinks[i]);
 	}
 
-	ret = copy_init(guestfs_name);
+	ret = kvm_setup_guest_init(guestfs_name);
 	if (ret < 0)
 		return ret;
 
diff --git a/include/kvm/builtin-setup.h b/include/kvm/builtin-setup.h
index 4a8d7ee..239bbbd 100644
--- a/include/kvm/builtin-setup.h
+++ b/include/kvm/builtin-setup.h
@@ -7,5 +7,6 @@
 void kvm_setup_help(void) NORETURN;
 int kvm_setup_create_new(const char *guestfs_name);
 void kvm_setup_resolv(const char *guestfs_name);
+int kvm_setup_guest_init(const char *guestfs_name);
 
 #endif