diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 36d439fb..8a69d327 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -24,8 +24,9 @@ build-*-Debug
 build-*-Release
 libtool
 ptrans
+**/Makefile.in
 src/Makefile
-src/Makefile.in
+src/rclgrep/Makefile
 src/TAGS
 src/aclocal.m4
 src/autom4te.cache
@@ -77,7 +78,6 @@ src/recollq
 src/sampleconf/rclmon.sh
 src/sampleconf/recoll.conf
 src/testmains/Makefile
-src/testmains/Makefile.in
 src/xadump
 stamp-h1
 tests/casediac/aspdict.en.rws
diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index 1844e466..8cced3eb 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -4,7 +4,11 @@
 if COND_TESTMAINS
   MAYBE_TESTMAINS = testmains
 endif
-SUBDIRS = . $(MAYBE_TESTMAINS)
+if COND_RCLGREP
+  MAYBE_RCLGREP = rclgrep
+endif
+SUBDIRS = . $(MAYBE_TESTMAINS) $(MAYBE_RCLGREP)
+
 DIST_SUBDIRS = .
 
 CXXFLAGS ?= @CXXFLAGS@
@@ -306,7 +310,7 @@ PicStatic: $(librecoll_la_OBJECTS)
 	$(LIBTOOL) --tag=LD --mode=link gcc -g -O -o librecoll.la \
 		$(librecoll_la_OBJECTS)
 
-bin_PROGRAMS = recollindex rclgrep
+bin_PROGRAMS = recollindex
 if MAKECMDLINE
     bin_PROGRAMS += recollq
 endif
@@ -330,11 +334,6 @@ recollindex_SOURCES = \
 
 recollindex_LDADD = librecoll.la 
 
-rclgrep_SOURCES = \
-    index/rclgrep.cpp
-
-rclgrep_LDADD = librecoll.la 
-
 recollq_SOURCES = query/recollqmain.cpp
 recollq_LDADD = librecoll.la
 
diff --git a/src/configure.ac b/src/configure.ac
index f29ebb5f..1f1b8b9b 100644
--- a/src/configure.ac
+++ b/src/configure.ac
@@ -206,6 +206,11 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE(testmains,
         buildtestmains=$enableval, buildtestmains=no)
 AM_CONDITIONAL([COND_TESTMAINS], [test "$buildtestmains" = yes])
 
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(rclgrep,
+    AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-rclgrep],[Enable building the index-less search tool.]),
+        buildrclgrep=$enableval, buildrclgrep=no)
+AM_CONDITIONAL([COND_RCLGREP], [test "$buildrclgrep" = yes])
+
 # Enable CamelCase word splitting. This is optional because it causes 
 # problems with phrases: with camelcase enabled, "MySQL manual"
 # will be matched by "MySQL manual" and "my sql manual" but not 
@@ -558,5 +563,8 @@ AC_CONFIG_FILES([Makefile python/recoll/setup.py
 if test X$buildtestmains = Xyes ; then
    AC_CONFIG_FILES([testmains/Makefile])
 fi
+if test X$buildrclgrep = Xyes ; then
+   AC_CONFIG_FILES([rclgrep/Makefile])
+fi
 
 AC_OUTPUT
diff --git a/src/rclgrep/Makefile.am b/src/rclgrep/Makefile.am
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fa47f391
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/rclgrep/Makefile.am
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+CXXFLAGS ?= @CXXFLAGS@
+XSLT_CFLAGS=@XSLT_CFLAGS@
+XSLT_LINKADD=@XSLT_LINKADD@
+LIBICONV=@LIBICONV@
+INCICONV=@INCICONV@
+DEFS=@DEFS@
+
+COMMONCPPFLAGS = -I. \
+    -I$(top_srcdir)/aspell \
+    -I$(top_srcdir)/bincimapmime \
+    -I$(top_srcdir)/common \
+    -I$(top_srcdir)/index \
+    -I$(top_srcdir)/internfile \
+    -I$(top_srcdir)/query \
+    -I$(top_srcdir)/rcldb \
+    -I$(top_srcdir)/unac \
+    -I$(top_srcdir)/utils \
+    -I$(top_srcdir)/xaposix \
+    -DBUILDING_RECOLL
+
+AM_CPPFLAGS = -Wall -Wno-unused -std=c++11 \
+    $(COMMONCPPFLAGS) \
+    $(INCICONV) \
+    $(XSLT_CFLAGS) \
+    -DRECOLL_DATADIR=\"${pkgdatadir}\" \
+    -DREADFILE_ENABLE_ZLIB -DREADFILE_ENABLE_MINIZ -DREADFILE_ENABLE_MD5 \
+    -D_GNU_SOURCE \
+    $(DEFS)
+
+bin_PROGRAMS = rclgrep
+
+rclgrep_SOURCES = \
+    rclgrep.cpp \
+    ../bincimapmime/convert.cc \
+    ../bincimapmime/mime-parsefull.cc \
+    ../bincimapmime/mime-parseonlyheader.cc \
+    ../bincimapmime/mime-printbody.cc \
+    ../bincimapmime/mime.cc \
+    ../common/cstr.cpp \
+    ../common/rclconfig.cpp \
+    ../common/rclinit.cpp \
+    ../common/textsplit.cpp \
+    ../common/textsplitko.cpp \
+    ../common/webstore.cpp \
+    ../index/exefetcher.cpp \
+    ../index/fetcher.cpp \
+    ../index/fsfetcher.cpp \
+    ../index/idxdiags.cpp \
+    ../index/mimetype.cpp \
+    ../index/webqueuefetcher.cpp \
+    ../internfile/extrameta.cpp \
+    ../internfile/htmlparse.cpp \
+    ../internfile/internfile.cpp \
+    ../internfile/mh_exec.cpp \
+    ../internfile/mh_execm.cpp \
+    ../internfile/mh_html.cpp \
+    ../internfile/mh_mail.cpp \
+    ../internfile/mh_mbox.cpp \
+    ../internfile/mh_text.cpp \
+    ../internfile/mh_xslt.cpp \
+    ../internfile/mimehandler.cpp \
+    ../internfile/myhtmlparse.cpp \
+    ../internfile/txtdcode.cpp \
+    ../internfile/uncomp.cpp \
+    ../rcldb/rcldoc.cpp \
+    ../unac/unac.cpp \
+    ../utils/base64.cpp \
+    ../utils/cancelcheck.cpp \
+    ../utils/chrono.cpp \
+    ../utils/circache.cpp \
+    ../utils/closefrom.cpp \
+    ../utils/cmdtalk.cpp \
+    ../utils/conftree.cpp \
+    ../utils/copyfile.cpp \
+    ../utils/cpuconf.cpp \
+    ../utils/execmd.cpp \
+    ../utils/fileudi.cpp \
+    ../utils/fstreewalk.cpp \
+    ../utils/idfile.cpp \
+    ../utils/log.cpp \
+    ../utils/md5.cpp \
+    ../utils/md5ut.cpp \
+    ../utils/mimeparse.cpp \
+    ../utils/miniz.cpp \
+    ../utils/netcon.cpp \
+    ../utils/pathut.cpp \
+    ../utils/pxattr.cpp \
+    ../utils/rclutil.cpp \
+    ../utils/readfile.cpp \
+    ../utils/smallut.cpp  \
+    ../utils/transcode.cpp \
+    ../utils/wipedir.cpp \
+    ../utils/zlibut.cpp
+    
+rclgrep_LDADD = $(XSLT_LIBS) $(LIBICONV) $(LIBTHREADS)
diff --git a/src/index/rclgrep.cpp b/src/rclgrep/rclgrep.cpp
similarity index 99%
rename from src/index/rclgrep.cpp
rename to src/rclgrep/rclgrep.cpp
index df4611f1..fc43af38 100644
--- a/src/index/rclgrep.cpp
+++ b/src/rclgrep/rclgrep.cpp
@@ -96,6 +96,12 @@ int g_reflags = SimpleRegexp::SRE_NOSUB;
 
 static RclConfig *config;
 
+namespace Rcl {
+std::string version_string()
+{
+    return string("rclgrep ") + string(PACKAGE_VERSION);
+}
+}
 // Working directory before we change: it's simpler to change early
 // but some options need the original for computing absolute paths.
 static std::string orig_cwd;