diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index d8cd011146..7c8763710c 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -145,6 +145,8 @@ all::
 # Define NO_PERL_MAKEMAKER if you cannot use Makefiles generated by perl's
 # MakeMaker (e.g. using ActiveState under Cygwin).
 #
+# Define NO_PERL if you do not want Perl scripts or libraries at all.
+#
 # Define NO_TCLTK if you do not want Tcl/Tk GUI.
 #
 # The TCL_PATH variable governs the location of the Tcl interpreter
@@ -353,7 +355,10 @@ BUILT_INS += git-whatchanged$X
 ALL_PROGRAMS = $(PROGRAMS) $(SCRIPTS)
 
 # what 'all' will build but not install in gitexecdir
-OTHER_PROGRAMS = git$X gitweb/gitweb.cgi
+OTHER_PROGRAMS = git$X
+ifndef NO_PERL
+OTHER_PROGRAMS += gitweb/gitweb.cgi
+endif
 
 # Set paths to tools early so that they can be used for version tests.
 ifndef SHELL_PATH
@@ -1106,6 +1111,10 @@ ifeq ($(TCLTK_PATH),)
 NO_TCLTK=NoThanks
 endif
 
+ifeq ($(PERL_PATH),)
+NO_PERL=NoThanks
+endif
+
 QUIET_SUBDIR0  = +$(MAKE) -C # space to separate -C and subdir
 QUIET_SUBDIR1  =
 
@@ -1180,7 +1189,9 @@ ifndef NO_TCLTK
 	$(QUIET_SUBDIR0)git-gui $(QUIET_SUBDIR1) gitexecdir='$(gitexec_instdir_SQ)' all
 	$(QUIET_SUBDIR0)gitk-git $(QUIET_SUBDIR1) all
 endif
+ifndef NO_PERL
 	$(QUIET_SUBDIR0)perl $(QUIET_SUBDIR1) PERL_PATH='$(PERL_PATH_SQ)' prefix='$(prefix_SQ)' all
+endif
 	$(QUIET_SUBDIR0)templates $(QUIET_SUBDIR1)
 
 please_set_SHELL_PATH_to_a_more_modern_shell:
@@ -1228,6 +1239,7 @@ $(patsubst %.sh,%,$(SCRIPT_SH)) : % : %.sh
 	chmod +x $@+ && \
 	mv $@+ $@
 
+ifndef NO_PERL
 $(patsubst %.perl,%,$(SCRIPT_PERL)): perl/perl.mak
 
 perl/perl.mak: GIT-CFLAGS perl/Makefile perl/Makefile.PL
@@ -1287,6 +1299,15 @@ git-instaweb: git-instaweb.sh gitweb/gitweb.cgi gitweb/gitweb.css
 	    $@.sh > $@+ && \
 	chmod +x $@+ && \
 	mv $@+ $@
+else # NO_PERL
+$(patsubst %.perl,%,$(SCRIPT_PERL)) git-instaweb: % : unimplemented.sh
+	$(QUIET_GEN)$(RM) $@ $@+ && \
+	sed -e '1s|#!.*/sh|#!$(SHELL_PATH_SQ)|' \
+	    -e 's|@@REASON@@|NO_PERL=$(NO_PERL)|g' \
+	    unimplemented.sh >$@+ && \
+	chmod +x $@+ && \
+	mv $@+ $@
+endif # NO_PERL
 
 configure: configure.ac
 	$(QUIET_GEN)$(RM) $@ $<+ && \
@@ -1403,6 +1424,7 @@ GIT-BUILD-OPTIONS: .FORCE-GIT-BUILD-OPTIONS
 	@echo SHELL_PATH=\''$(subst ','\'',$(SHELL_PATH_SQ))'\' >$@
 	@echo TAR=\''$(subst ','\'',$(subst ','\'',$(TAR)))'\' >>$@
 	@echo NO_CURL=\''$(subst ','\'',$(subst ','\'',$(NO_CURL)))'\' >>$@
+	@echo NO_PERL=\''$(subst ','\'',$(subst ','\'',$(NO_PERL)))'\' >>$@
 
 ### Detect Tck/Tk interpreter path changes
 ifndef NO_TCLTK
@@ -1605,9 +1627,11 @@ clean:
 	$(RM) -r $(GIT_TARNAME) .doc-tmp-dir
 	$(RM) $(GIT_TARNAME).tar.gz git-core_$(GIT_VERSION)-*.tar.gz
 	$(RM) $(htmldocs).tar.gz $(manpages).tar.gz
-	$(RM) gitweb/gitweb.cgi
 	$(MAKE) -C Documentation/ clean
+ifndef NO_PERL
+	$(RM) gitweb/gitweb.cgi
 	$(MAKE) -C perl clean
+endif
 	$(MAKE) -C templates/ clean
 	$(MAKE) -C t/ clean
 ifndef NO_TCLTK
diff --git a/t/lib-git-svn.sh b/t/lib-git-svn.sh
index cdd7ccdd2a..773d47cf3c 100644
--- a/t/lib-git-svn.sh
+++ b/t/lib-git-svn.sh
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@ then
 	say 'skipping git svn tests, NO_SVN_TESTS defined'
 	test_done
 fi
+if ! test_have_prereq PERL; then
+	say 'skipping git svn tests, perl not available'
+	test_done
+fi
 
 GIT_DIR=$PWD/.git
 GIT_SVN_DIR=$GIT_DIR/svn/git-svn
diff --git a/t/t3701-add-interactive.sh b/t/t3701-add-interactive.sh
index fe017839c4..dfc65601aa 100755
--- a/t/t3701-add-interactive.sh
+++ b/t/t3701-add-interactive.sh
@@ -3,6 +3,11 @@
 test_description='add -i basic tests'
 . ./test-lib.sh
 
+if ! test_have_prereq PERL; then
+	say 'skipping git add -i tests, perl not available'
+	test_done
+fi
+
 test_expect_success 'setup (initial)' '
 	echo content >file &&
 	git add file &&
diff --git a/t/t7501-commit.sh b/t/t7501-commit.sh
index b4e2b4db84..e2ef53228e 100755
--- a/t/t7501-commit.sh
+++ b/t/t7501-commit.sh
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ test_expect_success \
 	"echo King of the bongo >file &&
 	test_must_fail git commit -m foo -a file"
 
-test_expect_success \
+test_expect_success PERL \
 	"using paths with --interactive" \
 	"echo bong-o-bong >file &&
 	! (echo 7 | git commit -m foo --interactive file)"
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ test_expect_success \
 	"echo 'gak' >file && \
 	 git commit -m 'author' --author 'Rubber Duck <rduck@convoy.org>' -a"
 
-test_expect_success \
+test_expect_success PERL \
 	"interactive add" \
 	"echo 7 | git commit --interactive | grep 'What now'"
 
diff --git a/t/t9001-send-email.sh b/t/t9001-send-email.sh
index 3c90c4fc1c..d9420e0a3b 100755
--- a/t/t9001-send-email.sh
+++ b/t/t9001-send-email.sh
@@ -3,6 +3,11 @@
 test_description='git send-email'
 . ./test-lib.sh
 
+if ! test_have_prereq PERL; then
+	say 'skipping git send-email tests, perl not available'
+	test_done
+fi
+
 PROG='git send-email'
 test_expect_success \
     'prepare reference tree' \
diff --git a/t/t9200-git-cvsexportcommit.sh b/t/t9200-git-cvsexportcommit.sh
index 36656923ac..56b7c06921 100755
--- a/t/t9200-git-cvsexportcommit.sh
+++ b/t/t9200-git-cvsexportcommit.sh
@@ -6,6 +6,11 @@ test_description='Test export of commits to CVS'
 
 . ./test-lib.sh
 
+if ! test_have_prereq PERL; then
+	say 'skipping git cvsexportcommit tests, perl not available'
+	test_done
+fi
+
 cvs >/dev/null 2>&1
 if test $? -ne 1
 then
diff --git a/t/t9400-git-cvsserver-server.sh b/t/t9400-git-cvsserver-server.sh
index 39185db6c9..64f947d75b 100755
--- a/t/t9400-git-cvsserver-server.sh
+++ b/t/t9400-git-cvsserver-server.sh
@@ -10,6 +10,10 @@ cvs CLI client via git-cvsserver server'
 
 . ./test-lib.sh
 
+if ! test_have_prereq PERL; then
+	say 'skipping git cvsserver tests, perl not available'
+	test_done
+fi
 cvs >/dev/null 2>&1
 if test $? -ne 1
 then
diff --git a/t/t9401-git-cvsserver-crlf.sh b/t/t9401-git-cvsserver-crlf.sh
index 12e0e50822..aca40c1b1f 100755
--- a/t/t9401-git-cvsserver-crlf.sh
+++ b/t/t9401-git-cvsserver-crlf.sh
@@ -52,6 +52,11 @@ then
     say 'skipping git-cvsserver tests, cvs not found'
     test_done
 fi
+if ! test_have_prereq PERL
+then
+    say 'skipping git-cvsserver tests, perl not available'
+    test_done
+fi
 perl -e 'use DBI; use DBD::SQLite' >/dev/null 2>&1 || {
     say 'skipping git-cvsserver tests, Perl SQLite interface unavailable'
     test_done
diff --git a/t/t9500-gitweb-standalone-no-errors.sh b/t/t9500-gitweb-standalone-no-errors.sh
index 0bd332c493..f4210fbb04 100755
--- a/t/t9500-gitweb-standalone-no-errors.sh
+++ b/t/t9500-gitweb-standalone-no-errors.sh
@@ -65,6 +65,11 @@ gitweb_run () {
 
 . ./test-lib.sh
 
+if ! test_have_prereq PERL; then
+	say 'skipping gitweb tests, perl not available'
+	test_done
+fi
+
 perl -MEncode -e 'decode_utf8("", Encode::FB_CROAK)' >/dev/null 2>&1 || {
     say 'skipping gitweb tests, perl version is too old'
     test_done
diff --git a/t/t9600-cvsimport.sh b/t/t9600-cvsimport.sh
index 33eb51938d..4322a0c1ed 100755
--- a/t/t9600-cvsimport.sh
+++ b/t/t9600-cvsimport.sh
@@ -3,6 +3,11 @@
 test_description='git cvsimport basic tests'
 . ./test-lib.sh
 
+if ! test_have_prereq PERL; then
+	say 'skipping git cvsimport tests, perl not available'
+	test_done
+fi
+
 CVSROOT=$(pwd)/cvsroot
 export CVSROOT
 unset CVS_SERVER
diff --git a/t/t9700-perl-git.sh b/t/t9700-perl-git.sh
index 4a501c6847..b4ca244626 100755
--- a/t/t9700-perl-git.sh
+++ b/t/t9700-perl-git.sh
@@ -6,6 +6,11 @@
 test_description='perl interface (Git.pm)'
 . ./test-lib.sh
 
+if ! test_have_prereq PERL; then
+	say 'skipping perl interface tests, perl not available'
+	test_done
+fi
+
 perl -MTest::More -e 0 2>/dev/null || {
 	say "Perl Test::More unavailable, skipping test"
 	test_done
diff --git a/t/test-lib.sh b/t/test-lib.sh
index b050196cb7..4bd986f430 100644
--- a/t/test-lib.sh
+++ b/t/test-lib.sh
@@ -698,6 +698,8 @@ case $(uname -s) in
 	;;
 esac
 
+test -z "$NO_PERL" && test_set_prereq PERL
+
 # test whether the filesystem supports symbolic links
 ln -s x y 2>/dev/null && test -h y 2>/dev/null && test_set_prereq SYMLINKS
 rm -f y
diff --git a/unimplemented.sh b/unimplemented.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5252de4b25
--- /dev/null
+++ b/unimplemented.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+echo >&2 "fatal: git was built without support for `basename $0` (@@REASON@@)."
+exit 128