diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 7d20fe0e..39f5bcca 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ PACKAGE_VERSION=
 PACKAGE_STRING=
 PACKAGE_BUGREPORT=
 
-ac_subst_vars='SHELL PATH_SEPARATOR PACKAGE_NAME PACKAGE_TARNAME PACKAGE_VERSION PACKAGE_STRING PACKAGE_BUGREPORT exec_prefix prefix program_transform_name bindir sbindir libexecdir datadir sysconfdir sharedstatedir localstatedir libdir includedir oldincludedir infodir mandir build_alias host_alias target_alias DEFS ECHO_C ECHO_N ECHO_T LIBS CXX CXXFLAGS LDFLAGS CPPFLAGS ac_ct_CXX EXEEXT OBJEXT build build_cpu build_vendor build_os host host_cpu host_vendor host_os CC CFLAGS ac_ct_CC MODFLAGS INCLUDES MODULES MODTARGET VERSION NOSSL LIBOBJS LTLIBOBJS'
+ac_subst_vars='SHELL PATH_SEPARATOR PACKAGE_NAME PACKAGE_TARNAME PACKAGE_VERSION PACKAGE_STRING PACKAGE_BUGREPORT exec_prefix prefix program_transform_name bindir sbindir libexecdir datadir sysconfdir sharedstatedir localstatedir libdir includedir oldincludedir infodir mandir build_alias host_alias target_alias DEFS ECHO_C ECHO_N ECHO_T LIBS CXX CXXFLAGS LDFLAGS CPPFLAGS ac_ct_CXX EXEEXT OBJEXT build build_cpu build_vendor build_os host host_cpu host_vendor host_os CC CFLAGS ac_ct_CC MODFLAGS INCLUDES MODULES MODTARGET VERSION NOSSL PERL LIBOBJS LTLIBOBJS'
 ac_subst_files=''
 
 # Initialize some variables set by options.
@@ -813,6 +813,7 @@ Optional Features:
   --enable-debug  enable debuging
   --disable-modules  disable modules
   --disable-openssl  disable openssl
+  --disable-perl  disable perl
 
 Optional Packages:
   --with-PACKAGE[=ARG]    use PACKAGE [ARG=yes]
@@ -1961,6 +1962,11 @@ if test "${enable_openssl+set}" = set; then
   enableval="$enable_openssl"
   NOSSL=1
 fi;
+# Check whether --enable-perl or --disable-perl was given.
+if test "${enable_perl+set}" = set; then
+  enableval="$enable_perl"
+  NOPERL=1
+fi;
 
 ac_ext=c
 ac_cpp='$CPP $CPPFLAGS'
@@ -3060,6 +3066,25 @@ fi
 	fi
 fi
 
+if test -z "$NOPERL"; then
+	echo -n "checking for perl... "
+	PERL=`which perl`
+	if test -n "$PERL"; then
+		echo "$PERL"
+		echo -n "checking embeded perl installation... "
+		PTEST=`$PERL -MExtUtils::Embed -e ccopts 2>&5`
+		if test -z "$PTEST"; then
+			echo "failed"
+			NOPERL=1
+		else
+			echo "ok"
+		fi
+	else
+		echo "no"
+		NOPERL=1
+	fi
+fi
+
 if test -z "$prefix" || test $prefix = "NONE"; then
 	prefix="/usr/local"
 fi
@@ -3169,6 +3194,7 @@ VERSION=`grep '#define VERSION' Modules.h | awk '{print $3}'`
 
 
 
+
           ac_config_files="$ac_config_files Makefile"
 
           ac_config_files="$ac_config_files znc-config"
@@ -3837,6 +3863,7 @@ s,@MODULES@,$MODULES,;t t
 s,@MODTARGET@,$MODTARGET,;t t
 s,@VERSION@,$VERSION,;t t
 s,@NOSSL@,$NOSSL,;t t
+s,@PERL@,$PERL,;t t
 s,@LIBOBJS@,$LIBOBJS,;t t
 s,@LTLIBOBJS@,$LTLIBOBJS,;t t
 CEOF
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 5015faef..845de964 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ AC_ARG_WITH( openssl, [  --with-openssl=/path/to/openssl], OPENSSL=$withval,)
 AC_ARG_ENABLE( debug, [  --enable-debug  enable debuging], appendCXX -Wall -ggdb -D_DEBUG, appendCXX -Wall -s -O2 -fomit-frame-pointer )
 AC_ARG_ENABLE( modules, [  --disable-modules  disable modules], MODULES="no", MODULES="yes")
 AC_ARG_ENABLE( openssl, [  --disable-openssl  disable openssl], NOSSL=1,)
+AC_ARG_ENABLE( perl, [  --disable-perl  disable perl], NOPERL=1,)
 
 AC_CHECK_FUNCS( stat lstat chmod open, , echo "Missing Required libc feature" && exit 1)
 if test "$MODULES" = "yes"; then
@@ -59,6 +60,25 @@ if test -z "$NOSSL"; then
 	fi
 fi
 
+if test -z "$NOPERL"; then
+	echo -n "checking for perl... "
+	PERL=`which perl`
+	if test -n "$PERL"; then
+		echo "$PERL"
+		echo -n "checking embeded perl installation... "
+		PTEST=`$PERL -MExtUtils::Embed -e ccopts 2>&5`
+		if test -z "$PTEST"; then
+			echo "failed"
+			NOPERL=1
+		else
+			echo "ok"
+		fi
+	else
+		echo "no"
+		NOPERL=1
+	fi
+fi
+
 if test -z "$prefix" || test $prefix = "NONE"; then
 	prefix="/usr/local"
 fi
@@ -99,6 +119,7 @@ AC_SUBST([MODULES])
 AC_SUBST([MODTARGET])
 AC_SUBST([VERSION])
 AC_SUBST([NOSSL])
+AC_SUBST([PERL])
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([Makefile])
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([znc-config])
 if test "$MODULES" = "yes"; then
diff --git a/modules/Makefile.in b/modules/Makefile.in
index ea300c3a..55c69d18 100644
--- a/modules/Makefile.in
+++ b/modules/Makefile.in
@@ -3,6 +3,11 @@ CXX=g++
 CXXFLAGS=@CXXFLAGS@
 INCLUDES=@INCLUDES@ -I..
 LIBS=@LIBS@
+PERL=@PERL@
+ifneq "$(PERL)" ""
+PERLCC=`$(PERL) -MExtUtils::Embed -e ccopts`
+PERLLD=`$(PERL) -MExtUtils::Embed -e ccopts -e ldopts`
+endif
 VPATH=.:..
 
 ifeq "@NOSSL@" "1" 
@@ -20,7 +25,7 @@ endif
 all: $(OBJS) $(TARGETS)
 
 depend::
-	g++ -M $(CXXFLAGS) $(SRCS) $(INCLUDES) `perl -MExtUtils::Embed -e ccopts` >.depend
+	g++ -M $(CXXFLAGS) $(SRCS) $(INCLUDES) $(PERLCC) >.depend
 
 install: all create_install_dir $(INSTALL_TARGS)
 	@echo -n ""
@@ -42,9 +47,17 @@ clean:
 %.o: %.cpp
 	$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) $(INCLUDES) -c -o $@ $<
 
-########### modperl special TODO this is just so i don't forget, need to make configureable yet
+ifneq "$(PERL)" ""
 modperl.so: modperl.o
-	$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) -shared -o $@ $< $(INCLUDES) $(LIBS) `perl -MExtUtils::Embed -e ccopts -e ldopts` 
+	$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) -shared -o $@ $< $(INCLUDES) $(LIBS) $(PERLLD)
 
 modperl.o: modperl.cpp
-	$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) $(INCLUDES) -c -o $@ modperl.cpp `perl -MExtUtils::Embed -e ccopts`
+	$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) $(INCLUDES) -c -o $@ modperl.cpp $(PERLCC)
+else
+modperl.so:
+	@echo -n ""
+modperl.o:
+	@echo -n ""
+install_modperl.so:
+	@echo -n ""
+endif
diff --git a/modules/modperl.cpp b/modules/modperl.cpp
index 6ae273c2..ae56c7cc 100644
--- a/modules/modperl.cpp
+++ b/modules/modperl.cpp
@@ -121,34 +121,29 @@ XS(XS_AddZNCHook)
 	{
 		if ( g_ModPerl )
 			g_ModPerl->AddZNCHook( (char *)SvPV(ST(0),PL_na) );
-		
+
 		PUTBACK;
 		return;
 	}
 }
 
 
-EXTERN_C void
-xs_init(pTHX)
-{
-	char *file = __FILE__;
-	newXS( "AddZNCHook", XS_AddZNCHook, file );
-}
-
 
 /////////// supporting functions from within module
 bool CModPerl::OnLoad( const CString & sArgs ) 
 {
 	const char *pArgv[] = 
 	{
-		"ZNCPerl",
+		sArgs.c_str(),
 		sArgs.c_str(),
 		NULL
 	};
 
-	perl_parse( m_pPerl, xs_init, 2, (char **)pArgv, (char **)NULL );
+	perl_parse( m_pPerl, NULL, 2, (char **)pArgv, (char **)NULL );
 	PL_exit_flags |= PERL_EXIT_DESTRUCT_END;
 
+	newXS( "AddZNCHook", XS_AddZNCHook, (char *)__FILE__ );
+
 	ModPerlInit();
 	return( true );
 }