diff --git a/src/Makefile b/src/Makefile
index 7b4b2b7..395d5ba 100644
--- a/src/Makefile
+++ b/src/Makefile
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ freebsd:
 generic: $(ALL)
 
 linux:
-	$(MAKE) $(ALL) SYSCFLAGS="-DLUA_USE_LINUX" SYSLIBS="-Wl,-E -ldl -lreadline"
+	$(MAKE) $(ALL) SYSCFLAGS="-DLUA_USE_LINUX" SYSLIBS="-Wl,-E -ldl"
 
 macosx:
 	$(MAKE) $(ALL) SYSCFLAGS="-DLUA_USE_MACOSX" SYSLIBS="-lreadline" CC=cc
diff --git a/src/luaconf.h b/src/luaconf.h
index 18be9a9..131747b 100644
--- a/src/luaconf.h
+++ b/src/luaconf.h
@@ -43,7 +43,6 @@
 #if defined(LUA_USE_LINUX)
 #define LUA_USE_POSIX
 #define LUA_USE_DLOPEN		/* needs an extra library: -ldl */
-#define LUA_USE_READLINE	/* needs some extra libraries */
 #define LUA_USE_STRTODHEX	/* assume 'strtod' handles hex formats */
 #define LUA_USE_AFORMAT		/* assume 'printf' handles 'aA' specifiers */
 #define LUA_USE_LONGLONG	/* assume support for long long */