diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 90b2e20..f3c3c08 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -5,6 +5,10 @@
 
 ## Requirements
 
+No external dependencies other than GCC (or another C99 compatible compiler).
+
+**Optional**: [libmpdclient](https://github.com/MusicPlayerDaemon/libmpdclient) to display current status (song / elapsed time / etc)
+
 The fifo output of MPD needs to be enabled. To do so, simply place this in your mpd.conf:
 
 ```
@@ -15,17 +19,21 @@
 	format                  "44100:16:1"
 }
 ```
-This is allowing MPD to create a file (the location is hardcoded right now so it MUST be /tmp/mpd.fifo) and write it with raw PCM data in realtime.
-Path and format variables MUST be the same displayed above.
-By reading that, mvc is able to compute a frequency spectrum of the current track played.
 
 ## Building
 
 Makefile-based.
+
+**Build with status display (requires libmpdclient):**
 ```
 make all
 ```
 
+**Build without status display (no external dependencies):**
+```
+make nostatus
+```
+
 To install:
 ```
 sudo make install
@@ -36,10 +44,9 @@
 Simply run in your terminal:
 
 ```
-mvc [color]
+mvc
 ```
-[color] is the number of a color in your terminal colorscheme.
 
 The keypress '**q**'' at anytime **quits** the program and restores the terminal.
 
-Note that an instance of MPD must be running for mvc to work, otherwise the fifo file doesn't exist.
+Note that an instance of MPD must be running for mvc to work, otherwise the fifo file wouldn't exist.
diff --git a/makefile b/makefile
index 9400f69..2aed278 100644
--- a/makefile
+++ b/makefile
@@ -1,19 +1,29 @@
-SRC = src/fft.c src/utils_curses.c src/music_visualizer.c src/utils_mpd.c src/settings.h#src/alsa_fifo.c
+SRC = src/settings.h src/fft.c src/utils_curses.c src/music_visualizer.c src/utils_mpd.c
 ALL = $(SRC)
 LOCPATH = ./bin
 INSTALLPATH = /usr/local
-LFLAGS =  -lm -lcurses -ldl -lmpdclient #-ltinfo #-lasound
+CFLAGS = -O2
+LFLAGS =  -lm -lcurses -ldl #-ltinfo #-lasound
 DEBFLAGS = -g -Wall
 NAME = mvc
+LFLAGS_STATUS = -lmpdclient
+
+LIBMPDCLIENT=$(shell [ -e /usr/include/mpd/client.h ] && echo 0 || echo 1)
+ifeq ($(LIBMPDCLIENT), 0)
+	CFLAGS += -DSTATUS_CHECK
+endif
 
 all:
 	mkdir -p $(LOCPATH)
-	gcc $(ALL) -o $(LOCPATH)/$(NAME) $(LFLAGS) 
+	gcc $(ALL) -o $(LOCPATH)/$(NAME) $(CFLAGS) $(LFLAGS) $(LFLAGS_STATUS)
+nostatus:
+	mkdir -p $(LOCPATH)
+	gcc $(ALL) -o $(LOCPATH)/$(NAME) -O2 $(LFLAGS)
 debug:
 	mkdir -p $(LOCPATH)/debug
-	gcc $(ALL) -o $(LOCPATH)/debug/$(NAME)_debug $(LFLAGS) $(DEBFLAGS)
+	gcc $(ALL) -o $(LOCPATH)/debug/$(NAME)_debug $(CFLAGS) $(LFLAGS) $(DEBFLAGS)
 asan:
-	gcc $(ALL) -o $(LOCPATH)/debug/$(NAME)_debug_asan $(LFLAGS) $(DEBFLAGS) -fsanitize=address
+	gcc $(ALL) -o $(LOCPATH)/debug/$(NAME)_debug_asan $(CFLAGS) $(LFLAGS) $(DEBFLAGS) -fsanitize=address
 clean:
 	rm $(LOCPATH)/$(NAME)
 	rm $(LOCPATH)/debug/$(NAME)_debug
diff --git a/src/music_visualizer.c b/src/music_visualizer.c
index ef4df18..93be409 100755
--- a/src/music_visualizer.c
+++ b/src/music_visualizer.c
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
-#include <mpd/client.h> // status
 #include <stdlib.h>		// exit
 #include <unistd.h>		// read
 #include <sys/stat.h>	// open	
@@ -15,14 +14,18 @@
 #include "fft.h"		// fast fourier transform
 #include "utils_curses.h"
 #include "alsa_fifo.h"
-#include "utils_mpd.h"
 #include "settings.h"
 
-
+#ifdef STATUS_CHECK
+#include <mpd/client.h> // status
+#include "utils_mpd.h"
 static _Atomic bool getstatus = true;
+#endif
+
 static int maxR = 0;
 static int maxC = 0;
 
+#ifdef STATUS_CHECK
 void
 get_mpd_status(struct mpd_connection* session, STATUS* status)
 {
@@ -37,6 +40,7 @@
 {
     getstatus = true;
 }
+#endif
 
 void
 process_fifo (uint16_t* buf, unsigned int* fftBuf, unsigned int* fftAvg) {
@@ -74,9 +78,11 @@
 {
     uint16_t buf[N_SAMPLES];
     int fifo;
+#ifdef STATUS_CHECK
     struct mpd_connection *session;
-    bool over = false;
     STATUS* status = NULL;
+#endif
+    bool over = false;
     fd_set set;
     int ret;
 	int cnt = 0; // used to set resolution (wether to skip / not to skip a read)
@@ -95,10 +101,11 @@
     memset(fftAvg, 0, N_SAMPLES*sizeof(unsigned int));
 
     // open connection to mpd and set alarm to refresh status
+#ifdef STATUS_CHECK
     session = open_connection();
-
     signal(SIGALRM, alarm_status);
 	alarm(STATUS_REFRESH);
+#endif
 
     while(!over) {
         if (wgetch(stdscr) == 'q') {
@@ -108,7 +115,7 @@
         // if > 0 means data to be read
         if ((ret = select(fifo+1, &set, NULL, NULL, NULL)) > 0) {
             // read data when avaiable
-            read(fifo, (uint16_t*)buf, 2*N_SAMPLES);
+            ret = read(fifo, (uint16_t*)buf, 2*N_SAMPLES);
             // process read buffer
 			if(cnt == NICENESS) {
             	process_fifo(buf, fftBuf, fftAvg);
@@ -118,6 +125,7 @@
 			}
         }
         // refresh status at SIGALRM
+#ifdef STATUS_CHECK
         if(getstatus) {
             // get mpd status
             free_status_st(status);
@@ -126,6 +134,7 @@
             // set alarm for status refresh
 			alarm(STATUS_REFRESH);
         }
+#endif
         if (ret > 0) {
             // clear screen for printing (only if new data on fifo)
 			if(cnt == NICENESS) {
@@ -133,24 +142,29 @@
            		print_visual(fftBuf, fftAvg);
 			}
         }
+#ifdef STATUS_CHECK
         // print mpd status even if no new data is avaiable
         print_mpd_status(status, maxC, maxR/2+maxR/6);
+#endif
         // refresh screen
         refresh();
     }
+#ifdef STATUS_CHECK
+    close_connection(session);
+    free_status_st(status);
+#endif
     free(fftAvg);
     free(fftBuf);
-    free_status_st(status);
     close(fifo);
-    close_connection(session);
 }
 
 int
 main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
 	WINDOW *mainwin;
-
+#ifdef STATUS_CHECK
     import_var_from_settings();
+#endif
 
 	if((mainwin = curses_init()) == NULL){
 		exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
diff --git a/src/settings.h b/src/settings.h
index 93805dc..7689d46 100644
--- a/src/settings.h
+++ b/src/settings.h
@@ -1,14 +1,12 @@
 /*
  **** MPD options
  */
-
 static char defHost[] = "localhost";
 static unsigned int defPort = 6600;
 // database location, needed for libmpdclient
 static char defDBlocation[] = "/home/francesco/.mpd/mpd.db";
 // timeout for MPD connection to fail
 #define TIMEOUT 1000
-
 /*
  **** Visualizer options
  */
diff --git a/src/utils_curses.c b/src/utils_curses.c
index 6cdfdbe..0b628cd 100755
--- a/src/utils_curses.c
+++ b/src/utils_curses.c
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@
 }
 
 
+#ifdef STATUS_CHECK
 /* prints a STATUS structure to stdout */
 void 
 print_mpd_status(STATUS* status, const int maxC, const int row)
@@ -137,4 +138,4 @@
     }
     return;
 }
-
+#endif
diff --git a/src/utils_curses.h b/src/utils_curses.h
index 9248bbd..cff7357 100755
--- a/src/utils_curses.h
+++ b/src/utils_curses.h
@@ -10,4 +10,7 @@
 WINDOW* curses_init();
 void print_col(int col, int length, const int maxR, const int maxC);
 void print_row(int row, int length, const int maxR, const int maxC);
+
+#ifdef STATUS_CHECK
 void print_mpd_status(STATUS* status, const int maxC, const int row);
+#endif
diff --git a/src/utils_mpd.c b/src/utils_mpd.c
index 7c385d9..c16305a 100644
--- a/src/utils_mpd.c
+++ b/src/utils_mpd.c
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+
+#ifdef STATUS_CHECK
 #include "utils_mpd.h" 
 #include <mpd/client.h> // libmpdclient
 #include <stdio.h> // fprintf
@@ -437,3 +439,5 @@
 		return i;
 	}
 }
+
+#endif
diff --git a/src/utils_mpd.h b/src/utils_mpd.h
index f88b8b0..9d9e337 100644
--- a/src/utils_mpd.h
+++ b/src/utils_mpd.h
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+#ifdef STATUS_CHECK
+
 #ifndef KPD_UTIL_H
 #define KPD_UTIL_H
 #include <stdbool.h>
@@ -45,8 +47,8 @@
 
 bool change_port ();
 bool change_host ();
-void import_var_from_settings ();
 void free_var_from_settings ();
+void import_var_from_settings ();
 
 struct mpd_connection *open_connection();
 void close_connection(struct mpd_connection *mpdConnection);
@@ -97,3 +99,4 @@
 bool print_full_names (char **args, int n);
 
 #endif
+#endif