diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 305c1e0d..bbe4af4a 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ Instructions see [here](receiver/README.md)
 5. Google Remote Procedure Call (gRPC) - see notes below
 6. CUDA compiler version 11 or newer (spot finding, indexing, and radial integration)
 7. TIFF library with C++ bindings
-8. Mellanox OFED - Infinibands Verbs (ibverbs)
+8. Mellanox OFED - Infinibands Verbs (optional)
 9. NUMA library (optional)
 
 Additional dependencies: SLS Detector Package,  tinycbor (Intel) and Zstandard (Facebook) are provided as GIT submodules. 
diff --git a/receiver/host/CMakeLists.txt b/receiver/host/CMakeLists.txt
index 4fe0f250..802186f1 100644
--- a/receiver/host/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/receiver/host/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-FIND_LIBRARY(IBVERBS REQUIRED NAMES ibverbs DOC "Infiniband verbs")
-
 ADD_LIBRARY(JungfraujochHost STATIC
         AcquisitionDevice.cpp AcquisitionDevice.h
         AcquisitionOnlineCounters.cpp AcquisitionOnlineCounters.h
@@ -17,6 +15,13 @@ TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(JungfraujochHost CommonFunctions HLSSimulation ${IBVERBS}
 
 TARGET_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES(JungfraujochHost PUBLIC ../../include)
 
+FIND_LIBRARY(IBVERBS NAMES ibverbs DOC "Infiniband verbs")
+IF(IBVERBS)
+    TARGET_COMPILE_DEFINITIONS(JungfraujochHost PRIVATE -DJFJOCH_USE_IBVERBS)
+    TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(JungfraujochHost ${IBVERBS})
+    MESSAGE(STATUS "JFJochReceiver compiled with IBVerbs support")
+ENDIF()
+
 IF(HAS_NUMA_H AND NUMA_LIBRARY)
     TARGET_COMPILE_DEFINITIONS(JungfraujochHost PRIVATE -DJFJOCH_USE_NUMA_H)
     TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(JungfraujochHost ${NUMA_LIBRARY})
diff --git a/receiver/host/IBReceiver.cpp b/receiver/host/IBReceiver.cpp
index c1822818..a1cbc431 100644
--- a/receiver/host/IBReceiver.cpp
+++ b/receiver/host/IBReceiver.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 // Copyright (2019-2022) Paul Scherrer Institute
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
 
+#ifdef JFJOCH_USE_IBVERBS
 #include "IBReceiver.h"
 
 #include <sys/mman.h>
@@ -161,3 +162,5 @@ IBReceiver::~IBReceiver() {
             iter.get();
     }
 }
+
+#endif //JFJOCH_USE_IBVERBS
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/receiver/host/IBReceiver.h b/receiver/host/IBReceiver.h
index e887fc48..30cf67ef 100644
--- a/receiver/host/IBReceiver.h
+++ b/receiver/host/IBReceiver.h
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 // Copyright (2019-2022) Paul Scherrer Institute
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
 
+#ifdef JFJOCH_USE_IBVERBS
+
 #ifndef JUNGFRAUJOCH_IBRECEIVER_H
 #define JUNGFRAUJOCH_IBRECEIVER_H
 
@@ -41,3 +43,4 @@ public:
 
 
 #endif //JUNGFRAUJOCH_IBRECEIVER_H
+#endif //JFJOCH_USE_IBVERBS
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/receiver/host/IBWrappers.cpp b/receiver/host/IBWrappers.cpp
index bdaf23f9..662ece87 100644
--- a/receiver/host/IBWrappers.cpp
+++ b/receiver/host/IBWrappers.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 // Copyright (2019-2022) Paul Scherrer Institute
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
 
+#ifdef JFJOCH_USE_IBVERBS
+
 #include <thread>
 #include <chrono>
 
@@ -316,3 +318,5 @@ uint32_t IBMemoryRegion::GetRemoteKey() {
 IBMemoryRegion::~IBMemoryRegion() {
     ibv_dereg_mr(buffer_mr);
 }
+
+#endif //JFJOCH_USE_IBVERBS
diff --git a/receiver/host/IBWrappers.h b/receiver/host/IBWrappers.h
index 56f6b6ed..e7f2987b 100644
--- a/receiver/host/IBWrappers.h
+++ b/receiver/host/IBWrappers.h
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 // Copyright (2019-2022) Paul Scherrer Institute
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
 
+#ifdef JFJOCH_USE_IBVERBS
 #ifndef JUNGFRAUJOCH_IBWRAPPERS_H
 #define JUNGFRAUJOCH_IBWRAPPERS_H
 
@@ -65,5 +66,5 @@ public:
     ~IBQueuePair();
 };
 
-
 #endif //JUNGFRAUJOCH_IBWRAPPERS_H
+#endif // JFJOCH_USE_IBVERBS
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/receiver/host/RawEthDevice.cpp b/receiver/host/RawEthDevice.cpp
index e01c1eb5..c3ea3663 100644
--- a/receiver/host/RawEthDevice.cpp
+++ b/receiver/host/RawEthDevice.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 // Copyright (2019-2022) Paul Scherrer Institute
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
 
+#ifdef JFJOCH_USE_IBVERBS
 #include "RawEthDevice.h"
 
 RawEthDevice::RawEthDevice(const std::string &device_name, uint16_t data_stream, size_t in_frame_buffer_size_modules,
@@ -83,4 +84,6 @@ void RawEthDevice::SetMACAddress(uint64_t mac_addr_network_order) {
 
 uint64_t RawEthDevice::HW_GetMACAddress() const {
     return mac_addr;
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
+
+#endif //JFJOCH_USE_IBVERBS
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/receiver/host/RawEthDevice.h b/receiver/host/RawEthDevice.h
index d9b4e83b..32487afb 100644
--- a/receiver/host/RawEthDevice.h
+++ b/receiver/host/RawEthDevice.h
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 // Copyright (2019-2022) Paul Scherrer Institute
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
 
+#ifdef JFJOCH_USE_IBVERBS
 #ifndef JUNGFRAUJOCH_RAWETHDEVICE_H
 #define JUNGFRAUJOCH_RAWETHDEVICE_H
 
@@ -39,3 +40,4 @@ public:
 
 
 #endif //JUNGFRAUJOCH_RAWETHDEVICE_H
+#endif //JFJOCH_USE_IBVERBS
\ No newline at end of file