--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -894,10 +894,22 @@
   [AC_MSG_ERROR([Cannot set default symbol visibility. Use --disable-reduce-exports.])])
 fi
 
+dnl Check for leveldb, only if explicitly requested
 LEVELDB_CPPFLAGS=
 LIBLEVELDB=
 LIBMEMENV=
-AM_CONDITIONAL([EMBEDDED_LEVELDB],[true])
+AC_ARG_WITH([system-leveldb],
+  [AS_HELP_STRING([--with-system-leveldb],
+  [Build with system LevelDB (default is no; DANGEROUS; NOT SUPPORTED)])],
+  [system_leveldb=$withval],
+  [system_leveldb=no]
+)
+if test x$system_leveldb != xno; then
+  LEVELDB_CPPFLAGS=
+  LIBLEVELDB=-lleveldb
+  LIBMEMENV=-lmemenv
+fi
+AM_CONDITIONAL([EMBEDDED_LEVELDB],[test x$system_leveldb = xno])
 AC_SUBST(LEVELDB_CPPFLAGS)
 AC_SUBST(LIBLEVELDB)
 AC_SUBST(LIBMEMENV)
--- a/src/dbwrapper.cpp
+++ b/src/dbwrapper.cpp
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 #include <leveldb/cache.h>
 #include <leveldb/env.h>
 #include <leveldb/filter_policy.h>
-#include <memenv.h>
+#include <leveldb/helpers/memenv.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <algorithm>